Anything that becomes a means of collecting information for your study is called a research tool or a research instrument. For example, observation forms, interview schedules, questionnaires, and interview guides are all classified as research tools. Case studies, checklists, surveys are also included.
The type of tool used depends on the type of study. Some tools such as observations, document analysis or screening can be used in both quantitative and qualitative research. Tools such as interviews, focus groups, oral histories are used for qualitative research, while quantitative research uses experiments, and surveys or questionnaires more commonly. Surveys or questionnaires with open-ended questions can also be used for qualitative research.
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Finding research instruments and tools is a two step process. Often, you will need to first identify if a tool exists to fit your research needs. Once a tool is identified, you next will need to locate the tool. Many tools are not openly available, and will require contacting the developer for a copy of the tool and permission to use it.
This guide will help you use library resources to assist you with identifying tools and acquiring them for use in your research.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2838-4168