Psychology: Searching for Full-Text of a Test

The process of finding the full-text of a psychological test may take time; be persistent and investigate a variety of sources.  Use the following techniques and sources to help track-down a test.

If you do not yet know the name of the test you are looking for, you can review this page.

The APA PsycTests database is the best place to begin your search. PsycTests contains test information for mostly non-commercial tests and about half the tests indexed here include the full-text of the test.

To search by test name:

1. In PsycTests, change the search from Advanced to Basic.
2. Enter the name of the test (or test authors), e.g. “Seasonal Beliefs Questionnaire”
3. Review the references and click on the test name to see the complete test record.  The test record will include information on the test's reliability and validity.
4. To see if the actual test is available, look for the Ovid Database PDFs to the right of the test reference.

Need more help? The video "Finding Tests in APA PsycTests" provides a good overview on searching this database.

The Test Library is part of the Psychology Clinic. Information about the Test Library’s policies and procedures can be found here.

As noted on the website, "Borrowers are restricted to graduate students of the Department of Psychology and Health Studies and Clinical Psychology faculty.

Clinical adjunct, associate, and professional affiliate faculty may borrow materials for use in teaching and research connected with the Department of Psychology and Health Studies.

Undergraduate students who wish to use the test library as a resource for work on their honors theses must provide a letter from their faculty supervisor outlining the need for use of test materials, in which the faculty member assumes responsibility for the materials.".

A pdf listing of the tests in the Test Library is available under the Test Library Inventory link.

The test you are looking for may be included in a psychological assessment book. There are several non-USask libraries that provide information about test titles that include actual tests.  It may be helpful to review these sites if you are looking for access to a particular test:

1. Check these websites to see if your test is included in one of the titles:

• Tests and Measures at Hofstra University Library
• Tests and Measures for the Social Sciences at University of Georgia: Select Full-Text Tests in Books tab

2. If you find your test is included in a title from the above search, you can then search the USask Library Catalogue (by book title) to see if we have access to that title in our collection*.

• The book may be online, as an e-book, or in print.
• If the book is available in print, in the catalogue record, you can request the book for contactless pick-up or request a scan for a specific chapter.

3. If you can not find the book in our catalogue, you can request a copy of the book via Interlibrary Loans.

*A sample of some USask titles that have tests included:

• Measures for clinical practice and research: a sourcebook
  Print: Murray Library, BF176 .F57 2020
   
• Handbook of Sexuality-Related Measures
  Online / Print: Murray Library, HQ60 .H36 2011
  Tests included.
   
• Measures of Personality & Social Psychological Constructs
  Print, Murray Library, BF698.4 M383 2015
  Tests included. 

These are additional strategies for finding the full-text of a test:

1. Search the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global database for dissertations that have used the test. The test may be included as an appendix.

• Tip: When searching, enter the name of the test in quotes. Then, open each dissertation and do a control-F to find where the test is cited in the publication (it may be included as an appendix). A more advanced way of searching is to search the test name in quotes AND NEAR/3 appendi* (NEAR will retrieve words within a specified maximum number of words between them. This search will look for any dissertations that have the name of the test within three words of the word appendix or appendices).

2. Search Google and Google Books by test name.

• Caution: anyone can post something on a website, so there are many ‘unofficial’ (altered or incomplete) tests on the Internet. For professional and research purposes, you should use versions from the correct author or publisher.
• You can search by test name in Google Books to see if your test has been published in a book. If you need to consult the entire book, you can search the University Library catalogue to see if we have the book in our collection.

3. The ETS Test Collection is a searchable database that includes bibliographic references to both published and unpublished psychological tests and measures.

4. If your test is a commercial test, search the MMY-TIP database and contact the publisher to request a preview copy of the test (seek permissions at the same time).  If the test is unpublished, contact the original author (seek permissions at the same time).