Finding Measures in the Behavioral Sciences and Education

Citations for tests in your References or bibliography vary depending on how they are accessed.

Test from a Website:

Purring, A. (2012). Charisma and Tenacity Survey [Measurement instrument]. 
     Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/tests/measures/instruments/surveys
     /charisma.html

Test from a Library Database:

Barks, H., & Howls, I. (2013). Directions of Generosity [Database record]. 
     Retrieved from The McAdoo Database of Fictional Titles. http://dx.doi.org
     /62.2366/34-28.466

Test in Print:

Barks, H., & Howls, I. (2013). Directions of Generosity [Database record]. Petland, MD: E & K Press.

In Text Citations, Capitalization, and Acronyms

• In the body of your paper, write the test name exactly as it appears in your References. 

• Use headline style capitalization for the test name. Capitalize the word survey (or instrument, quiz, etc.) only if it is part of the test name.

• While some tests are known by their acronyms, do not include the acronym in the reference. Instead, use the acronym at the first mention of the test in the body of the paper.

Adapted from:

McADoo, Timothy. (2014). APA Style Blog: How to Cite a Psychological Test in APA Style. Retrieved from http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2014/02/how-to-cite-a-psychological-test-in-apa-style.html