Finding Tests, Scales, and Measures

Identify tests in PsycINFO:

Search for the topic you are interested in, and in another search box add:

test* OR measure* OR survey* OR questionnaire* OR scale*

Example:

The sources found are likely to discuss and identify specific tests or measures. Most often, they will not include the full text of the test, but should help you decide if the test might be useful to you, and note the test author or other information to help locate the test.

Find full-text of tests in PsycINFO:

A limited number of articles and other sources found through PsycINFO include the complete test, or a selection of items from the test. PsycINFO uses the term "appended" to identify sources that have tests in an appendix. If more than one test is discussed in an article, all might not be appended (included.)

This search strategy will identify some, but not all, sources with tests appended. Search for a topic, or the name of a particular test, and in another search box add:  appended and change the "Anywhere except full text - NOFT" menu selection to "Test and measure - TM"

Example:

Find full-text of tests in CINAHL:

Use the Advanced Search screen and type the topic in the search box(es), and also, in the Publication Type menu below the search boxes, select both Questionnaire/Scale and Research Instrument.

Sometimes only sample items are included and not the complete test or scale.

Find full-text of tests in ERIC:

Use the Advanced Search screen and type the topic in a search box. Below the search boxes, look for the Document Type menu and select both options for: 160: Tests/Questionnaires

Sometimes the published test or scale does not measure the attribute you are interested in but rather another characteristic discussed in the article.

Find full-text of tests:

• In the first search box on the advanced search screen type the word or phrase for the attribute you want to measure, e.g. depression, anxiety, eating disorders. You can use the truncation symbol, *, so that typing phobi* will retrieve phobia, phobias, phobic.
• At the end of the first search line change the default search field from ‘Anywhere except full text--ALL’ to Document Title--TI. [While you could leave the default search field, this strategy of searching just the title tries to insure that the dissertation/thesis focuses on the attribute you are interested in. Should you get no results when you limit the search to the Document Title, you might rerun the search using the default ‘Anywhere except full text--ALL’ fields.]