The field of psychometrics has been an important part of psychology and education for many years. Whilst broadly speaking, psychometrics is concerned with the theoretical and technical aspects of measurement (especially construction of test instruments), the development of theoretical approaches to measurement has gained popularity recently.

Psychometrics has come a long way since its earlier focus, mostly on measuring intelligence. The field has now been applied more rigorously to the measurement of a range of psychological and educational variables, with a recent applied focus on measurement in the fields of health and organisational management. As we work in an ever increasingly accountable world, our ability to reliably measure a range of human attributes and responses is paramount. Whether it be assessing a person's response to a psychological or other health intervention or measuring performance in an organisational setting, being able to rely on well-constructed, reliable and valid measures is vital. Having such measures allows us to use a platform of evidence in demonstrating change. We must continue to view psychometrics as an important science in assisting us for progress in developments in psychology, health and organisational settings. The moment we begin to lose sight of the rigorous science behind the way we assess and measure will be the point in time where our evidence base for our actions will rapidly dwindle.

Whilst many texts are available on psychometrics and its applications to a variety of disciplines, Applied Psychometry provides the reader with a comprehensive coverage of many of the important aspects helpful to students, researchers and practitioners alike. Applied Psychometry is a fine example of a text that covers a range of important topics in gaining a working understanding of the field. It is not simply a text full of statistical formulae, but rather a text that systematically works through the main areas of measurement, psychological testing and its applications, ethical issue in psychological testing and factor analysis. Professor Narender K. Chadha is a highly experienced author and psychometrician. His strong background in organisational psychology, management and mathematics allows him to integrate the theoretical and practical side of psychometrics. In this text, Narender Chadha has brought together a wide range of topics relevant to psychometrics and integrated them in a way that will be helpful to students, researchers and professionals. The book is structured around sections covering the role of measurement in modern psychological research (for example, measurement error, power, parallel tests, and so on), the theoretical and practical aspects of testing (including test construction, scoring and item analysis, norms, reliability and validity), the applications of psychological testing in educational, counselling, clinical and organisational settings, the ethical issues around psychology testing and a detailed section on factor analysis.

[Page x]I view Applied Psychometry as an important text in an increasingly important and accountable field. Its content is appropriate and has resonance with both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as for researchers and professional practitioners.