Tests in Print(TIP) is published by the Buros Institute of Mental Measurements of the University of Nebraska, and is intended to index all Buros Institute publications. TIP both lists tests available for purchase and indexes another important Buros Institute publication, the Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY). The Calvin T. Ryan Library offers current online access to both MMY and TIP at Online Reference Resources, http://rosi.unk.edu/screens/addlres.html.
According to database vendor EBSCO TIP online “serves as a comprehensive bibliography to all known commercially available tests that are currently in print in the English language. TIP provides vital information to users including test purpose, test publisher, in-print status, price, test acronym, intended test population, administration times, publication date(s), and test author(s).” The Library also maintains a current set of TIP in paper in the Reference Collection at *Z5814 .E9 T47; the latest edition is 2006. Anyone using the paper TIP should consider that the volume in hand only provides information on the test literature as of the time of publication of the volume. Use the most recent volume for information on currently available tests, and use prior volumes for information about tests published in the past, irrespective of current availability.
TIP is an important resource for students and faculty from many backgrounds including education, psychology and business. Students developing research projects involving human subjects can use TIP to find published tests, and evaluations of those tests, for creating their own instruments. Faculty and practitioners use TIP to locate instruments for research, instruction, vocational testing, and other applications. TIP online refers a searcher to the publisher for test purchasing information, and provides prices when available. As well as its own description of tests on a given topic, it links to the MMY online for the full-text of detailed evaluations of the instrument.
While TIP seeks to be comprehensive, it does not include research tests or proprietary instruments; the former are excluded because their purpose is typically highly specialized and limited, and the latter are effectively not commercially available.
Previous In Brief Online articles are available at this link:
http://www.unk.edu/acad/library/inbrief/index.php?id=3065
Trudy de Goede, Associate Professor & Collection Development Librarian
Calvin T. Ryan Library
Kearney, NE 68849-2240
Phone: 308-865-8587
Fax: 308-865-8722
degoedetc@unk.edu