Test Use for Research Purposes

Tests use in research are generally referred to any type of questionnaire or instrument used to assess variety of ability, aptitude, attitude, psychological and physical states, performance, social phenomenon, etc. to distinguish it from laboratory-based medical tests.  It is a best practice for researchers to have proper arrangements prior to using both copyrighted protected tests and open access tests for research purposes.

For copyright protected tests, users should pay for their use even for research purpose and permission must be obtained from the copyright holder(s) (normally the creator(s) of the test) before using, reproducing, distributing, or displaying in public.  Proper documentation on the permitted test such as the test name, edition, publication date of the original or adapted test, and permission to use should be referenced in the research.  Same practices should be adopted for derivative works (i.e. a translated version of the test).

For open access tests, they may be used and generated into derivative works without permission of the test creator(s).  Nevertheless, an explicit statement is advised to be included in the research regarding free usage or the conditions of usage for other researchers.

The International Test Commission, an association of national psychological associations, test commissions, publishers and other organizations, has released a statement on using tests and other assessment instruments for research purposes.  For details, please visit: https://www.intestcom.org/files/statement_using_tests_for_research.pdf.