Communication & Media: Quantitative Research

Quantitative research often involves administering a questionnaire, survey, etc. with numeric measures. Obtaining these types of research instruments, also called "tests," can be complicated and their availability varies.

• Published/Commercial tests often charge for their use. Some require users to have specific licenses or credentials to access them. For these type of tests, you may only be able to find test reviews or studies that cite them.
• Unpublished/Noncommercial tests are often more accessible and do not charge for their use. These tests may be located within books, journal articles, or dissertations.
• Tips and places to search for tests are listed below. If you need more help, please contact us.

Dissertations can be a gold mine for locating sample surveys and instruments, since the dissertation often includes a copy of the test or survey that was used during the dissertation research as an appendix. To locate dissertations, search:

For a quick overview of the dissertation's topic (and insight into the author's research methods), view the Abstract/Details. Choose Download PDF to see the full dissertation.

Survey instruments are usually included in the appendices at the end of the dissertation.