Angela Bardeen
Social Sciences Reference Librarian
bardeen@email.unc.edu
(919) 962-1151

Can't find the article, book, or report you need at our library? You can request it from another library through interlibrary loan.

This guide is designed to help people get started in finding reviews of tests, finding tests that might suit a particular need (i.e. tests for badminton skills, tests for reading comprehension), and obtaining actual copies of tests. Each of these aspects of tests and measurements research is described below.

Test reviews are usually written for published tests and often (but not always) include brief descriptions of tests and measurements to give potential users some important background. Other information that typically accompanies test and measurement reviews include contact information for the publisher, validity and reliability, scoring, purpose, intended population, pricing, administration, and so on. The following sources should be consulted when looking for reviews of particular tests. The order in which they appear is a rough guide to how a search might be constructed.

Mental Measurements Yearbook
Produced by the Buros Institute at the University of Nebraska, the Mental Measurements YearbookTM (MMY) provides users with a comprehensive guide to over 2,000 contemporary testing instruments. Designed for an audience ranging from novice test consumers to experienced professionals, the MMY series contains information essential for a complete evaluation of test products within such diverse areas as psychology, education, business, and leadership. All MMY entries contain descriptive information (e.g., test purpose, publisher, pricing) and edited review(s) written by leading content area experts.

Print editions of Mental Measurements Yearbook, 1938 to date, are held in Davis Reference, Z5814.P8 B932 and print editions, 1973 to date, also are held in Health Science Library Reference, BF431 .M549. Tests in Print, also located in Davis Reference (Z5814.E9 T47), gives basic information on a large number of commercially available tests. The latest edition of Tests in Print also serves as an index to the tests covered in the Mental Measurements Yearbooks.

Test Critiques
Another fine source for reviews and references on a particular test or measure. This work provides a brief introduction to each test as well as information on its application, technical aspects, and finally, a critique. Entries are accompanied by a lengthy list of references. These books are organized alphabetically by test title and are indexed by title, publisher, author/reviews, and subject. User friendly, easy to understand, and updated annually.

Location:  Davis Library Reference                       Call Number:  BF176 .T419
Location:  Health Sciences Library Reference   Call Number:  BF 176 .T3451

Tests
This work aims to provide users with concise descriptions and basic information (no reviews) of assessment instruments in psychology, education, and business. Population, purpose, format, scoring, publisher, author, and cost information are provided for each entry. Also provided are indices of publishers, authors, and test titles. The book is organized by subject (i.e. motor skills, academic aptitude, etc.)

Location:  Davis Library Reference                       Call Number:  BF176 .T43

Journal articles are often another good way to get reviews and information on tests and measurements. The databases listed here are some of the more useful resources for finding this type of information.

UNC-Chapel Hill Catalog
In addition to the resources above there are many other test review volumes available and the catalog can be a great way to find them. These works are typically devoted to a particular area (i.e. education or psychology) or have an even narrower focus (i.e. special education). Useful search terms include your particular area of interest (i.e. "psychology" or "academic achievement") and "tests" or "measures" or "measurements" or "assessement." For a sample of these kinds of resources see Additional resources for finding reviews of tests & measurements.