Measurement Instruments for Research, Education, and Clinical Practice: Searching Literature Databases with Test-Specific Fields

To find a tool by name or on a specific topic in CINAHL:

• Enter the tool name, for example, NIH Stroke Scale, or your topic, for example, stroke, in the search box. When looking for a tool by name, make sure to enter all possible ways of naming it, for example, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale OR NIH Stroke Scale OR NIHSS.

• On the second search line, type in Research Instrument, and select PT Publication Type from the dropdown list to the right of the search.

In PsycINFO, use the Tests and Measures field to find measures used in a study. 

Test names appear in both the Abstract field and the Tests & Measures field. If the full instrument or items from the instrument are included in the full-text of the article, the test name is marked "Appended" in the Tests & Measures field. "Appended" typically means one of three things: that the full instrument is included as an appendix to the article, that items from the instrument are reproduced in a figure or table, or that items from the test are described in the methods section.

Here are two approaches:

• PsycINFO opens in Advanced Search mode. Do your search as usual, e.g., cultural humility maps to the subject heading Cultural Sensitivity (among others). Select Cultural Sensitivity  and the text word cultural humility at the bottom of the term list and combine them with OR. These results are part 1 of your search.
• On the search results screen, you can check the box for Tests & Measures under the "Limits" section and run the search.  This means that all of the articles on cultural humility reference a standard measure. This measure may or may not be specific to cultural humility. 
• Adding the word appended to the search will include results in which the test or measure is included in the article. Change your search to a multi-field search by selecting the Multi-Field Search link (to the upper right of the search box).Type appended in the second search box.  Leave the dropdown menu on the right on "All Fields". Run the search and the combine with the previous results. 

Another approach is to look for measures with certain words in their names or titles. 

• Change your search to a multi-field search by selecting the Multi-Field Search link (to the upper right of the search box).
• Enter a word from the name of the measure, or keyword/concept, e.g., culture or cultural
• Select "Tests & Measures" from the drop-down menu on the right.
• Select "AND" in the drop-down menu on the left.
• Adding the word appended to the search will include results in which the test or measure is included in the article. Type appended in the second search box. Leave the drop-down menu on the right on "All Fields".
• You now have a second set of articles that includes test and measures that have the word cultural.

You will also see the search option "Test DOI" - this is the Digital Object Identified deposited by APA to link to test overview records in the PsycTESTS database.

To find a tool by name or on a specific topic in Nursing Reference Center Plus:

• Type in the tool name or your search term in the Search box (for example, stroke or NIH Stroke Scale) and click search.

• Once the results appear, select "Research Instruments" from the Material Types section in the column to the left of the search results.

Use a keyword search to find articles discussing the use of research instruments: 

• In the search box type in your topic of interest followed by this string: (scale* OR score* OR tool* OR model* OR measure* OR instrument* OR checklist* OR survey* OR questionnaire* OR interview*). Combine with AND.
  • For example, stroke AND (scale* OR score* OR tool* OR model* OR measure* OR instrument* OR checklist* OR survey* OR questionnaire* OR interview*)