Why are we asking this? The purposes of self-report questionnaires

This project aims to develop a framework of the purposes for which self‑report questionnaires are used in research and clinical practice. Background: Although self‑report measures are widely applied, their intended purposes are often not well defined, which contributes to concerns about their quality and appropriate use. The project therefore focuses on identifying, describing, and organizing these purposes. Method: The research consists of two phases. In Phase 1, we will gather relevant conceptual and methodological literature through expert consultation, community input, and algorithm‑based searches, then extract and code descriptions of questionnaire purposes. This will result in a preliminary set of purpose categories. In Phase 2, we will conduct focus groups with researchers and clinicians to refine and validate this framework and to better understand which measurement properties are important for different purposes. Expected outcome: We aim to arrive at a comprehensive and well‑defined framework that clarifies how self‑report questionnaires are used and how different purposes relate to each other. This framework will support more conscious and appropriate use of self‑report measures across disciplines