APA often receives calls from students preparing for their first research assignment. Often instructors will suggest that classes visit the APA website, which is an excellent starting point and provides authoritative information on current topics and issues, press releases, reports, and position papers that can be helpful in selecting your topic. You can access both free and paid resources at the APA website.
Most major university libraries provide electronic access to bibliographic and full-text databases produced by APA. These resources include APA PsycInfo®, an abstracts database; APA PsycArticles®, full text of APA journal articles; APA PsycBooks®, full-text books, book chapters and entries from the Encyclopedia of Psychology; APA PsycExtra®, research from outside the peer-reviewed publication; APA PsycTests®, psychological tests, measures, scales, surveys and other assessments; and APA PsycTherapy®, videos featuring therapy demonstration. APA also publishes a series of handbooks that provide in-depth information on a number of topics such as research methodologies.
These authoritative sources are used by research professionals, clinicians and mental health professionals worldwide. Some library catalogs also provide links to the full-text journal articles, and books or book chapters in the databases.
The databases let you search by general topics or keywords. You can consult the Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms® to find the most current terms in the literature. Consult your librarian for more information.
To become more familiar with the APA database products, visit the product pages to learn more about the publications covered, search tools and information on additional research products that may be of interest.
Which database is most appropriate for your search? The following descriptions will help you decide.
APA PsycInfo
APA PsycInfo is an electronic bibliographic database that provides citations and abstracts to the scholarly literature in the behavioral sciences and mental health from the early 1800s to the present. Material of relevance to psychologists and professionals in related fields such as psychiatry, nursing, business, education, social science, neuroscience, law, medicine and social work is included in the database. APA PsycInfo covers journal titles, doctoral dissertations, authored and edited books, and chapters from edited books. Start your research by using APA PsycInfo.
APA PsycArticles
APA PsycArticles is a database of full-text articles from journals published by APA, the APA Educational Publishing Foundation, the Canadian Psychological Association and Hogrefe Publishing Group. The database includes all material from the print journals with the exception of ads and editorial board lists. APA PsycArticles currently covers peer-reviewed journals from 1894 to the present.
APA PsycExtra
APA PsycExtra, a companion to the scholarly APA PsycInfo database, supplies clinicians, information professionals, policymakers, researchers and consumers with a wide variety of credible information in psychology, behavioral science and health. Most of the coverage is material written for professionals and disseminated outside of peer-reviewed journals. Documents include newsletters, magazines, newspapers, technical and annual reports, government reports, consumer brochures and more. APA PsycExtra is different from APA PsycInfo in its coverage, and also in its format, because it includes abstracts and citations plus full text for a major portion of the records. There is no overlap with APA PsycInfo.
APA PsycBooks
APA PsycBooks is a full text database of scholarly titles published by APA Books. It includes current books published by APA and classic and out-of-print books. The database also provides access to the APA/Oxford University Press Encyclopedia of Psychology. APA PsycBooks contains the APA PsycInfo abstract and bibliographic records for books and chapters and the full text of the book, tables of contents and all introductory material.
APA PsycTests
APA PsycTests is a research database that provides access to psychological tests, measures, scales, surveys and other assessments as well as descriptive information about the test and its development and administration. APA PsycTests focuses primarily on unpublished tests, those developed by researchers but not made commercially available. Most records link to a variety of materials describing the test in peer-reviewed literature, technical reports or dissertations as well as links to related peer-reviewed literature describing test development, review or use. All records include a summary that describes the test, with its purpose and some history of its development. Most records include the actual test instrument.
APA PsycTherapy
APA PsycTherapy is a database containing more than 300 videos featuring therapy demonstrations showing clinicians working with individuals, couples and families. APA PsycTherapy features more than 200 different topics covered throughout hundreds of hours of filmed demonstrations utilizing a wide range of approaches. The database contains only unscripted, spontaneous therapy sessions taped in the last 10 years. APA PsycTherapy is a highly flexible tool with synchronized, searchable transcripts that enhance user navigation and access and provides users the ability to tag segments of each therapy demonstration to create, save or share personal playlists.
APA Handbooks in Psychology®
Titles within the APA Handbooks in Psychology Series are ideal resources for libraries and institutions—these reference books provide a one-stop shop for both overviews and in-depth analyses of a variety of subfields within psychology. Different purchase options for electronic and print versions are available to institutions looking to provide their users with these comprehensive publications.
Accessing APA Databases
The APA databases are widely available at colleges and universities. If you are a student, faculty member or researcher at a college or other institution, check with your library to see which APA database are available. If the library subscribes, you can access the databases online from your home, office or dorm room. Check with your library for more information.
If you are an APA member, you can purchase access to the databases and search from your home or office. APA offers the databases in a number of packages designed to suit your research and budget needs. A package of databases is also available for professionals who need on-going access. To learn more about the databases, pricing options and how to sign up online, visit APA Databases Subscription Packages.
If you are not an APA member or need occasional access to the databases, you can search APA PsycInfo, APA PsycExtra, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycBooks on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Search Help
Contact APA staff to discuss search questions or to get information about APA's databases and services. Telephone help is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. EST, (800) 374-2722. You can also request help by sending an email.
The Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms®
Users will find all of the index terms that are used in APA's databases in The Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms. Using the thesaurus before beginning a search will save a lot of time in finding articles. The thesaurus provides standardized index terms used for each record in APA's databases. Definitions and information about how the terms are used; and information about related terms and concepts are also provided to ensure that one is able to find all available material on a subject.
The thesaurus is generally updated annually—APA makes the most recent updates to the thesaurus available online. An interactive online version of the thesaurus is also provided with most all APA PsycInfo vendor systems.
Training Guides
Users can find a wide variety of essential tools to search APA's databases in APA's Training Center. APA provides print and online versions of search guides for most vendor search systems. The system-specific search guides help users with basic system navigation. A free field guide with information about the content of and conventions for use of APA PsycInfo record fields is also available.
APA Databases & Electronic Resources Blog
This blog is your source for training materials and information about the American Psychological Association’s Databases & Electronic Resources. It includes updates on web-based and in-person training sessions, as well as highlights from our video tutorials, handouts and other materials. You will also find announcements about new publications that are being added to the databases, new features being added to the APA PsycNet platform, and about new resources as they become available.
