Finding information on research instruments can be tricky, especially characteristics such as psychometric properties and copyright holder information. Fortunately, there are a number of online and print tools that can help with the search.
CINAHL
CINAHL, the nursing and allied health database, can be used to identify information on tests and instruments as well as research using particular instruments. For more information about searching CINAHL, see the CINAHL instruction page.
Identifying instruments indexed in CINAHL
Beginning in 1994, CINAHL began indexing research instruments. (NOTE: The indexing is retrospective; many of the indexed instruments were developed before 1994.) Each instrument record includes developers' names, title, abstract, and details about the instrument: year developed, purpose, variables of interest, original population, question format, administration, scoring, psychometrics, copyright holders, modifications, and ordering address.
To identify instruments for a given condition or situation, do a search for the topic of interest, then under the refine search option, limit the search to the publication type Research Instrument.
To see the full listing of instruments indexed in CINAHL, search for research instrument in the publication type field (selected from the drop-down menu). You can also search for PT research instrument.
Identifying articles indexed in CINAHL that use a given research instrument
Around 1991, CINAHL introduced a new record field, Instrumentation. This field includes names of research instruments used in research studies. Although names of clinical assessment tools also appear in this field, instrument names do not include subscales, revision numbers, edition numbers, etc.
To search the instrumentation field, search for the instrument name (or acronym) in the Instrumentation field. You can also enter the search as IN instrument name or IN instrument acronym, replacing instrument name and acronym with the actual name and acronym. When searching by name, it is most effective to use a unique terms from the name of the instrument.
PsycINFO
PsycINFO, the psychology database can be used to find iformation on tests and instruments as well as research using particular instruments. Unlike CINAHL, PsycINFO does not have special fields or publications types dealing with instrumentation. Try doing a subject heading search or a textword search for the name and acronym of the desired instrument. For more information about searching PsycINFO, see the PsycINFO instruction page.
Popular Print Resources
The Library also has standard print test resources: Mental Measurement Yearbook, Tests (we also have the 1997 edition), and Tests In Print. More information on these resources can be found in the Psychologists' Desk Reference (1998), located in the Reference Collection (clicking on the title will call up the catalog record, including the table of contents). Also, the library now has an online version of Mental Measurments Yearbook.
Information on commonly used psychological tests (such as the MMPI-2 and the Rorschach) can also be found in the Psychologists' Desk Reference. This book also contains articles on test scoring and assessing the quality of a test report.
Information about research instruments can also be found in books on other subjects. For example, the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine has a chapter on quality of life assessment.
The Library's latest instrument-related acquisition is the Encyclopedia of Psychological Assessment. This two-volume set is located in the Reference Collection and covers a wide range of test/instrument issues, from information on assessments in specific areas (achievement, child development, coping, eating disorders, stress, violence, social networks, brain activity, etc.), methodologies (self-report, analogue behavioral observation, interviewing, development of research instruments, etc.), and measurement theory (reliability, validity, classical test theory, generalizability theory, item response theory, norm- and criterion-referenced assessment, factor analysis, item bias, etc.).
Other Resources
The American Psychological Association has a FAQ on finding information about psychological tests.
The Buros Institute has a searchable database of commerically-available instruments indexed in the Mental Measurements Yearbooks. You can purchase reviews online if you would like, but we have access to the print versions of the same reviews for free.
Concerns, questions, or suggestions?
Contact Mulford Reference Assistance at (419) 383-4218 or MulfordReference@utoledo.edu. Chat reference is also available.