Obtaining & Using Research Instruments
Testing instruments are copyright protected. It is your responsibility as a researcher to get the appropriate permissions prior to using a testing instrument if the work is not in the public domain or Creative Commons.
Instrument You Have Seen in Literature
If you have seen a testing instrument mentioned in a research article, you will need to contact the copyright holder directly for permission. Who the copyright holder is depends on many variables. The copyright holder could be the author, publisher, or a third-party company. In some cases, you can do an internet search of the name of the test instrument to determine if the item is available for purchase or locate an individual who holds the copyright for the material. It is also a good idea to search within PsycTESTS for the instrument.
PsycTESTS
Instrument from PsycTESTS
If the test is included in the PsycTESTS database, the permissions will be listed for each work either on the information page for the record or on one of the first pages of the PDF. If the full-text of the instrument is not available, often an email is included to contact the copyright holder for permission. A link to PsycTESTS is included below.
- PsycTESTS This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Professionally indexed, the PsycTESTS® database is an extensive collection of items associated with psychological measures, scales, surveys, and other instruments essential to the research needs of professionals, students, and educators across the behavioral and social sciences.
