Member access to the psychology and behavioural sciences database due for review

Early in 2011, the APS introduced a new membership benefit to increase members’ access to psychology journals and texts, with the aim of facilitating evidence-based practice and supporting members’ continuing professional development. The APS contracted an arrangement to provide APS members with free online access to one of the world’s largest psychology literature databases, the Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, offering access to the latest publications in quality international scientific journals. The online literature database includes more than 550 international psychology and behavioural science journals, with full text access to many, online keyword search facilities and the ability for members to set up customised email alerts regarding particular topics of interest. The service is directly accessible to members from the APS website, using the popular EBSCOhost platform. Access to the database has been offered to members on a trial basis for one year, with a view to this continuing depending on the extent to which it is shown to be valued by members.

Preliminary evaluation of the member benefit

The 12-month evaluation period for the service will draw to a close over the coming two months and usage data from the trial are currently being previewed. The total number of members who have used the service at least once so far during the trial period is a surprisingly low 3,190. It has been reported in the literature that psychologists sometimes find it challenging to navigate the resources needed to evaluate evidence and integrate it into practice (Falzon et al., 2010), and so feedback from the trial of the service will be important in informing the design of measures to improve the usefulness of the services provided.

Figure 1 shows the percentage of members who have accessed the service by primary workplace, and indicates that the service has thus far been most popular among members working in private practice settings, who made up over 35 per cent of users. Members working in schools, corporate and commercial settings and not-for-profit organisations were the next highest identifiable groups, collectively comprising some 21 per cent of members accessing the database.

Feedback from members

Free access to the online database for members was introduced as the result of a 2009 member survey, which indicated that although members value the journals published by the APS they find it difficult to access the latest empirical literature published in other international psychology journals. Much of the feedback received from members since the database access was made available last year has been very positive, with many expressing delight at having this access.

Although the default EBSCO search interface provided during the trial is easily accessible and simple, feedback from some members has indicated that practitioners may favour more familiar services such as Google Scholar, despite the fact that the EBSCO service has more comprehensive journal coverage and allows greater user customisation. One of the most useful customisation features provided by the APS service is the ability to set up automated email alerts based on user-identified keywords. Users who have created a MyEBSCO Host personal user account (instructions are on the APS website) can enter key search terms which can be used to automatically generate an alert after the search is run on either a daily, weekly or monthly basis, with the information being emailed straight to an email address of the user’s choice.

Awareness of the existence of the service is another issue which has been raised and although considerable effort has been put into publicising the service, it may be that some members are as yet unaware of its existence.

We are keen to hear about members’ experiences with accessing the database and opinions about its value as a member benefit. Feedback should be provided to [email protected].

The future of the member benefit

A decision regarding the future availability of the service as a member benefit will be due soon after the close of the trial in April this year. Members who have yet to try the database are therefore strongly encouraged to do so. It may well be a case of use it or lose it!

To access the database and instructions on how to use it, click on the ‘Scientific Literature Resources for APS Members’ tile on the home page of the APS website or follow the ‘Journals’ link under the ‘Publications and products’ menu.

PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES COLLECTION – ONLINE PSYCHOLOGY LITERATURE DATABASE

A sample of the more than 550 international psychology and behavioural sciences journals available: