Test and Measurement Resources Research Guide
Tests and Measures FAQ
Q: I just need some basic information
about locating test instruments. What general information do I need
to know? For example, what subject areas are typically covered by
test instruments?
A: Typically test instruments cover subject areas such as
educational skills, personality, vocational aptitude, psychology,
and related topics. For a good general overview on the topic, see
the American Psychological Association's FAQ on "Finding
Information about Psychological Tests." One other important
note: most tests must be purchased directly from the publisher
-- in part this is so the publisher can first determine if the purchaser
is qualified and competent to administer and interpret the test.
Q: I need to know if there is an existing
test for a particular subject. It would be helpful if there was a
review or summary of the test so I could determine if it will be useful
to me. Where should I look?
A: Try searching the database Mental
Measurements Yearbook (MMY). Produced by the Buros Institute of
Mental Measurements, this resource provides basic information (date
of publication, publisher information, etc.) as well as full-text
reviews of many tests. MMY is also available in paper format in the
D. H. Hill Library Reference area under the call number BF431 .M435.
Remember that most test instruments referenced in MMY will have to
be purchased from the publisher.
In addition to MMY, it might also be helpful to search the PsycINFO
database and/or the ERIC
database. These databases include references to journal articles in
psychology and education, and an article on your topic might refer
you to a particular test. All three databases are available through
the NCSU Libraries collection.
Q: I'm looking for some books about tests
and testing. Where should I search?
A: Search the NCSU
Libraries Online Catalog. The catalog is searchable by author,
title, subject and keyword. When conducting an L.C. Subject search,
try using some of the following Library of Congress Subject Headings:
- Educational tests and measurements
- Psychological tests
- Psychometrics
- Scaling (Social sciences)
- Examinations -- validity
- Intelligence tests
- Personality tests
- Instrument name [Example: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
Inventory]
Q: I don't want to purchase a test
from a publisher. Are there any other options for locating the full
text of tests?
A: Absolutely - there are several.
Option 1. The College of Education Media Center [Poe
Hall 400] has a small collection of about 650 full-length tests (in
the areas of education and psychology - i.e. intelligence, personality,
memory, skill mastery, etc.). Items from the College of Education
Media Center test collection are now listed in the online catalog,
and have the location "Learning Resources Library - Test Collection."
For a known item, try searching by Title Keyword. For topic/subject
searching, try a Keywords search and limit the location to the LRL.
You can also add in the word 'test' to the search and that should
help focus the results as well. For additional information about this
collection, contact or visit the LRL.
Option 2. Tests in Microfiche (TIM) and the ETS
Test Collection.
The ETS Test Collection contains references to over 20,000 tests.
One subset of this collection is the Tests
in Microfiche (TIM) collection (TIM is 1000+ tests out of over
20,000 in the whole ETS collection). The TIM collection is made available
in full text (the rest of the ETS Test Collection must be purchased
from the publisher).
The NCSU Libraries has TIM as part of our collection -- it is housed
in the Microforms
Center under the call number LB3051. T45. Within TIM, tests
are arranged by set (alphabetical - set A, B, etc.) and call/ID
number (i.e. TC012345). A paper index to TIM is available in the
Microforms Center under the call number BF431.T41.
Locating TIM references in the ETS Test Collection database
A listing of the instruments
contained in the TIM collection is available online. The ETS Test
Collection also has a searchable
online database. When using this database to locate TIM references,
note the following:
-- Check the "Test Acronyms" field in the record
of the test. If the field has TIM in it followed by a set letter [i.e.
TIM(A)], then the test is part of the TIM collection and should be
available at the NCSU Libraries. Be sure to also note the call number
of the test you are interested in locating.
-- To bring up a list of the entire TIM collection, select the Availability
field and search on Tests in Microfiche. Unfortunately, there
is no way to limit a topic/subject search to the TIM collection.
-- To bring up a list of the TIM collection arranged by set, choose
'Authority Tables' on the left, then Test Acronyms. Search on TIM.
From the list of results, click on Find All and then Find All Catalog.
Option 3. Check journal and book sources.
-- Occasionally, some journal articles will include the actual test
instrument being discussed. Search the PsycINFO and ERIC databases
for your topic and check the article information to see if the actual
instrument is included in the article. In PsycINFO, it is helpful
to make use of the Test/Survey Appended search limiter. To
do this, click Change search limits, then choose Form
or Content Type, then select Test-Survey-Appended. In
ERIC, it is helpful to make use of the Tests/Evaluation Instruments
search limiter. To do this, go to the Advanced search - then
for the Publication Type, specify Tests/Evaluation Instruments
(most of the results will be ERIC Documents).
-- Sometimes test instruments are included in books. One source to
check for this is Tests
and Measures in the Social Sciences: Tests available in compilation
volumes. Other sources include a Test
Finder based on book content and another on journal
literature. Search the NCSU
Libraries catalog to see if we have the item you are interested
in - some we will have, others can be requested through InterLibrary
Loan. There is also a listing of Tests
and Measurements Resources in D. H. Hill Library. This
is by no means a comprehensive list -- it focuses primarily
on references materials; there are other useful items in the
general collection that are not included.
Librarian Contact Information
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