Validating a Questionnaire

 5 years ago SAGE Publishing

Categories: Qualitative

By Dave Collingridge

I remember years ago walking the halls of the faculty offices at my university asking for help on validating a questionnaire. I repeatedly asked professors, “Can you tell me how to validate the questions in my survey?” The response was usually a polite, “I can’t, but have you tried talking to doctor so and so, he might be able to help.” Doctor so and so couldn’t help either. In fact, no one seemed able to help.

I found it strange that faculty in a psychology department were unable to tell a graduate student how to validate a survey. Aren’t questionnaires one of the most common methods of data collection in the social sciences? They are.

After graduating I was determined to find out how to validate surveys, so I checked out some books from my school’s library and purchased others from Amazon. The books contained useful information on how to create questions and what response scales to use, but they lacked start to finish instructions on how to validate. So I took little pieces here and there from articles, books, and webpages and compiled them into own comprehensive approach to validating questionnaires.

I have used this approach to publish questionnaire-based articles. Also, I was awarded a grant to validate a questionnaire evaluating clinicians’ impressions of electronic decision making tools. I guess journal editors and reviewers think that I know what I am doing, or maybe they are deferring to my “expertise” because, like my university professors, they are not sure about what to do. It is kind of strange being called an expert on something that you did not learn from another expert.

Anyway, here is my approach in a nutshell. Nutshell means that I’ve left out a lot of details. Maybe I will post additional blogs addressing each subject. Or maybe I will write a book on how to validate surveys from start to finish, sit at home, and get rich off of 10% royalties on an academic book. Come to think of it, I’d have a better chance at becoming a statistical hero in tights that swooshes out of the sky and helps people power a Poisson regression.

Questionnaire Validation in a Nutshell

1. Generally speaking the first step in validating a survey is to establish face validity. There are two important steps in this process. First is to have experts or people who understand your topic read through your questionnaire. They should evaluate whether the questions effectively capture the topic under investigation. You might have them pretend to fill out the survey while scribbling notes. Second is to have a psychometrician (i.e., one who is expert on questionnaire construction) check your survey for common errors like double-barreled, confusing, and leading questions.
2. The second step is to pilot test the survey on a subset of your intended population. Recommendations on sample size for pilot testing vary. Some academicians are staunch supporters of things like a 20 participant per question. Well if your survey has 30 questions, that means that you’ll need at least 600 respondents! I think this standard should be relaxed – perhaps it has been. Trust me, it is possible to validate with far fewer participants. I’ve taught classes where I gave students questionnaires containing a small proportion of somewhat irrelevant questions. After they filled out the form I pointed out which questions were weak – they had no idea. Then we ran the statistics on their responses and guess what? The analysis revealed that the somewhat irrelevant questions be dropped. It worked time and time again with about 35 students. (I don’t recommend telling a journal reviewer that you only need 35 pilot testing participants because some guy on Methodspace said so. The more participants the better, but if all you can get are 60 participants, it may be enough, especially if your survey is short [about 8-15 questions].)
3. After collecting pilot data, enter the responses into a spreadsheet and clean the data. Here is an important tip: Have one person read the values while another enters the data. Having one person read and enter data is highly prone to error. After entering the data you will want to reverse code negatively phrased questions. When used sparingly, negatively phrased questions can be very useful for checking whether participants filled out your survey in a reckless fashion. If they read the question carefully, their responses to negatively phrased questions should be consistent with responses to similar positively phrased questions. If they are not consistent you might consider tossing out a person’s responses. It is also wise to check maximum and minimum values for the entire dataset. If you used a 5-point Likert-style scale but find a response of 6 you’ve probably identified a data entry error.
4. Identify underlying components using principal components analysis (PCA). Component or factor loadings, as they are sometimes called, tell you what factors are being measured by your questions. Questions that measure the same thing should load onto the same factors. Factor loadings range from -1.0 to 1.0. When grouping factor loadings I usually look for values that are ±0.60 or higher, although this varies depending on what the rest of the loadings look like. Sometimes there will be surprises. Occasionally a question will not load onto any factors very well. The fun part is determining what the factors represent by looking for common themes in the questions that load onto the same factors. If you identify 3 factor-themes, you can be assured that your survey is at least measuring three things. Validity is measuring what you purport to be measuring, therefore this step validates what your survey is really measuring. Finally, questions loading onto the same factors can be aggregated (i.e., combined) and compared during the final data analysis phase. (A word of caution: Don’t attempt PCA by yourself if you are inexperienced. Have someone skilled in PCA analysis guide you through the process or have good resources on hand.)
5. Check the internal consistency of questions loading onto the same factors. This step basically checks the correlation between questions loading onto the same factor. It is a measure of reliability in that it checks whether the responses are consistent. A standard test of internal consistency is Cronbach’s Alpha (CA). Cronbach Alpha values range from 0 – 1.0. In most cases the value should be at least 0.70 or higher although a value from 0.60 to 0.70 is acceptable. What should you do if you have a low value? A nice function in some programs is telling you the CA value after removing a question. IBM SPSS calls it “scale if item deleted.” You might consider deleting a question if doing so dramatically improves your CA. (As with PCA, you should seek assistance from a statistician or a good resource if you are new to testing internal consistency).
6. The final step is revising the survey based on information gleaned from the PCA and CA. Consider that even though a question does not adequately load onto a factor, you might retain it because it is important. You can always analyze it separately. If the question is not important you can remove it from the survey. Similarly, if removing a question greatly improves a CA for a group of questions, you might just remove it from its factor loading group and analyze it separately. If your survey undergoes minor changes it is probably ready to go. If there are major changes you may want to repeat the pilot testing process. Repeat pilot testing is warranted whenever you start with many more questions than are included in the final version (e.g., pilot testing 50 questions and then narrowing the field to 10 questions).

(I strongly recommend running PCA and CA again after completing the formal data collection phase [i.e., after you use your questionnaire to collect “real” data]. You want to make sure that you get the same factor loading patterns.)

When reporting the results of your study you can claim that you used a questionnaire whose face validity was established experts. You should also mention that it was pilot tested on a subset of participants. Report the results of the PCA and CA analyses. Should you report the results from the pilot testing or formal data collection? I think reporting PCA and CA results on the formal data is most useful. When reporting PCA results you may say something like “Questions 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10 loaded onto the same factor which we determined represents personal commitment to employer.” When reporting CA results you may say something like “The Cronbach’s Alpha for questions representing personal commitment to employer was 0.91, indicating excellent internal consistency in the responses.”

Summary of Steps to Validate a Questionnaire.

1. Establish Face Validity
2. Pilot test
3. Clean Dataset
4. Principal Components Analysis
5. Cronbach’s Alpha
6. Revise (if needed)
7. Get a tall glass of your favorite drink, sit back, relax, and let out a guttural laugh celebrating your accomplishment. (OK, not really.)

Patterns of Development in Writing

When beginning to write, it is helpful to determine the patterns of development that are most effective for your purpose and audience. Some general patterns of development are:

Cause and Effect details why something happens, what causes it, what are the effects and how it is related to something else.

Classification and Division groups items into their parts or types.

Compare and Contrast tells how something is like other things or how something is different from other things.

Definition explains what something is in comparison to other members of its class, along with any limitations.

Description details what something looks like and its characteristics.

Exemplification provides typical cases or examples of something.

Narration describes what, when, and where something happened.

Persuasion describes an issue and your position or opinion on the subject.

Process explains how something happened, how it works or how it is made.

https://web.iit.edu/cac/student-resources/writing-guides/writing-process/patterns-development-writing 

CREATIVE WRITING FINAL BLOG PETA (POETRY & DRAMA) 2019

CREATIVE WRITING BLOG (POETRY & DRAMA)

CAROL'S GROUP
https://dosbastardos2001.blogspot.com/2019/09/forms-of-poetry-poetry-it-uses-words-to.html?fbclid=IwAR3rtfTOJ-8skTOcKWVrwU5S1A3XhYKz1_paWPrlsAIOdimU5y0Y-j8Kac0

KC'S GROUP
https://cw12345.blogspot.com/2019/09/group-blog-of-poetry-and-drama.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR3kQp9DRneVku9VcC8ZOPDGfVC17ks9PauTD9bOxDdN1loA23TU1B22VIM

LOVELY'S GROUP
https://esquillolovelyraint.blogspot.com/2019/09/creative-writing.html?fbclid=IwAR0vWm-i_5QQc6Dzvug-hvBJ6mwaeLNotkia_IVfT7Uq1lIUZPX54SQBvHg

Effective Tips in Conducting Senior High School Practical Research

🅴🅵🅵🅴🅲🆃🅸🆅🅴 🆃🅸🅿🆂 🅸🅽 🅲🅾🅽🅳🆄🅲🆃🅸🅽🅶 🆂🅴🅽🅸🅾🆁 🅷🅸🅶🅷 🆂🅲🅷🅾🅾🅻 🅿🆁🅰🅲🆃🅸🅲🅰🅻 🆁🅴🆂🅴🅰🆁🅲🅷 🅱🆈 🅽. 🆅🅴🆁🆂🅾🆉🅰 2019


1. “🅱🅴🅶🅸🅽 🆆🅸🆃🅷 🆃🅷🅴 🅴🅽🅳 🅸🅽 🅼🅸🅽🅳”. 🅵🅾🅲🆄🆂 🅾🅽 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🅶🅾🅰🅻. 🅱🅴 🅳🅴🆃🅴🆁🅼🅸🅽🅴🅳 🆃🅾 🅵🅸🅽🅸🆂🅷 🆃🅷🅴 🅿🆁🅰🅲🆃🅸🅲🅰🅻 🆁🅴🆂🅴🅰🆁🅲🅷 🆃🅰🆂🅺 🆂🅸🅽🅲🅴 🅸🆃 🅸🆂 🅰 🅺-12 🆂🅲🅷🅾🅾🅻 🆁🅴🆀🆄🅸🆁🅴🅼🅴🅽🆃 🅰🅽🅳 🅰 🆄🆂🅴🅵🆄🅻 🆂🅺🅸🅻🅻 🅸🅽 🆃🅷🅴 21🆂🆃 🅲🅴🅽🆃🆄🆁🆈, 🅰🅽🅳 🆃🅾 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🅵🆄🆃🆄🆁🅴 🅲🅰🆁🅴🅴🆁. 🆂🅾, 🅼🅰🅽🅰🅶🅴 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🆃🅸🅼🅴 🆆🅸🆂🅴🅻🆈 🅱🆈 🅿🅻🅰🅽🅽🅸🅽🅶 🆂🅲🅷🅴🅳🆄🅻🅴🆂, 🅰🅽🅳 🅿🆁🅴🅿🅰🆁🅸🅽🅶 🆃🅾-🅳🅾 🅻🅸🆂🆃🆂 🅵🅾🆁 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🆁🅴🆂🅴🅰🆁🅲🅷 🅰🅲🆃🅸🆅🅸🆃🅸🅴🆂. 🅾🅽 🆃🅷🅴 🅾🆃🅷🅴🆁 🅷🅰🅽🅳, 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🅿🅰🆁🅴🅽🆃🆂 🅼🆄🆂🆃 🅷🅰🆅🅴 🅵🆄🅻🅻 🆂🆄🅿🅿🅾🆁🆃 🅸🅽 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🅴🅳🆄🅲🅰🆃🅸🅾🅽 🅴🆂🅿🅴🅲🅸🅰🅻🅻🆈, 🅵🅸🅽🅰🅽🅲🅸🅰🅻🅻🆈.

2. 🅲🅷🅾🅾🆂🅴 🅰 🆃🅾🅿🅸🅲/🆂🆄🅱🅹🅴🅲🆃 🅼🅰🆃🆃🅴🆁 🆆🅷🅸🅲🅷 🅸🅽🆃🅴🆁🅴🆂🆃🆂 🅰🅽🅳 🅲🅷🅰🅻🅻🅴🅽🅶🅴🆂 🆈🅾🆄. 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🅰🆃🆃🅸🆃🆄🅳🅴 🆃🅾🆆🅰🆁🅳🆂 🆃🅷🅴 🆃🅾🅿🅸🅲 🅼🅰🆈 🆆🅴🅻🅻 🅳🅴🆃🅴🆁🅼🅸🅽🅴 🆃🅷🅴 🅰🅼🅾🆄🅽🆃 🅾🅵 🅴🅵🅵🅾🆁🆃 🅰🅽🅳 🅴🅽🆃🅷🆄🆂🅸🅰🆂🅼 🆈🅾🆄 🅿🆄🆃 🅸🅽🆃🅾 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🆁🅴🆂🅴🅰🆁🅲🅷. 🅵🅾🅲🆄🆂 🅾🅽 🅰 🅻🅸🅼🅸🆃🅴🅳 🅾🆁 🆂🅿🅴🅲🅸🅵🅸🅲 🅰🆂🅿🅴🅲🆃. 🅰🅻🆆🅰🆈🆂 🅾🅱🆃🅰🅸🅽 🆃🅴🅰🅲🅷🅴🆁’🆂 🅰🅿🅿🆁🅾🆅🅰🅻 🅵🅾🆁 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🆃🅾🅿🅸🅲 🅱🅴🅵🅾🆁🅴 🅴🅼🅱🅰🆁🅺🅸🅽🅶 🅾🅽 🅰 🅵🆄🅻🅻-🆂🅲🅰🅻🅴 🆁🅴🆂🅴🅰🆁🅲🅷.

3. 🅵🅸🅽🅳 🅸🅽🅵🅾🆁🅼🅰🆃🅸🅾🅽. 🅶🅾 🆃🅾 🅻🅸🅱🆁🅰🆁🅸🅴🆂 🆃🅾 🅱🆁🅾🆆🆂🅴 🅱🅾🅾🅺🆂, 🅼🅰🅶🅰🆉🅸🅽🅴🆂, 🅰🆁🆃🅸🅲🅻🅴🆂, 🅹🅾🆄🆁🅽🅰🅻🆂, 🅽🅴🆆🆂🅿🅰🅿🅴🆁🆂 🅵🅾🆁 🅰🆂🆂🅾🅲🅸🅰🆃🅴🅳 🅸🅽🅵🅾🆁🅼🅰🆃🅸🅾🅽, 🅻🅸🆃🅴🆁🅰🆃🆄🆁🅴 🅰🅽🅳 🆂🆃🆄🅳🅸🅴🆂 🆁🅴🅻🅰🆃🅴🅳 🆈🅾🆄🆁 🆁🅴🆂🅴🅰🆁🅲🅷 🆃🅸🆃🅻🅴 🅾🆁 🆃🅾🅿🅸🅲. 🆂🆄🆁🅵 🆃🅷🅴 🅽🅴🆃. 🅵🅾🆁 🅶🅴🅽🅴🆁🅰🅻 🅾🆁 🅱🅰🅲🅺🅶🆁🅾🆄🅽🅳 🅸🅽🅵🅾🆁🅼🅰🆃🅸🅾🅽, 🅲🅷🅴🅲🅺 🅾🆄🆃 🆄🆂🅴🅵🆄🅻 🆄🆁🅻🆂, 🅶🅴🅽🅴🆁🅰🅻 🅸🅽🅵🅾🆁🅼🅰🆃🅸🅾🅽 🅾🅽🅻🅸🅽🅴, 🅰🆁🆃🅸🅲🅻🅴🆂 🅰🅽🅳 🅹🅾🆄🆁🅽🅰🅻🆂 🅾🅽🅻🅸🅽🅴, 🅰🅻🅼🅰🅽🅰🅲🆂 🅾🆁 🅴🅽🅲🆈🅲🅻🅾🅿🅴🅳🅸🅰🆂 🅾🅽🅻🅸🅽🅴. 🅵🅾🆁 🅾🅽🅻🅸🅽🅴 🅳🅰🆃🅰 🅰🅻🆆🅰🆈🆂 🅲🅾🅼🅿🅻🅴🆃🅴 🆃🅷🅴 🅽🅴🅲🅴🆂🆂🅰🆁🆈 🅸🅽🅵🅾🆁🅼🅰🆃🅸🅾🅽 🅵🅾🆁 🅲🅸🆃🅰🆃🅸🅾🅽: 🆃🅷🅴 🅽🅰🅼🅴 🅾🅵 🆃🅷🅴 🅰🆄🆃🅷🅾🆁, 🆃🅸🆃🅻🅴 🅾🅵 🆃🅷🅴 🅼🅰🆃🅴🆁🅸🅰🅻, 🅳🅰🆃🅴 🅾🆁 🆈🅴🅰🆁 🅿🆄🅱🅻🅸🆂🅷🅴🅳, 🅾🅽🅻🅸🅽🅴 🅿🆄🅱🅻🅸🆂🅷🅴🆁 (🅸🅵 🅰🆅🅰🅸🅻🅰🅱🅻🅴), 🅳🅰🆃🅴 🅰🅽🅳 🆃🅸🅼🅴 🅾🅵 🆁🅴🆃🆁🅸🅴🆅🅰🅻, 🅰🅽🅳 🆃🅷🅴 🆄🆁🅻/🆆🅴🅱🆂🅸🆃🅴 🅰🅳🅳🆁🅴🆂🆂.

You may use the following sites:

•www.web.nlp.gov.ph/nlp/?q=node/9548 
•www.nih.upm.edu.ph/content/university-philippines-manila-research-database
•www.mainlib.upd.edu.ph/?q=node/5801
•www.philjol.info/philjol/index.php
•www.library.uplb.edu.ph/open-access
•http://ejournals.ph
•www.tandfonline.com
•http://infrotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/phpnun/

ICT SOCIAL PROJECT PROMOTION

Lesson 13.2 DEMONSTRATE ICT PROJECT PROMOTION

LC: Demonstrate how online ICT Projects for Social Change are uploaded, managed, and promoted for maximum audience impact CS_ICT11/12-ICTPT-IIm-q-r20

PROMOTION

¨A message issued in behalf of some product, cause, idea, person or institution.

¨Encouragement of the progress, growth or acceptance of something.

¨Publicity or marketing.

According to: Rebecca Dye (Social Media Manager at First Direct)

12 different behaviors in social media

1. THE ULTRAS

¤Check feeds dozens of times a day. Happily, admit their obsession. (14% of FB users spend at least 2 hours a day on the network)

2. THE DENIERS

¤Social media do not control their lives, but gets anxious when unable to access networks. (20% of FB users would feel anxious or isolated if they had to deactivate their accounts)

3. THE VIRGINS

¤Taking first tentative steps in social media (19% of British people don’t use any social networks)

4. THE PEACOCKS

¤Popularity contest, high numbers of followers, fans, likes and retweets. (1 out of 10 Twitter users want more followers than friends)

5. THE LURKERS

¤Hiding in the shadows of cyberspace. Watches what others are saying, but rarely (if ever) participate themselves. (45% of FB users described themselves as “observers”)

6. THE RANTERS

¤Mock and mid in face-to-face conversations. Highly opinionated online.

7. THE CHANGELINGS

¤Adopt completely new personality online so no one knows their real identities.

8. THE GHOSTS

¤Creates anonymous profiles, for fear of giving out personal information to strangers.

9. THE INFORMERS

¤Seek admiration by being the first to share the latest trends with audiences.

10. THE APPROVAL SEEKERS

¤Constantly check feeds and timelines after posting. Worry until people respond.

11. THE QUIZZERS

¤Asking question allow them to start conversations.

12. THE DIPPERS

¤Access their pages infrequently, often going days, or  even weeks without posting/interaction.

Dr. David Giles said:

¨Most people using social media will display a combination of those personality types and they may be even behave differently on FB and other Social Media networks.

How to Pass the Neuro-Psychiatric Exam

The  Neuro-Psychiatric Examination tests the mental stability, adaptability and psychological functioning of applicants before they are being recruited into service. The purpose of the exam is to filter applicants if they are really suitable for the uniformed services of the government. It is one of the most decisive parts of the recruitment process in the PNP, BFP, BJMP, BuCor and all the branches of the AFP. In fact,  only 25% of the applicants pass the Neuro-Psychiatric exam, making it the most dreaded part of the application process.

The  Neuro-Psychiatric Exam is comprised of two parts- the written and the personal interview. It includes a 35-item Aptitude (Adaptation) Test, Guilford Zimmerman Temperament Survey, Applicant Risk Profiler, The Industrial Sentence Completion Test, Work Environment Preference Schedule (WEPS), Hand Test, and the “Drawing”. Sounds scary, right? Well, here are some tips and pieces of advice to help you pass this crucial part of your application. Please read on.

6 Important Tips to Pass the Neuro-Psychiatric Exam

Are you still searching for ways on how to successfully hurdle this important part of your application? Check these important tips on how to pass the Neuro-Psychiatric Exam like a boss.

1. Follow instructions

In every exam, following the instructions is as important as knowing the right answer to every question. Knowing how to follow instructions is a good indicator that you will be a good policeman, fireman, jail officer, or a soldier as these services require utmost compliance to instructions. When you are told to write your name in block capitals, do it exactly as you are told.

2. Manage your time during the exam

Like what I’ve said earlier, the Aptitude or what we call the IQ test is composed of 35 questions. You have to answer all these questions in only 15 minutes. That means you only have two minutes to answer each item. The proctors are strict regarding the time limit so never think that they will give you time extension. The trick is to answer the easy questions first then go back to difficult items in case you still have time. This way, you can maximize the time and increase your chances of completing the test.

3. Be consistent with your answers

Be mindful of your answers in every question of the exam. Always remember your answer in a particular question because you will be asked similar and related questions in the next following items. You have to be always consistent with your answers. Inconsistent answers may indicate that you are untruthful and just telling lies.

4. Learn how to draw

When I say learn how to draw, it does not mean you have to be like Michaelangelo or Da Vinci. If you are told to draw people, do not draw stick figures. Draw people with complete parts like ears, eyes, hairs, fingers, and the likes. Draw them with happy faces. Make evident distinctions between male and female e.g., mustache for male and long hair for female. After that, you describe each drawing or make a story of it in 4-5 sentences. Some of the concepts included here are tricky, and everything being drawn could mean something to the psychologists, therefore, be careful.

5. Hone your English skills

Sometimes, the exam may include essay exercises. The purpose is to evaluate the incident reporting skills of the applicants. Practice your English writing skills, be precise and pay attention to the grammar rules.

6. Prepare for the interview

The final part of the exam is the one-on-one interview with a psychologist to assess how you will present yourself under pressure. Answer all the question with wit, consistency, and fluency. Do not make unnecessary body and hand movements or gestures during the interview. Be snappy and stand firm when talking. Lastly, always be humble.

To wrap it up

The neuro-psychiatric test wants to know if you have a mindset of an average person. Do not pretend that you are an extraordinary one and just be yourself. Be consistent on your answers, bring out the good in yourself and do not show any violence in your words. Lastly, never leave anything unanswered. Those unanswered questions might determine the result of the neuro-psych either you are RECOMMENDED or NOT RECOMMENDED. Good luck and may the odds be in your favor.

Latin Legal Terms

The definition list below gives Latin to English translations for the most commonly used latin law terms.

A

Ab extra

Definition: From outside

Ab inito

Definition: From The beginning

Accessorius sequitur

Definition: One who is an accessory to the crime cannot be guilty of a more serious crime than the principal offender

Actus reus

Definition: A guilty deed or act

Ad hoc

Definition: For this purpose

Ad infinitum

Definition: For ever, without limit, To infinity

Alibi

Definition: At another place, Elsewhere

Aliunde

Definition: From elsewhere, or, from a different source

Amicus curiae

Definition: A friend of the court

Ante

Definition: Before

B

Bona Fide

Definition: Sincere, In good faith

Bona vacantia

Definition: Goods without an owner

C

Cadit quaestio

Definition: The matter admits of no further argument

Certiorari

Definition: Originally a writ from a High Court to a lower Court

Ceteris peribus

Definition: Other things being equal

Consensu

Definition: Unanimously or, by general consent

Consensus ad idem

Definition: Agreement as to the same things

Contra

Definition: To the contrary

Contra bonos mores

Definition: Contrary to good morals

Coram non judice

Definition: Before one who is not a judge

Corpus

Definition: Body

Corpus delicti

Definition: The body of the offence

Custos morum

Definition: A guardian of morals

D

De bonis asportatis

Definition: Of goods carried away

De die in diem

Definition: From day to day

De facto

Definition: In fact

De futuro

Definition: In the future

De integro

Definition: As regards the whole

De jure

Definition: Rightful, by right

De novo

Definition: Starting afresh

Doli incapax

Definition: Incapable of crime

Dominium

Definition: Ownership

Dubitante

Definition: Doubting the correctness of the decision

E

Ei incumbit probatio qui

Definition: The onus of proving a fact rests upon the man

Et cetera

Definition: Other things of that type

Ex cathedra

Definition: With official authority

Ex concessis

Definition: In view of what has already been accepted

Ex facie

Definition: On the fact of it

Ex gratia

Definition: Out of kindness, voluntary

Ex parte

Definition: Proceeding brought by one person in the absence of another

Ex post facto

Definition: By reason of a subsequent act

F

Faciendum

Definition: Something which is to be done

Factum

Definition: An act or deed

Fructus naturales

Definition: Vegetation which grows naturally without cultivation

I

Idem

Definition: The same person or thing

Id est (i.e)

Definition: That is

In camera

Definition: In private

In delicto

Definition: At fault

Indicia

Definition: Marks, signs

In esse

Definition: In existence

In extenso

Definition: At full length

In futoro

Definition: In the future

In limine

Definition: At the outset, on the threshold

In loco parentis

Definition: In place of the parent

In omnibus

Definition: In every respect

In pleno

Definition: In full

In situ

Definition: In its place

Inter alia

Definition: Amongst other things

Interium

Definition: Temporary, in the meanwhile

In terrorem

Definition: As a warning or deterrent

Ipsissima verba

Definition: The very words of a speaker

Ipso facto

Definition: By that very fact

J

Jus

Definition: A right that is recognised in law

Jus naturale

Definition: Natural justice

L

Locus in quo

Definition: Scene of the event

M

Magnum opus

Definition: A great work of literature

Mala fides

Definition: Bad faith

Mens rea

Definition: Guilty state of mind

N

Nemo dat quod non habet

Definition: On one can give a better title than he has

Nexus

Definition: Connection

Nisi

Definition: Unless

Non compus mentis

Definition: Not of sound mind and understanding

Non constat

Definition: It is not certain

Non est factum

Definition: It is not his deed

Non sequitur

Definition: An inconsistent statement, it does not follow

O

Onus probandi

Definition: Burden of proof

Orse

Definition: Otherwise

P

Par delictum

Definition: Equal fault

Pari passu

Definition: On an equal footing

Per curiam

Definition: In the opinion of the court

Per minas

Definition: By means of menaces or threats

Per quod

Definition: By reason of which

Post mortem

Definition: After death

Prima facie

Definition: On the face of it

Prima impressionis

Definition: On first impression

Pro hac vice

Definition: For this occasion

Pro rata

Definition: In proportion

Pro tanto

Definition: So far, to that extent

Pro tempore

Definition: For the time being

Publici juris

Definition: Of public right

Q

Quaere

Definition: Consider whether it is correct

Quaeitur

Definition: The question is raised

Quantum

Definition: How much, an amount

Quid pro quo

Definition: Consideration. something for something

R

Re

Definition: In the matter of

Res

Definition: Matter, affair, thing, circumstance

Res Gestae

Definition: The thing done

Res nulis

Definition: Nobody's property

S

Sciens

Definition: Knowingly

Secus

Definition: The legal position is different, it is otherwise

Se defendendo

Definition: In self defence

Stet

Definition: Do not delete, let it stand

Sub modo

Definition: Within limits

Sub nomine

Definition: Under the name of

Sub silentio

Definition: In silence

Suggestio falsi

Definition: The suggestion of something which is untrue

Sui generis

Definition: Unique

Suppressio veri

Definition: The suppression of the truth

T

Talis qualis

Definition: Such as it is

U

Uberrima fides

Definition: Good faith

Uno flatu

Definition: At the same moment, with one breath

V

Verbatim

Definition: Word by word, exactly

Vice versa

Definition: The other way around

Vide

Definition: See

Volens

Definition: Willing

Latin Word/Phrase	Literal Translation	Definition	Sample Sentence
a priori	from the former	Supposed to be true without proof; occurring or being known beforehand.	We know a priori that matter exists; the question is–how did it come into being?
ad hoc	to this	Improvised on the spot or for a specific, immediate purpose.	The committee was formed ad hoc to address increasing crime in the neighborhood.
ad hominem	to/at the man	A logical fallacy in which the person rather than his argument is attacked.	Ad hominem attack ads are all too common during campaign season.
ad infinitum	to infinity	Going on forever.	Because pi is an irrational number, the digits after the decimal continue ad infinitum.
ad nauseam	to the point of disgust	Alternative to ad infinitum; repeating until it makes one sick.	Tom complained ad nauseam about his new job.
alibi	elsewhere	A legal defense where a defendant seeks to show that he was elsewhere when the crime was committed.	The defendant had clear motive, but his alibi was airtight, so the jury declared him not guilty.
alma mater	nourishing mother	The school or university from which one graduates.	Dad returns to his alma mater every few years for his class reunion.
alter ego	another I	Another self; secret identity.	Spiderman’s famous alter ego is wimpy news photographer Peter Parker.
antebellum	before the war	Usually refers to the period before the American Civil War.	Even in northern states racism was common during the antebellumperiod.
aurora borealis	northern lights	A natural light display visible in the night time sky in Arctic regions; the same phenomena in the south is known as the aurora australis.	Even after twenty years of living in northern Alaska, Carol never ceased to be astonished by the sudden beauty of the aurora borealis.
Ave Maria	Hail, Mary	Catholic prayer to Mary, the mother of Jesus.	My devout sister prays the Ave Maria every night before bed.
bona fide	good faith	Coming from sincere intentions; genuine, true.	The painting is a bona fide Renoir.
caveat emptor	let the buyer beware	The purchaser is responsible for evaluating the quality and utility of the goods he purchases.	The sign over the entrance of the used car dealership – caveat emptor – did not give me confidence.
coram deo	in the presence of god	The theological idea that we live ever in the presence of, under the authority of, and to the honor and glory of God.	We are never really alone, because all of life is lived coram deo.
corpus	body	Contents; or collection of works by an author or artist; a particular collection of artistic works.	The corpus of William Shakespeare includes dramatic tragedies, comedies, and histories.
cum laude	with honor	A title applied to academic graduates who attain to a level of excellence. Students can also graduate magna cum laude (with great honor) or summa cum laude(with highest honor).	Sarah is naturally smart, but it was her dedication to academic study that caused her to graduate summa cum laude.
curriculum vitae	course of life	A comprehensive resume listing educational and employment history and qualifications for job seekers.	It’s a good idea to present your prospective employer with a copy of your curriculum vitae at the start of a job interview.
de facto	in fact	Actually; in reality.	The intention of the new law is good, but de facto, it just doesn’t work.
de jure	by law	According to law; by right.	De jure, adultery is illegal in many states, but the laws are never enforced.
deus ex machina	God from the machine	An unexpected, artificial, or improbable resolution to a plot situation in a work of fiction.	The action movie was entertaining, but the ending was an unconvincing deus ex machina.
emeritus	having served one’s time	An adjective used to denote a retired professor, president, bishop, or other professional; post-retirement status.	Today’s speaker is Dr. Ruth Fisher, professor emeritus at Stanford University.
ex libris	from the books	A phrase often stamped or printed on books to denote ownership; “from the library of.”	I am happy to lend my books, but I stamp them “ex libris Tony Danza” so I can get them back.
ex nihilo	out of nothing	Usually refers to divine creation and the idea that God made the world out of nothing, with no preexisting tools or materials.	All men are by nature creative, but only God creates ex nihilo.
ex post facto	from a thing done afterward	Usually  used in a legal context, ex post facto refers to a law that is retroactive, that applies to actions taken prior to the existence of the law.	The new law will not apply to previous violators because it cannot be applied ex post facto.
habeas corpus	have the body	A writ ordering a person to appear before a judge, or the right to obtain such a writ as protection against imprisonment without trial.	Terrorism suspects often have no right to habeas corpus and can be held indefinitely without trial.
homo sapien	wise man	Human; the scientific name for the human species.	There is some question about whether or not the fossilized skeleton is homo sapien.
in loco parentis	in place of a parent	In legal terms, assuming the authority and responsibilities of a parent.	While at school, your teachers serve in loco parentis.
in medias res	in the middle of things	A literary technique where the telling of the story begins in the middle rather than at the beginning.	Epic poems often begin in medias res and explain the earlier parts of the story via dialogue.
in toto	in total	Completely; totally, all together.	Even though lots of things went wrong, in toto, the event was a success.
in vitro	in glass	Refers to studies done on organisms isolated from their normal biological surroundings; commonly called test tube studies or experiments.
ipso facto	by the fact itself	As a direct consequence or effect of the action in question; in and of itself.	Steve was swerving and driving too slow; ipso facto, he was pulled over and tested for driving under the influence.
magnum opus	great work	The largest, best, or greatest achievement of an artist.	His ninth symphony is considered Beethoven’s magnum opus.
mea culpa	my fault	My mistake; my fault; an admission of guilt or responsibility.	The football player made a televised  mea culpaafter his disgraceful public behavior.
non sequiter	it does not follow	A logical fallacy where the conclusion does not reasonably follow from the premise; or, in literature, an irrelevant, often humorous response to a comment.	Overall, your argument is convincing, but your point about public education was a non-sequiter.
Pax Romana	roman peace	A period in history, during the dominance of the Roman empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, when relative peace reigned and little expansion of the Empire took place.	Christianity spread rapidly during the Pax Romana.
per capita	by heads	Per person; a ratio by the number of persons.	Each year, Americans eat about 135 pounds of sugar per capita.
per diem	per day	A daily allowance for expenses.	On my trip to Philadelphia, the company gave me a $100 per diem.
per se	through itself	In itself; by itself; without reference to anything else.	Eating salt isn’t bad per se, but consuming too much carries various health risks.
persona non grata	not-pleasing person	An unwelcome, unwanted, or undesirable person.	After I broke Aunt Wilma’s antique vase, I was persona non-grata at the Thomas home.
postmortem	after death	After death.	Officials determined the death was accidental after a postmortemexamination.
prima facie	at first sight	Often refers to evidence in a trial that suggests but does not prove guilt.	Even though the prima facie evidence was strong, the defendant’s innocence became clear as the trial wore on.
pro bono	for good	Work undertaken voluntarily without compensation.	The lawyer was so moved by the plight of the workers, he defended their case pro bono.
pro rata	for the rate	Proportionately or proportional.	Extra nights at the hotel are charged pro rata of the weekly rental.
quid pro quo	what for what	This for that; a thing for a thing; a favor exchanged for favor.	After I picked him up at the airport, Larry took me to lunch as a quid pro quo.
quorum	of whom	The number of members whose presence is required.	Only ten board members showed up, leaving them two short of a quorum.
re	by the thing	In the matter of; referring to; regarding.	Is this phone call re the recent estate auction?
rigor mortis	stiffness of death	The rigidity that sets in on corpses about three to four hours after death.	The police had a hard time removing the briefcase from the victim’s grasp, rigor mortis having set in.
semper fideles	always faithful	The motto of the U.S. Marine Corps; sometimes abbreviated semper fi.	My uncle, the retired Marine sergeant, has “semper fideles” tattooed on his arm.
sic	thus	Just so; used to indicate that a preceding quotation is copied exactly, despite any errors of spelling, grammar, or fact.	The student wrote “the communists were probly right about some things [sic].”
sola fide	faith alone	One of the “Five Solas” of the Protestant Reformation that summarize the theology of the reformers. The others are sola scriptura (by Scripture alone), sola gratia (by grace alone), solo Christo (Christ alone), and soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone).	An important tenet of Protestantism is the idea of sola fide – that salvation is attained by faith, not works.
status quo	the situation in which	The current condition or situation; the way things are.	The protestors were unhappy about the status quo.
subpoena	under penalty	A request, usually by a court, that must be complied with on pain of punishment.	The officer issued me a subpoena to appear in court in June.
tabula rasa	scraped tablet	A blank slate; a clean slate; used figuratively to describe the human mind prior to influential experience.	The idea of original sin is at odds with the notion that babies are born with a moral tabula rasa.
terra firma	solid land	Solid ground.	After eight days at sea, I couldn’t wait to set foot on terra firma.
verbatim	word for word	Perfect transcription or quotation.	I’m sorry it offends you, but that’s what he said verbatim.
veto	I forbid	The political power to single-handedly stop or make void a law.	The bill passed by a slim margin, but the President is likely to veto it.
vice versa	the other way around	The other way around.	Tom is in love with Lorraine and vice versa.
vox populi	voice of the people	In broadcasting, an unscripted interview with ordinary members of the public.	After the controversial trial, networks broadcast numerous vox populiinterviews.
Common Abbreviations
A.D. (Anno Domini)	in the Year of the Lord	The predominantly used system for dating, indicating years since the birth of Jesus Christ. Years prior to the birth of Christ are normally indicated by BC, an English abbreviation for Before Christ.	The Battle of Hastings took place in A.D. 1066.
AM (ante meridiem)	before midday	Indicates the time from midnight to noon.	Normally, I awake at 6 AM.
e.g.(exempli gratia)	for the sake of example	For example.	My favorite movies are Westerns (e.g., High Noon, True Grit, Unforgiven)
et al. (et alii)	and others	Similar to et cetera, to stand for a list of names, particularly in APA and MLA style papers.	Defeating the Los Angeles Galaxy – David Beckham, Landon Donovan et al. – in the 2009 MLS Cup final proved possible.
etc. (et cetera)	and the rest	And so on; and more.	Sylvia purchased pots, pans, utensils, etc. for her new kitchen.
i.e. (id est)	that is	That is to say; which means; in other words.	Jim encountered Victor, (i.e, his new boss) in the elevator that morning.
ibid. (ibidem)	in the same place	Used in formal citations to refer to the last referenced source.	Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, 471. Ibid.
m.o. (modus operandi)	method of operating	Usually associated with criminals and their methods of committing crimes.	The police suspected Harry Harrison because the crime fit his m.o. perfectly.
PM (post meridiem)	after midday	The time between noon and midnight.	I will meet you for coffee at 2 PM.
p.s. (post scriptum)	after text	After writing; used to indicated addendums to otherwise completed personal letters.	Sincerely,George p.s., Don’t forget to feed the parrot.
Q.E.D. (quod erat demonstrandum)	what was to be demonstrated	Often written at the bottom of a mathematical or logical proof, indicating that the proof is complete.	“No snakes have legs. That creature has legs. Therefore, the creature is not a snake. Q.E.D.”
R.I.P. (requiescat in pace)	rest in peace	A benediction for the dead often appearing on gravestones.	Inscribed on his tombstone were the simple words, “Henry Humble, R.I.P.”
vs. or v. (versus)	towards; in the direction	Mistakenly used in English to mean “against,” particularly to indicate opposing parties in legal disputes or athletic events.	Today’s main event is Wally Wilson vs. Tony “The Tiger” Thomson.
Quotes and Sayings
carpe diem	seize the day	A phrase from a poem by Horace, now an aphorism meaning, “take advantage of life while you can.”	The closer I get to old age, the more I realize how important it is to live life with a carpe diemapproach.
Cogito ergo sum.	I think, therefore, I am	The famous philosophical proposition by René Descartes. It implies that doubting one’s own existence proves one’s existence.	Cogito ergo sum is the foundation of Cartesian thought.
Veni, vidi, vici.	I came, I saw, I conquered	A sentence attributed to Julius Caesar upon his conquest of Britain. Quoted by Plutarch.	When asked about his recent victory at the U.S. Open, Johns replied, “Veni, vidi, vici!”
e pluribus unum	out of many, one	A phrase on the Seal of the United States.	Many U.S. coins pay tribute to the melting pot history of the country with the phrase e pluribus unum.
et tu, Brute?	and you also, Brutus?	Legendarily the last words of Julius Caesar as he realizes that his friend Marcus Brutus was among his murderers.	After I joined in the teasing, my brother looked at me with a mock-tragic grin and said, “Et tu, Brute?”
sic semper tyrannis	thus always to tyrants	Sometimes attributed to Brutus as he participated in the assassination of Julius Caesar. John Wilkes Booth claimed to have shouted this phrase after shooting Abraham Lincoln. The motto of the Commonwealth of Virginia.	The historic American resistance to dictatorship is expressed in the common phrase, sic semper tyrannis.

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