Tests & Data

Tests & Scales

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:21:05 -0700

Tests, Scales and Measurements

Finding complete instruments (tests or scales) can be challenging. Test publishers do not allow libraries to buy buy copyrighted tests and circulate them like we do books. In general, they want to sell them to researchers on an individual basis. Sometimes the full text of a test can be found in a journal or in the appendix of a dissertation. And, of course, some instruments or tests are in the public domain and are easy to locate in books or on the internet.

The library reference collection contains several print and a few digital book compilations of full-text tests available in the public domain. See Test Bibliographies for more information.

For educational tests, see EDP Tests.

Tests can be identified, and sometimes found in full text, by using databases, such as Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, Social Work Abstracts, and PsycInfo. Online indexes, like Buros Mental Measurements, aid in identifying test instruments. Several social service organizations provide free online search engines that link to full-text scales. A few universities have built their own free, searchable indexes to identify tests they consider important to the work of their scholars. Many other organizations provide information about tests that their members may find useful. This guide's Social Welfare & Related Tests link connects to various resources.

Learn strategies for searching and finding tests through the disciplinary databases by clicking the Search Tips tab above. Search engines provided by various vendors differ. For example, the CSA Illumina search engine provides an easy way to identify tests referenced or used in studies, while EbscoHost requires another protocol to produce less targeted results.

Social Welfare & Related Tests

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:11:36 -0700

PsycTESTS from APA -- primarily unpublished tests, most (but not all) records include the actual test instrument. Also provides information about psychological tests, measures, scales, surveys, and other assessments including descriptive information about the test and its development and administration

eBooks and books with full-text scales:

Handbook of clinical rating scales and assessment in psychiatry and mental health (ebook)

IQ and Psychometric Tests (ebook). Full-text tests for personality, aptitude and intelligence.

Measuring Race and Ethnicity (print and ebook). Measures racial attitudes.

Test Bibliographies with Full-text Tests. Identifies books containing full-text tests. Books are located within the EDP Library Reference Collection.

Online searchable sites with full-text scales:

Center for AIDS Prevention. UCSF. Full-text instruments by topic.

Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services. Full-text assessment instruments by topic.

Generalized Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale (Ralf Schwarzer). Full-text scale included.

Geriatric Depression Scale. Full-text scale included. Aging Clinical Research Center--Stanford.

Goldberg Mood Scales with full-text instruments. Depression Forum.

Network for Research on Experimental Psychotherapies. Full-text instruments.

Psychological Maltreatment of Women Inventory with full-text scale. Richard Tolman--University of Michigan.

Relationship Questionnaires and Scales. Full-text scales included. Trent University.

Research Instruments and Design Guides. Includes full-text tests. Research Forum on Children, Families, and the New Federalism.

Online searchable indexes to identify scales:

Buros Institute of Mental Measurements. Test locator for reviews of tests in print. See also print version of Mental Measurements Yearbooks and Test-in-Print in the EDP Library reference collection. Index only.

Buros Institute of Mental Measurements Yearbook Indexes. Index only. Maintained by University of Nebraska.

Inventory of Instruments Assessing Violent Behavior and Related Constructs in Children and Adolescents. Bibliography only.

Tests and Measures in the Social Sciences. University of Texas, Arlington. Use Refworks link to connect to UCB books via Oskicat containing full-text tests.

Tests in Books. University of South Florida Test and Measures Collection-database of tests found in monographs. Search Oskicat, Melvyl or WorldCat for monographs.

San Diego State University Test Finder.

Sites with test information:

APA's Statement on Psychological Tests. The Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment (CPTA) statement on the use of psychological tests by graduate and undergraduate students.

APA on finding tests.

UT Austin Tests and Assessments Research Guide.

Western Psychological Services. Publisher of tests and assessments for psychologists.

About Tests

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:00:13 -0700

Sites with test information.

The following websites provide information about testing and assessment. These provide both background information and search tips.

APA's Statement on Psychological Tests. The Committee on Psychological Tests and Assessment (CPTA) statement on the use of psychological tests by graduate and undergraduate students.

APA on finding tests.

UT Austin Tests and Assessments Research Guide.

Western Psychological Services. Publisher of tests and assessments for psychologists.

CSA Test Tips

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:56:34 -0700

CSA Illumina is one of the best search engines for searching tests and measurements. When a database such as PsycInfo indexes materials according to test instruments used or cited, CSA can search directly for a test. Unfortunately, neither Sociological Abstracts nor Social Services Abstracts index for tests. All three databases, i.e., PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts, and Social Services Abstracts can be searched with the CSA search engine by selecting the Multi EdPsyc link on both the Social Welfare and the Education Psychology Libraries webpages.

For example, to search for studies on depression that use or cite a test instrument, the following protocols produce targeted results.

To search the PsycInfo database, use the Multi EdPsyc link.

In the first search box row, type "depression." Select either the "TI Title" or "DE Descriptor" choice from the drop down menu.

In the second search box row, type "test*" in the first box, "scale*" in the second box, and "questionnaire*" or "instrument*" in the third box. The asterisk is to retrieve all forms of each word. Select the "TM Tests and Measures" choice from the drop down menu.

To search Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, and ERIC for articles and books that cite or use test instruments, perform these steps:

First select these databases on the search engine screen. Click on the word "show" on the line that says: Now Selected: Multiple Databases (show). De-select all databases, except Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, and ERIC.

In the first search box row, type "depression." Select the "TI Title" choice from the drop down menu.

In the second search box row, type "test*" in the first box, "scale*" in the second box, and "questionnaire*" or "instrument*" in the third box. Select the "AB Abstracts" choice from the drop down menu.

The search results will display records that concern the subject of depression and reference a specific test instrument. The test may be used as the basis of the article or book or it may just be cited.

Ebsco Test Tips

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:31:47 -0700

EbscoHost does not provide a tool for specifically searching for tests and measurements. Instead, one must enter words such as "test", "scale",
"instrument", "questionnaire" in a search box.

For example, to search for tests or scales that measure depression, use the following approach to obtain targeted results.

Open the Social Work Abstracts database.

In the first search box, type "depression." Select either the "TI Title" or "AB Abstract" choice from the drop down menu.

In the second search box, type "test*". The asterisk is to retrieve all forms of the word "test." Select the "TX All Text" choice from the drop down menu.

In the third search box, type a synonym of the word "test", such as "scale*". Other words that might produce good results would be "questionnaire" or "instrument." Select the "TX All Text" choice from the drop down menu.

The search results will display records that concern the subject of depression and reference a specific test instrument. The test may be used as the basis of the article or book or it may just be cited.

DATA Data Help

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:32:22 -0700

Help with Manipulating Statistics and Data

Do you need help locating statistics? Contact your reference librarian for help!

Computing at Haviland: A Computing Lab is available to all Social Welfare students. Claudia Waters is the Social Welfare Computing Manager and is available to help with computing projects.

Library Data Lab. The Data Lab in Doe 208A provides access to a growing collection of electronic data files and analytical software, such as MS Excel, SAS, SPSS, Stata, and DataFerret. Staff will help you locate, retrieve and use computer-readable, numeric data.
UC Data. UC Data provides access to computerized social science data to UC Berkeley faculty, staff and students, and helps researchers understand the content and context of social science data.

DATA Statistical Databases @ UCB

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:32:51 -0700

Top Statistical Databases

ProQuest Statistical Datasets. Over 5.3 billion data points. Fast and Easy!

ProQuest Statistical Insight. Tables re U.S. and international data.

More Social Science Statistical Databases (A-Z)

China Data Online. Data re China.
China Statistical Yearbook Database. China data.
CQ Voting and Elections Collection. Election data.
Destatis. German statistics.
E-Stat. Canadian statistics.
Economist Intelligence Unit Country Reports and Profiles. Muliple country profiles.
Europa World. Data on 250+ countries.
Field Poll. Public opinion data.
Gallup Brain. Public opinion data.
Historical Statistics of the U.S. Population, welfare, economics.
IndiaStat. Data re India.
ICPSR. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research.
OECD Health Data and Statistics. Socio-economic and mental health data.
OECD iLibrary. Socio-economic data.
RAND California. Demographic, health and more statistics re California.
Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. U.S. and international survey data.
Russia NIS Statistical Publications. Russian data.
Sociometrics Social Science Electronic Data Library. Data re health, family, children, aging and more.

Social Welfare Data

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:34:23 -0700

The UC Berkeley Libraries and the UC Berkeley campus provide generous resources to support access to and manipulation of data and statistics. UC Library subscribes to several proprietary statistics databases with advanced search features. The U.S. government, the largest collector and provider of data worldwide, provides many tools for searching and finding data. State and local governments have similarly created many data websites. Large international organizations, such as UNESCO, the World Bank, and EuroStats have also gathered statistics and created online search tools. Extensive data sets can be found on the web through the sites of nonprofit organizations and universities. The search is challenging, however, because of multiple sites each with a different focus, search engine and protocol.

The following websites provide data and statistics specifically related to social welfare, psychology and the social sciences. Some provide data of a more general data, such as American FactFinder, and FedStats, and some point to topic specific data sets, such as AgeSource and ChildStats. Each is uniquely organized. Look for a "search tips" link on each site for the best practice in finding data with the website's search features.

Additional weblinks for free data concerning children and education can be found at EDP Statistics and regarding public health at PUBL Stats. For data sets by region, i.e., California, federal, etc. see below.

Social Welfare Data - Key Weblinks

Administration on Aging.
Administration for Children and Families.
Adoption in the U.S.: State Statistics.
Adoption statistics (Child Welfare Information Gateway).
AgeSoure/AgeStats Worldwide. Data from AARP concerning older adults worldwide.
CDC Health Data.
CDSS Research and Data Reports.
Child Abuse and Neglect.
Child Trends Databank.
Child Welfare Dynamic Report System. From California Dept. of Social Services and UCB.
Child Welfare Information Gateway.
ChildStats. Children and families. Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
Children and Education. More websites.
Food Stamp Program.
Foster Care National Statistics.
Green Book. House Ways and Means Committee. 2004. 2008.
National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging.
National Center for Health Statistics.
Office of Minority Health Data & Statistics.
Social Security Administration Statistics.
TheDataWeb. U.S. Census' data analysis tool.

Data for Psychology, Mental Health and Social Science - Key Weblinks

American FactFinder. Population, community and economic data. U.S. Census.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment and economic data. U.S. Dept. of Labor.

Common Core of Data. Schools and children. U.S. Dept. of Education.

Data from Developing Countries. Bureau for Research in Economic Analysis of Development.

FedStats. Multiple topics. U.S. and international data comparisons.

ICPSR Data Archive. Data repository. Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research.

Internet Crossroads in Social Science Data.

Mental Disorders in America. Mental health data. U.S. National Institute of Mental Health.

Social Statistics Briefing Room.

Substance Abuse reports from U.S. DHSS SAMHSA.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive.

World Health Organization.

World Bank Data - Education.

Worldwide Statistical Web Servers.

UN Development Goals. A guide to ESDS International data.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

U Michigan Statistics on the Web.

Vital Statistics - from CDC.

Statistics - By Region and General Topics

The following links point to data sources for multiple topics and by region.

DATA Data Help

jwoolums@library.berkeley.edu (Jill Woolums) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:32:22 -0700

Help with Manipulating Statistics and Data

Do you need help locating statistics? Contact your reference librarian for help!

Computing at Haviland: A Computing Lab is available to all Social Welfare students. Claudia Waters is the Social Welfare Computing Manager and is available to help with computing projects.

Library Data Lab. The Data Lab in Doe 208A provides access to a growing collection of electronic data files and analytical software, such as MS Excel, SAS, SPSS, Stata, and DataFerret. Staff will help you locate, retrieve and use computer-readable, numeric data.
UC Data. UC Data provides access to computerized social science data to UC Berkeley faculty, staff and students, and helps researchers understand the content and context of social science data.