Finding Tests and Measures: Tests in the Journal Literature

The journal literature will often contain articles that discuss the application and validity of specific tests. The actual instruments or scales are sometimes included as part of the article, or, a contact person and address may be given. There are several databases (both electronic and print formats) that may be searched to create a bibliography on a particular test or to locate a test on a topic.

Computerized versions of the periodical indexes are a powerful tool for searching the literature. The computer allows you to combine topics easily and rapidly as well as search for words or phrases in the titles and abstracts of journal articles efficiently.

To Find a Specific Test

Search for the name of a particular test as a keyword or textword search to find the name in the article title or abstract. Search all the variations in the test's name such as acronyms versus the full name, e.g., MMPI, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Also consider searching by the name of the test creator as an author search to find articles s/he may have written about the test.

To Find Tests on a Subject

Create a search on the subject area of interest, then narrow the search down to articles on tests by crossing the topic with the list of terms below that describe the concept of 'tests'. The test terms may be searched either as subjects or textwords/keywords, depending upon the particular index.

Test Term Synonyms

test or tests
pretest or pretests
subtest or subtests
posttest or posttests
inventory or inventories
survey or surveys
scale or scales
measure or measures or measurement or measurements
questionnaire or questionnaires
rating or ratings

Example

To find literature discussing scales to measure anxiety attacks, do a subject search for "anxiety". Create a search for the "test" terms. Then, cross the two topics with the Boolean AND.

anxiety or panic
scale or scales or rating or ratings
1 and 2