Skip to Main Content

Research Tools & Instruments

Choosing a validated instrument for your capstone or final project

๐Ÿงช Where to Find Validation Studies

Goal: Support the scientific credibility of the instrument.

  • Search for peer-reviewed studies that tested the instrument’s reliability and validity

  • Focus on articles that report psychometric properties and field application

The library provides essential resources to help you:

  • Identify appropriate research instruments

  • Find scholarly, peer-reviewed articles that validate or describe their use

However, the library does not provide:

  • Direct access to most instruments

  • Legal permission to use instruments in your project

๐Ÿ“Œ Guidance on locating full instruments and requesting permission is available in other sections of this guide.

Using the Library to Find Instrument Reviews and Validated Studies

CINAHL and Proquest Central: Use the following strategies to find instruments related to your topic in the library databases

๐Ÿ”น 1. General Instrument Search 

  • In the first box, enter keywords for your topic (e.g., anxiety, patient education).

  • In another advanced search box, enter these parameters - being sure to use the asterisks* for variant endings and the quotes  ( ) around the entire list in order to retrieve them all in one search.
    (test* OR measure* OR survey* OR questionnaire* OR scale* OR battery* OR inventory* OR checklist* OR instrument* OR pretest* OR posttest* OR interview*)

  • Set the drop-down next to this box to AB Abstract to focus your search.

๐Ÿ”น 2. Finding Full Instruments in Articles 

  • Enter a keyword (e.g., questionnaire, scale).

  • Set the drop-down to PT Publication Type | Publication Title and select Questionnaire/Scale in CINAHL to find articles that include the instrument text.

๐Ÿ”น 3. Instrument Records in CINAHL

  • Enter: "research instrument"

  • Set the drop-down to PT Publication Type to find CINAHL’s standardized records about specific tools, including how to obtain them.

๐Ÿ”น 4. Search by Instrument Name 

  • If you know the exact name of the tool, use quotes (e.g., "Nurses' Perceptions of Patient Safety Culture Questionnaire").

    • Change the drop-down to IN Instrumentation in CINAHL to search only the Instrumentation field.

    • If unsure of the exact name, omit quotes and use keywords in the IN Instrumentation field.

  • Alternatively, If you have an instrument name that may not be exact, search on keywords and phrases in  quotes + terms like:

    validation, reliability, psychometrics

๐Ÿ”น 5. Search for Instruments in CINAHL

Use CINAHL Subject Headings to find validation studies:

  • Try terms like:
    Instrument Validation
    Reliability and Validity
    Construct Validity
    Internal Consistency

Tip: To search within subject headings:

  • Use MW Word in Subject Heading for broad results

  • Use MJ Word in Major Subject Heading for more focused results

๐Ÿ” Should You Use PubMed to Find Instruments?

PubMed is not the most effective database for finding research instruments by topic. Unlike CINAHL and ProQuest, it doesn’t highlight test names consistently, and search results can be difficult to narrow.

  • Best for: Finding validation studies when you already know the instrument name (use quotes).

  • Limitations: Few dedicated fields for instruments, inconsistent tagging, and large volume of results.

  • Tip: If you use PubMed, search MeSH terms like "Surveys and Questionnaires", "Psychological Tests", or use "instrument name" AND validation-related terms.

For comprehensive instrument searches, start with CINAHL or ProQuest instead.

Find 
Program Resources
Research Aids
Services

A-Z List of Databases

DNP Project Digital Repository

Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Faculty Resources

Finding Video & Image Content

How to Access Other Libraries

Library Homepage  

Multimedia

Reference Service Policy

RefWorks

Video Tutorials

Business Administration

Care Planning

Clinical Practice Guidelines

Evidence-Based Practice

Finding MBA Healthcare Resources

Nursing & Health Sciences

Nursing Classification

Nursing History

Nursing Theory

The Literature Review

 

 

Advanced Research Skills

APA Help & Avoiding Plagiarism

Black History & Culture

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Evaluating Online Sources

How to Search for Articles

Nursing Law & Regulations

Research Tools & Instruments 

Understanding Scholarly Research

Using AI Tools

Using Statistics

 

Code of Conduct

Financial Literacy

Grammarly

Helpdesk

Post University Blog

Sentinel U Support

Student Services

Writing Center