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This article reviews key stages in the evolution of self-reported delinquency surveys from the 1940s up to date. From the first delinquency scales to the most sophisticated self-reported surveys, the appearance of new data is paralleled with the challenge of classical criminological theories and the development of alternative explanations. After defining the concepts of reliability and validity, this text presents some of the problems related to these dimensions as well as different ways of testing them in order to evaluate self-reported surveys as indicators of delinquency.