Education in the Health Professions

Materials for teaching and research in the medical education field.

Why are tests so hard to find?

Why are tests so hard to find?

  • Proprietary - Many standard test instruments are published and must be purchased.
  • Ethical standards -Some researchers may want their test only used by those trained in its use.
  • Size - some journals don't want to include tests along with articles because they take up a lot of room.

What can you do?

  • Focus on tests available online through the PsycTESTS database.
  • Use the techniques in the PDF Guide to the right to locate instruments appended to journal articles.
  • Contact researchers or owners of the copyright for permission to use the test.
  • Buy the published test. However, published tests are often expensive and purchasers must show that they have the credentials to administer the test.

Tests & Measures

This guide walks you through the options for obtaining the full text of a psychological test. Many scholarly articles describe studies conducted with psychological tests; they do not often include the test itself. You can still find a lot of information about the tests in the literature.

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Published tests are standardized tests available for purchase.  Often, these tests must be purchased in quantity and the producer may not want the test available to the general public, or for copying. If you need more information about a published test try a search in Mental Measurements Yearbook with Tests in Print. 

Purchase a specific test: If you have the name of the test, determine the publisher by using the reference books and databases listed in this guide. Commercial tests must be purchased through the publisher.
 
Purchase a test in a subject area: If you are looking for a type of commercial test (such as a scale that you can use to measure depression in adolescents and any will do) consider a company that makes a wide variety of tests available for a fee: