Research & Validation

Our commitment to evidence-based instrument development. Each PandaScales instrument follows a structured validation pathway from item development through to normative data and peer-reviewed publication.

Validation Approach

PandaScales instruments are developed following contemporary psychometric best practice, combining classical test theory with modern factor-analytic methods.

Clinician-Led Development

Item pools generated from clinical experience, patient language, and systematic review of existing measures. Items are written by a practising UK Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist.

Structured Validation

Four-phase validation: content validity → pilot → validation study → norms. Each phase has clear decision rules for item retention and structure refinement.

Open Science

Scoring algorithms, domain definitions, and interpretation guides are fully transparent. Research datasets will be made available where ethically appropriate.

Current Status

All four instruments have completed item development. Validation studies are being planned.

APEX-Q

Item Development

83+ items finalised across 10 subscales. Scoring engine implemented with severity bands, strength mapping, and clinical flags.

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APED-Q

Item Development

72 items across 12 domains. Three age versions (A/Y/C) with adapted wording. Scoring and interpretation bands implemented.

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RSD-RS

Item Development

55 vulnerability items + 24 protective factor items. Most publication-ready instrument with clear psychometric architecture.

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ELIC-Q

Item Development

49 items across 12 domains + variability dimension. Scoring algorithms complete. Validation planned.

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Validation Roadmap

Planned validation phases for all PandaScales instruments.

Phase 1: Content Validity

Planned

Expert panel review (UK psychiatrists, psychologists, SLTs)
Item-level content validity index (CVI) computation
Cognitive interviewing with target populations
Item refinement based on expert and user feedback

Phase 2: Pilot Study

Planned

N=50–100 pilot sample for each instrument
Item analysis: discrimination, difficulty, response distributions
Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) per subscale
Item-total correlations and floor/ceiling effects

Phase 3: Validation Study

Planned

N=300+ community sample with known-groups design
Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) testing proposed structure
Convergent validity against established measures
Discriminant validity and incremental validity testing

Phase 4: Norms & Publication

Planned

Normative data collection across demographics
Test-retest reliability assessment
Publication in peer-reviewed journals
Clinical cut-off establishment and sensitivity/specificity analysis

Ethics & IRB

All planned validation studies will obtain appropriate ethical approval.

NHS Ethics

Studies involving NHS patients will go through the Health Research Authority (HRA) and IRAS application process with appropriate NHS R&D approval.

Community Samples

Community validation studies will obtain university ethics committee approval. All participants provide informed consent with clear data handling protocols.

Research Collaboration

We welcome collaboration with academic institutions, NHS services, and independent researchers. If you are interested in validating PandaScales instruments or using them in your research, get in touch.