Library Homepage: Using Research Instruments: Choosing the Instrument

🔍 What Are the Steps in Using a Research Instrument?

The process of selecting and using a research instrument is not always linear, but every project must ensure the tool is validated, available, and used with permission. You may discover an instrument while reviewing scholarly articles (choosing and validating in one step), when exploring tools offered by commercial publishers or open-access sites, or you are seeking to validate and use a tool you've already selected.

No matter the path, your final step is always to obtain written permission from the copyright holder and to follow the licensing terms.

This guide walks you through some steps for choosing, evaluating, validating, locating and obtaining permission to use a research instrument in your scholarly work:

Research instruments are tools used to collect data in both qualitative and quantitative studies. Common types include:

Surveys & Questionnaires
Interviews
Rating Scales
Psychological Tests
Observation Checklists

These tools are used to measure variables such as attitudes, behaviors, symptoms, or experiences.

📌 Identify Potential Instruments

Goal: Find instruments that measure your variable of interest.

Where to Search:

CINAHL: Health-focused instruments and reviews
ProQuest Central & Dissertations: Health studies, appendices may include full tools
ERIC: Education and behavioral science instruments
PubMed: Best for validation studies of known tools
Books & Journal Articles: May describe tools or their use
Publisher Websites: For commercial tools

TIP: Use keywords and terms like
test* OR measure* OR survey* OR questionnaire* OR scale* OR checklist* OR instrument*

📉 Locate Instrument Reviews

Goal: Narrow down your list based on suitability and quality.

Look for descriptions, critiques, or comparisons of the tool
Evaluate whether the tool is reliable, valid, and appropriate for your study population
Reference lists and textbooks may point to instrument reviews

TIP: Reviews may appear in articles, books, or dissertation literature reviews.

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