Nursing Research Guide

Finding research instruments like questionnaires, tests, and scales can be challenging. Many of them are proprietary and must be requested from publishers. Some cost money to use. 

Here are some strategies for finding instruments:

• Instruments are sometimes reprinted in research articles. They are usually appended at the end of the article. As you research your topic, keep an eye out for articles that include instruments! If you find an article where the authors describe an instrument that you want to use, but the full instrument isn't reprinted in the article, you can email the authors to ask whether they would be willing to share it with you. 
• In CINAHL, look at the Advanced Search screen. After you enter your search terms in the top box, scroll down to the Publication Type menu. Choose "Questionnaire/Scale" and run the search. This will find articles that used questionnaires and scales. Some of the articles will include the reprinted questinnaire/scale, and some won't. There is not a way to limit your search to only articles that contain copies of instruments. 
• Some instruments are available for free on the Web. Here is another library's list of some places to find instruments: https://research.library.gsu.edu/surveys-and-qualtrics/surveys-scales-measurements 

Follow this link to TLU's Human Subject Research (HSR) training, required for all Principal Investigators (student, faculty or staff) prior to submitting a protocol to the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

These tools are part of the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) model. Links to the tools are made available below for non-commercial use, with permission of Johns Hopkins, with the stipulation that the tools may not be altered nor the copyright notice on the bottom of each page removed.