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September 15, 2011 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today. CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.

New Databases from APA—PsycTESTS and PsycTHERAPY

PsycTESTS joins APA’s suite of research databases, providing a simple yet comprehensive solution for libraries and their patrons looking for access to test content. PsycTESTS will be updated monthly and includes more than 2,200 indexed test records, with more than 1,500 ready-to-use instruments.

PsycTESTS is a research database that provides access to an abundance of full-text psychological tests, measures, scales, and other assessments as well as descriptive and administrative information for each. PsycTESTS spans the full breadth of assessment in psychological research including neuropsychological tests, personality assessments, skills and proficiency tests, and IQ and aptitude scales and measurements. The majority of the test records found in PsycTESTS are research instruments that are available for immediate use. The database also covers select commercially published tests, and provides direct links to their respective publisher sites. All test records in PsycTESTS are created by skilled indexers with deep knowledge of the psychology literature.

Available tests include those compiled from a systematic review of peer-reviewed journals published by APA, Hogrefe Publishing Group, and other large publishers; technical reports from PsycEXTRA; contributions from individual test authors; collections from the Archives of the History of American Psychology; and more. Tests are available as printable PDFs, or as images, audio, or software for easy download and display. Records include information on the scope of the test, test implementation, a high-level overview of the test’s development, and reliability and validity data. PsycTESTS will be available through APA PsycNET as well as through several of APA’s current vendor partners.

Designed for students, faculty, and seasoned professionals in psychotherapy and counseling, PsycTHERAPY is a database of therapy demonstration videos specifically developed to enable viewers to observe how therapists spontaneously employ different approaches and techniques in practice. At launch, PsycTHERAPY’s more than 300 videos provide illustrative examples from nearly 100 of the most renowned therapists in North America at work with participants (including individuals, couples, and families) via different approaches with persons facing an array of psychological challenges. Specific clinical topics and challenges (more than 200 in total) featured in videos include many of the main issues dealt with in psychotherapy and counseling, including addiction, anxiety, depression, divorce, and health and relationship problems. The database reflects the full breadth of clinical practice in the variety of approaches and topics represented in its content. Additional content is scheduled to be added to PsycTHERAPY on a biannual basis.

PsycTHERAPY is searchable in multiple ways. To ensure the most precise searching, each video is coded with index terms and metadata about the participants, the session content, and therapeutic approaches demonstrated. In addition, each video in PsycTHERAPY has a synchronized transcript, highlighting the content being spoken; users can skip to a desired section of the video by clicking on the corresponding text in the transcript. They can also create and customize short clips of specific techniques or demonstrations, which can be shared in turn with a class or smaller group or the user’s immediate institution. PsycTHERAPY is offered exclusively on the APA PsycNET platform, and the search is integrated into the APA PsycNET platform along with APA’s other database products.

Source: APA