There are disclosed a substrate (100) for a thermal recording head, having a plurality of heating resistor elements (102), a plurality of wiring electrodes for supplying driving signals to the heating resistor elements, a function element, electrically connected to the heating resistor elements, for selectively driving the plurality of heating resistor elements, and a measurement resistor element (112) which is electrically independent from the heating resistor elements and the function element, and has a resistance value larger than that of each heating resistor element, an ink jet head, a head cartridge, and a recording apparatus utilizing the substrate, and a method of driving a recording head using a measurement resistor (112).