While you will likely have done a bit of searching in the databases for your previous assignment(s), this is the one where you will really want to dig into the evidence. The databases in the left column are where you will search for studies that have been conducted on your population and intervention.
When it comes to evaluation, there are certain assessment tools that you can use, but you'll also need to think critically about the elements of the study and/or intervention. The center column provides strategies for analyzing the literature.
Authors sometimes make their instruments accessible to others. When shared, they are often appended to journal articles and dissertations, but they might also be found in books and on web sites.
There are two primaries ways to search for these measures & tests using UTA Libraries resources. The most straight-forward way is to look in the Mental Measurements Yearbook database.
The second way requires some strategic searching in the PsycINFO database.
PsycINFO has a Tests & Measures search field. In order to search for articles that have used a measure on a specific topic, enter a very broad key term in the search field, and use the dropdown to select Tests & Measures.
The image above shows what a search for measures related to suicide risk and suicidality might look like. In the search bar, the suicid* is our search term, which will pick up any variations on the word suicide. The TM Tests & Measures selection from the dropdown tells the database that our key term must appear in the Tests & Measures field.
However, this does not guarantee that the measure that was used in the study will appear in the article. Sometimes measures are appended to the article, in which case, you might want to try a search that includes a second search line with the key term append* and the dropdown Tests & Measures. See image below.
Within the results of the above search, you should find one or more of the measures used in the study attached as an appendix or within the text of the article.
The CRAAMP test is a valuable tool for helping you determine if an article you are reading is credible and a good fit to use as a source for your research paper. As you read, pay attention to the 6 following criteria.
Use the template below to chart each of these criteria in the articles you use for your research paper.
| QUALITATIVE | QUANTITATIVE |
|---|---|
| Methods include focus groups, unstructured or in-depth interviews, and reviews of documents for types of themes | Surveys, structured interviews, measurements & observations, and reviews of records or documents for numeric or quantifiable information |
| A primarily inductive process used to formulate theory or hypotheses | A primarily deductive process used to test pre-specified concepts, constructs, and hypotheses that make up a theory |
| More subjective: describes a problem or condition from the point of view of those experiencing it | More objective: provides observed effects (interpreted by researchers) of a program on a problem or condition |
| Text-based | Number-based |
| More in-depth information on a few cases | Less in-depth but more breadth of information across a large number of cases |
| Unstructured or semi-structured response options | Fixed response options, measurements, or observations |
| No statistical tests | Statistical tests are used for analysis |
| Less generalizable | More generalizable |
Adapted from https://www.orau.gov/cdcynergy/soc2web/Content/phase05/phase05_step03_deeper_qualitative_and_quantitative.htm
Program Evaluation for Social Workers: Foundations of evidence-based practice by 
Program Evaluation: An introduction to an evidence-based approach by 
Foundations of Social Work Research by 
Guidebook for Social Work Literature Reviews and Research Questions by When setting or establishing a new goal, consider using SMART goals. By using the acronym S.M.A.R.T. you provide structure to help ensure that a goal is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For details and exceptions, see the Library Copyright Statement.
© 2016-22 The University of Texas at Arlington.
University of Texas Arlington Libraries
702 Planetarium Place · Arlington, TX 76019 · 817-272-3000