What is in this guide?
Good luck on your project!
When you know the test: Search a database by the title of the testing tool. Any of the databases listed in this guide can be searched by test title. You can narrow your results by adding subject keywords related to your area of study.
When you do not know the test: Start with Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print. MMY/TiP will provide a list of test titles, and accompanying reviews. Once you have a test title in mind, it will be easier to search other databases.
As always, if you can't find what you're looking for, please contact us via chat (to the right) or by phone (205-934-2230)!
NOTE: Test Instruments are also called: Research Instruments, Scales, Indexes, Questionnaires, Testing Tools, Research Measures, Measurements.
Finding Tests
Copyright, Fees & Using a Test
Often, your assignments or research papers will ask you to provide information on the test's reliability and validity. Students will not find an article that exclaims the "goodness" or "badness" of a survey. What students will find are:
When assignments call for students to think critically about a test (perhaps detail the pros & cons, or justify the use, or find the most appropriate or respected testing tool), it is important for students to understand that they will have to read a lot of abstracts and employ critical reasoning skills in order to build their case for or against any given instrument. Students should think of their evaluation in terms of whether the tool was successful in gathering the needed data; ask yourself if the researchers were able to propose solutions to their problem with the evidence collected using the test.
Here is some advice when working on assignments:
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