Ask Us! National University Library

Unless your test instrument is commercially available (i.e., available for purchase), you will likely need to seek permission to use a test instrument in your dissertation. This involves contacting the author or copyright holder directly to make the request.

If an email address is not readily available or seems to be outdated, you will need to search for the author’s contact information online. Try using quotation marks around the name or adding an associated institution to narrow your results. If you need assistance with the step, the Library can recommend search techniques. However, the Library will not contact authors on your behalf.

For details, including sample permission letters, please see the Permissions box within the Library's Tests and Measurements Guide.