The purpose of the proposed project is to develop and provide access to information on instruments (questionnaires, interview schedules, scales, observation checklists, tests) of importance to research, instruction, and service delivery in nursing primarily and secondarily in other health related fields. The objectives of the project are to: (1) identify, acquire, classify, and store measurement instruments relevant to nursing along with supporting documentation and supplementary materials; (2) develop and utilize a logical, user-oriented classification scheme to store and retrieve information on these instruments and supplementary materials; (3) provide on-line access to this information on a national basis. The methodology for meeting these objectives will proceed in seven phases: (1) project initiation; (2) developing an authority term index; (3) identifying and classifying instruments and materials; (4) computerization (system analysis and design, data entry, processing, maintenance); (5) acquiring new instruments and materials; (6) evaluating usage; (7) project continuation and making the File available nationally. The products and techniques resulting from the project will be unique and will serve pressing needs of researchers, students, instructors, administrators, and practitioners in nursing as well as those in other health care fields. These products and techniques include: (1) a comprehensive File of information on instruments (with essential supporting documentation and other relevant supplementary materials) necessary for effective research, instruction, and service delivery in nursing and other health care fields; (2) cross-referenced authority term and other indexes for classifying these materials and for use in storing and retrieving them; (3) a system for nationwide computer-based access to the contents of the Health Instrument File; (4) technologies transferable to developing and making widely accessible other files, such as a file on physical diagnostic measures and techniques, and files of instruments useful to researchers, students, instructors, administrators, and practitioners in other fields (such as business, psychology, social work, sociology).
