Finding a test, measure or instrument is a multi-step process. This guide outlines some key concepts and strategies for finding reviews and tests, measures or instruments. If you need more help please visit Odum Library or use Live Chat to ask questions.
There are thousands of educational and psychological assessment tools available to students and researchers. Some of these tools are available free to the general public, while others are quite expensive, available only directly from the test publisher, and their use limited to psychologists and other professionals.
This guide will help you understand how to find tests that measures a certain trait or aptitude, how to find reviews of the tests, and how to track down copies of the instruments.
You may see the terms tests, measures and instruments used interchangeably. They all refer to tools which measure specific variables - characteristics, traits, attitudes, abilities, intelligences, skills, behaviors, disorders, etc. Types of instruments include questionnaires, inventories, scales, indexes, checklists, batteries, surveys, and profiles.
For simplicity's sake this guide uses the term "test" throughout. Depending on your topic and field of research other terms (questionnaire, scale, instrument) might be more appropriate.
This term usually refers to instruments available for purchase from established commercial test publishers. The publishers, who hold the copyright to the tests they publish, limit the sale of some tests to licensed professionals. In some cases, you are required to provide your professional license number or proof of credentials.
These instruments are generally not published by or available for purchase from established commercial test publishers. They may, however, be found in journal articles, ERIC Documents, books and dissertations. You can also try contacting the test's author and asking for a copy.
Odum Library does not collect the actual tests. The library does have a few books which contain tests, but odds are you will have to do some researching and digging to track down the tests. You may have to pay copyright and use fees for published tests or purchase copies of unpublished tests directly from the author.
Odum Library provides access to many sources that provide information about tests, measures and instruments, including reviews. Finding information about published and unpublished test instruments is the focus of this guide.
The APA Science Directorate has an extensive FAQ on Finding Information About Psychological Tests.
