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The Find an Instrument section was designed to assist researchers in their search for an
appropriate measure. Since many excellent scale compendiums
and resources exist, both in print and electronically
on the Internet, descriptions were written of those
resources. Hundreds of potentially
useful sources were evaluated and only the most relevant
for VA Health Services Research were included here.
The Instrument Reviews are detailed reviews of individual
instruments that were found to be used by VA researchers.
In these reviews one will find information on its purpose,
development, a brief annotated bibliography, and data on psychometric
performance. In addition, psychometric data have also been evaluated,
and recommendations or caveats have been made for its
use in research settings.
Note that HSR&D does not make the actual instruments available on the
web site due to copyright laws and restrictions set by individual
developers. We do, however, attempt to provide the most up-to-date
information on acquiring instruments through the proper channels.
Information on Instruments
- Instrument Reviews: In-depth
reviews of specific instruments that are of relevance to VA researchers.
- Construct Overviews: A concise look at a construct
that includes measurement considerations, VA relevance, and the top instruments
used to measure the construct. A brief summary of the top instruments is
also provided.
- Book Compendium Reviews: Reviews of books
containing instruments or instrument information.
- Internet Site Reviews: Reviews of web sites
that offer instruments or instrument information.
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Not sure where to start?
Use the Browse
by Construct matrix, which lists all of the web site's instrument
information from the above sections in a single, easy-to-follow page.
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A variety of online and print resources are utilized to locate
instruments, developer information, and psychometric data for the
synthesized information presented on this web site. Many,
if not all, of these resources are freely available to the public.
Access to certain online databases and many journals offering full-text
articles, however, may only be available to individuals connecting via
academic institutions or may require a fee for access.
These have been marked with an asterisk below. Check with your local
information technology office or medical library to see if you have
access through your network.
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PubMed: A searchable database of citations to
life science and medical journal publications that dates to the 1950s. A
number of measurement-related journals are included among more than 15
million entries. [ www.pubmed.gov]
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Google: A ubiquitous and useful Internet search
engine that returns results based on their relative importance among Internet
users. Relevance is measured by the number of pages that link to a page. Results
have also included links to PubMed citation pages. [ www.google.com]
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Buros Test Reviews: A searchable database
of information and review citations from the Buros Mental Measurement Yearbooks.
It contains records of measures covering a broad range of disciplines,
such as educational, psychological and social constructs, as well as medical and
physical functioning constructs. For instruments in the database have not been
reviewed, information about a test developer and/or publisher is provided. All
available reviews may be purchased online for $15 per title.
[ http://buros.unl.edu/ buros/jsp/search.jsp]
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Where Are
The Actual Instruments?
This is an often-asked question from website visitors.
HSR&D does not distribute or sell any of the instruments that are
discussed or reviewed on the site. This is due to various copyright
restrictions placed by developers and publishers of instruments.
Among Instrument Reviews, availability information may be
found next to the Price information, or under Research
Contacts.
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