Permission to Use or Modify an Instrument
If you are using an instrument developed by others in your project/research, you may need to submit permission with your IRB package.
Some authors request or require that you obtain explicit approval to use their measures even if there is no cost. This can be motivated by a desire to keep track of how widely a scale is being used and to ensure the user has the most recent version and understands the correct way to apply the tool.
If you are going to modify an instrument or protocol in your project/research, you must include the author's permission, either through a signed letter on letterhead or an email originating from the author.
However, many authors allow for non-commercial use of their tools by scholars without requiring written permission, a license, or a fee. For example, surveys developed at the RAND Corporation are freely available, and no permissions are needed. A directory of free survey instruments can be found here: https://www.statisticssolutions.com/free-resources/directory-of-survey-instruments/