I think, it is desirable that you do so; and also how you do that. These days, in top journals  a lot of papers are rejected due to lapses in methodology, even though other parts may be first rate

Yes, dear Eddie, it is required that we state the reliability and validity of the research instrument we used.  This is to prove that the instrument used is reliable and valid. I believe this is a very essential issue.

yes, If you are using a new methodology or a new instrument. Otherwise, you just mention the instrument or the methodology with the manufacturer details or cite the original reference.

This is a very relevent question on the use of reserch instrument and whole methodology. Say for the analysis of water samples:

the reliability /quality of measurement results of water samples depend on strict adherence to each step of sampling,preservation of samples, time–interval between sampling and analysis for filtered but unacidified water samples, and on the methodology adopted, and not simply analysed by any person or lab or any technique.

Interpretation and conclusions based on such unreliable results for uranium

analysis will be highly misleading. I request that the authors of the subject article

kindly further document the reliability of their findings in view of the concerns

expressed herein.

My most of the Letter to Editors articles published during 2013-2014 are related to such queries. Most recent articles have been published  related with this question:

1. Letter to the Editor: Comments related to the publication titled

‘‘uranium in ground water from Western Haryana, India’’

by Balvinder Singh, V. K. Garg, Poonam Yadav, Nawal Kishore,

Vandana Pulhani, J Radioanal Nucl Chem, DOI 10.1007/s10967-

014-3133-y, Published online: 13 April 2014,

J Radioanal Nucl Chem (2014) 302:745–746

DOI 10.1007/s10967-014-3392-7

2.Rathore DPS, Garg VK. Comments on uranium concentration in groundwater in Hisar city, India. Int J Occup Environ Med 2014;5:169-171. 

Yes it is necessary as there are many things that need to be assured in the research process.

Different  statistical instruments could give various answers; but when reliability is critical more than one approach or instrument should be used to assess reliability

Key indicators of the quality of a research are the reliability& validity of the measurements. Reliability deals with the stability of measurements, while validity is the extent to which the interpretations of the results of a test are justified, which depends on the particular application of the test.

I dont feel that reliability and validity of the instrument to be mentioned in the written manuscripts each and every time..Only the manufacturer make and model and methodology has to be mentioned. if the research dealt with exclusive instruments and if the journal seek it can be submitted.Otherwise it is not required to mention its reliability and validity in the flow of the manuscript in all the related articles.

Ed, for each of my research that uses a questionnaire, I report validity and reliability for my study. And discuss in relation to the reliability and validity procedures originally outlined and obtained by the previous authors. (From mobile)

Dear @Eddie, the reliability and validity of the research instrument is a MUST! Reliability as consistency! Reliability is directly related to the validity of the measure, while test can be considered reliable, but not valid. There are many readings about. 

You have already got fine answers before!

http://researchrundowns.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/rrinstrumentvalidityreliability_72009.pdf

Reliability and validity of the research instrument is essential for studies collecting subjective data, sociocultural, etc. Not objective data.

A test is reliable if it produces the same results, when measuring the same thing. Validity is to the degree in which our test or other measuring device is truly measuring what we intended it to measure.

Therefore, both measures are important for defining and the degree of bias and distortion.

If dear Eddie  refers to instrument as an experimental device, I do not think that reliability and validity of the instrument should be mentioned in the article each and every time as mentioned by others.  A reference to the standards (such as ASTM in civil engineering) or previous article suffices!.

If we are talking about all sorts of scientific works, it is certainly true that results should be reliable and must be properly validated.

Eddie, good question. In order to make it clear I ask: What is a reliable and valid instrument of research? It may be many things: 1) The measuring instrument and right procedure to gather data; 2) The  instrument used to analyze data; 3) The method of interpretation given to previous points; 4) The background information consulted and used to sustain/reject that research is valid and reliable. 5) Other ones you figure.

For new instruments used? For instruments that we re-used?

New instruments imply innovation that adds recent creativity to old ideas and practices. Re-used instruments may mean many things like using them for other fields, like replication of some particular past research or to apply it to a different todays context, that includes changes since then, etc.

In my case, I have problems to distinguish what ideas are really mine, and which ones are old ones attributed to some brilliant gran parent or to some old great culture that worked them centuries or milleniums ago. Perhaps the best is to asign intelectual property of ideas to humankind.

Thanks, emilio

 My recent articles is an attempt in this direction on Scientific Misconduct involving the use of instrument model  and incorrect methodology:

1.Letter to the Editor: Comments related to the publication titled " Uranium in ground water from Western Haryana, India" by Balvinder Singh, V.K.Garg, PoonamYadav, Nawal Kishore,Van...

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry 09/2014; 302(1):745-746.

2.Rathore DPS, Garg VK. Comments on uranium concentration in groundwater in Hisar city, India. Int J Occup Environ Med 2014;5:169-171. 

Article Comments on Uranium Concentration in Groundwater in Hisar City, India

Article Letter to the Editor: Comments related to the publication ti...

Each instrument differ in Performance Qualification (PQ) as discussed in a review paper. Moreover, the reliability/quality of measurement results depend strictly on adherence to each step of measurements of the method and not simply analysed by any person or lab or any technique/instrument.

Interpretation and conclusions based on such unreliable analytical results  will be highly misleading.

Article Advances in technologies for the measurement of uranium in d...

Reliability and validity of the research instrument is very essential. If it was used before then you need to cite the references. Any analytical technique /instrument model should fulfill the basic essential requirements of RAP’s: Reliability (accuracy and high precision), Applicability (applicable to diverse sample matrices for wide applications) and Practicability (inherent high sensitivity, high-performance qualification, simple, rapid and direct, easy calibration and operation, cost-effective).

Article Presentation of Differential Laser-induced fluorimetry as a ...

Article Application of a differential technique in inductively coupl...

Validity is for both the instrument used to collect the data and the subjects from whom the data was collected. Validity of studies depends on

With the introduction of ISO guidelines for traceability and international comparisons , there is more emphasis on reliability of measurement results. The metrological concepts have been elaborated in the ‘International vocabulary of metrology-basic concepts and associated terms’ (VIM) JCGM200:2008  and IUPAC technical report .It is mandatory to clearly mention about Instrument model, Manufacturer, Year, etc. and cite necessary reference of the instrument manual. In addition to, chemical/reagents details, standardization of calibration standard,  each step of measurement procedure  including calibration of the instrument should be clearly defined, not simply by stating analyzed by any technique or person or laboratory. 

In the VIM, ‘reference measurement procedure’ is described as a measurement procedure accepted as measurement results fit for their intended use in assessing measurement trueness of measured quantity values obtained from other ‘measurement procedures’ for quantities of the same kind, in calibration, or in characterizing reference materials. Metrology is science of measurement, while metrological traceability can be established through traceability chain(s). Accordingly, ‘reference measurement procedure plays an essential practical role in establishing metrological traceability to the base units of SI through metrological traceability chain(s)’.

Dear Mr Eddie Seva,

The reliability regarding the instruments used for the measurement procedures is vital to validate the results. The results might be based on wrong measures if the instrument, as an example presents a systematic measurement bias, leading to incorrect conclusion.

The behaviour of the instruments must be know and used to measure the uncertainty of the final results, since every measure has an uncertainty (from both random and systematic errors).

The ISO GUM: Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement presents the mathematics to incorporate the measurement errors to the final results.

Regards.

The data collection instrument is a key component of research because a foundational element of reliability and validity of the study rests with the chosen questionnaire (qualitative method) or survey (quantitative method). A reliable instrument produces consistent results regardless of the setting, yet reliability does not ensure accuracy or validity. Validity refers to an instrument’s capacity to accurately measure what the researcher intended to measure. Reliability must be accompanied with validity regarding an instrument worthy of use in conducting doctoral research.

http://refractivethinker.com/doctoral-research-the-importance-of-a-reliable-and-valid-data-collection-instrument/