How to choose the best measure

When choosing measures for your research project there are some things to consider to help guide you: 

• what the test is being used for (i.e. clinical or research purposes)
• the specific variables being assessed and which outcomes are of greatest significance
• the population being assessed including age, gender, ethnicity etc.
• the method of delivery (i.e. online or face-to-face)
• any copyright issues and purchasing costs
• test reliability and validity.

There are also a number of resources can be used to assist you in choosing the most appropriate test for your study. These include:

• The BUROS centre for testing provides an online search tool where you can find out the purpose, administration methods, costs, reliability and validity characteristics of a number of tests.
• The Mental Measurements Yearbook (Buros, 1905-1978) provides a review of many psychological tests and is available from the Monash Library.
• The FAQs page of the American Psychological Association (APA) provide a wealth of knowledge on psychological tests.