Measurement Tools/Research Instruments

To Locate the Full-Text of an Instrument:

Best Bet: Try searching ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: Full Text . Dissertations sometimes contain the instrument used, often in an appendix. If you are unable to find the instrument in this database, proceed to the next step. If you find the instrument in this database and wish to use it in your research, you must obtain permission, where applicable, to use the instrument.

- For commercially published tests,

• Verify test name in ETS Test Link or Tests in Print (TIP). You may find availability information in here also.
• Locate the test publisher if searching for a commercially available test to purchase. Directories of test publisher addresses appear in standard measurement works, such as Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY), TIP, or also in publishers’ catalogs. Or, try Google for publisher information.

- For unpublished tests,

• Verify the test name in the Directory of Unpublished Experimental Mental Measures, ETS Test Link, PubMed, or the PsycTESTS database.
• To locate the full-text, try searching subject-appropriate databases, such as CINAHL , PsycInfo , ERIC , PubMed, or PsycTESTS  to identify journal articles. Books or dissertations listed in library catalogs may also include the full-text of some instruments. REDCap's  “REDCap Shared Library,” often provides access to validated instruments in the public domain. Or try Google, as some tests may appear on the Internet.
• If no full-text available, contact the author who created the test.

To Find an Instrument to Measure a Variable:

• Identify the variable you would like to measure, such as depression, quality of life, etc.
• Use a standard source such as PsycTESTS , ETS Test Link (search by descriptor), TIP, or search the research literature, such as CINAHL , ERIC ,  PubMed, PsycInfo , Sociological Abstracts, using special search fields to find studies that have used instruments to measure a variable.
• Look at standard test reviews to insure appropriate use and coverage.

To Find a Review of an Instrument:

• Locate a standard review in the MMY, Test Critiques, or Test Reviews Online.
• If a standard review is not available, check for reviews or information on validity and reliability in the research literature, such as PsycTESTS , CINAHL , ERIC , PsycInfo , or PubMed.

For more Detailed Help:

• Try the Scenarios tabs: Find a Specific Test, Find Test for a Variable, Find QoL Tests, and Find Test Reviews.