Using the Dissertations and Theses database: Although dissertations are considered unpublished research, they can be a source of information about measures, including use with particular populations, or in specific settings. In some cases, the dissertation may describe the development of a new measure.
- Combining subject names or codes with keywords is an effective way of finding dissertations that describe measures. Two subjects are relevant: psychological tests (0632) and educational evaluation (0288). Click the Advanced Search tab. Enter your term, e.g., resilience or resiliency in the first search box and select Citation and abstract from the pull-down menu to the right. In the second search box enter the subject name, e.g., educational evaluation or code, e.g., 0632 and select Subject name/code from the pull-down menu to the right. Click the Search button and examine your results.
- Another method-in the first box type test* or measure* or questionnaire* or scale* or survey* and from the pull-down menu to the right, select Document text. Enter your keywords/concept in the second box and from the pull-down menu to the right, select Citation and abstract. Click the search button and examine your results. Check out the abstract or the table of contents, available via the preview link. Measures are often included/listed in appendices.
- A more focused variation of the above method-in the first box type (test* or measure* or questionnaire* or scale* or survey*) w/3 appendi* and from the pull-down menu oto the right, select Document text. Enter your keywords/concept in the second box and from the pull-down menu to the right, select Citation and abstract. You can also substitute the specific name of the measure in the first box, e.g., index of marital satisfaction w/3 appendi* . The w/3 command finds documents where the test name or terms are within three words apart (either before or after) of the word appendix or appendices.
TIP! Rutgers dissertations from 1997 forward are available via the Full-Text-PDF link in the database. Dissertations from other universities can be requested via InterLibrary Loan.