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For delivery of content on its PsycNET platform, the American Psychological Association (APA) offers Athens Authentication. Beginning in 2005, APA has extended the authentication system to institutions in the United States.
Producers of most major electronic products, like those of APA, restrict access to authorized users of the institution that has purchased access or to individuals who have purchased individual subscriptions. The most common form of authentication for authorized users is IP address recognition. With IP authentication, an authorized user can use the resources paid for by the institution from any computer recognized as belonging to that institution, including proxy servers.
However, some institutions do not permit remote access via proxy servers, because the proxy servers are difficult to maintain. There are other problems as well.
The Athens Authentication system enables authorized users to access any of the resources offered by their institution with a single password. Athens Authentication also permits the establishment of individual accounts. The system was established in the United Kingdom in 1996 and has since become the de facto standard for secure access in UK education and health services.
Today institutions in countries from Albania to Zimbabwe offer Athens Authentication for any product that makes it available. (The Athens system is supported in part by producer payments.) APA has made Athens Authentication available for all electronic products. Institutions simply need to request the service by writing to Athens.
For more information, visit the Athens web site.
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