Tests & Measurements

Responsible Use of Tests and Measures

There are several important things to keep in mind regarding the search and use of tests and measurements:

1) Nearly all tests and measurements are copyrighted, including those which you can find freely available. Thus, you cannot make any changes to the measurement, modify questions, etc. without the permission of the copyright holder.

2) You should ALWAYS contact the author of the measurement (even if you find it freely available) to get permission to use the test or measure.

3) Many publishers/copyright holders place restrictions upon who can use their measurements. They do this because they do not want to compromise the integrity of the measurement (for example intelligence or diagnostic tests used by clinical psychologists). Further, most publishers will only allow certain types of measurements to be administered and interpreted by professionals. You should make every effort to adhere to publisher guidelines for use of the measurement.

4) The USF library only makes tests and measurements available for preview purposes or for professors who wish to use them as examples in their classes; The tests in the collection are not for individual use by researchers for their actual studies.

Statement on the Use of Secure Psychological Tests in the Education of Graduate and Undergraduate Psychology Students

The American Psychological Assocation offers information about the security of some test materials according to their Statement on the Use of Secure Psychological Tests in the Education of Graduate and Undergraduate Psychology Students. For more information see the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.