This week’s blog was contributed by Melissa Milanak, PhD, PAR’s clinical assessment. Melissa is a licensed clinical psychologist and internationally recognized academic. She has extensive clinical experience providing therapy and conducting assessments with a diverse array of patient populations.

As your trusted source for assessments for all your clinical needs, PAR is excited to also partner with you in many practical ways as you conduct your research, whether it be a large federally funded grant, a manuscript you are preparing to submit, or a course project with your students and trainees running on zero budget. Here are just a few of the ways PAR can help researchers.

Save time with manuscript writing

The submission deadline is approaching, and it is time to write the methods section. Instead of spending hours pouring through assessment manuals and reading journal article after journal article to extract psychometric data for the one paragraph, consider reaching out to PAR directly. Our psychologists and researchers have already prepared and formatted the assessment info paragraphs for you that you can insert into your manuscripts and grant applications. Don’t see the one you need there? Let us know and we will get you the info you need.

Save money through data sharing

Through our data sharing program, you can partner with our R&D team to help us collect important data on our assessments all while receiving discounts and/or free usage of the related assessments. All data sharing is of course de-identified and confidential to protect participants.

Expand your subject population

Through our digital assessment platform, PARiConnect, you can email HIPAA-compliant links directly to research participants to complete all of your research assessments online, expanding your geographical reach. You can also access observer and collateral research data without requiring additional individuals to come into your data collection site. Plus, if you send out an assessment link and a participant decides not to participate, you can revoke the link and reuse the assessment with another participant without having to pay for an unused assessment.

Improve data integrity

By using PARiConnect, either through a HIPAA-compliant email link or in-person digital entry option, participants enter their own data, removing a layer of data entry error (and the need to invest in time for research assistants to enter and check data entry). Plus, with settings to prevent skipping questions, you can reduce the risk of missing data.

Reduce data processing time

In less than a minute, you can download item-level assessment data to a CSV spreadsheet formatted to integrate with statistics software such as SPSS to increase the ease of data processing and analyzation.

Training for your research team

Through our FREE Training Portal and team of clinical assessment advisors, PAR provides on-demand training for you and your research teams to learn about the assessments from underlying constructs to administration, scoring, and interpretation.

Provide additional support

As you are designing your research, clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, and psychometrists who have a history of successfully securing federally funded grants and publishing in high impact-factor journals are available to consult with you to build effective, efficient research assessment batteries.

These examples are just the beginning when exploring ways that PAR can partner with you to design, conduct, and publish your research using high-caliber, industry gold-standard assessments. Reach out to our team today to learn more!

Check out this video on ways PAR can help you easily integrate digital assessments into your practice.

Are you doing research with a PAR product and think it could help others? We are looking to gather additional data on our existing tests with the goal of further validating our instruments, identifying and developing product enhancements, or adding features that allow our Customers to better meet the needs of those they serve. 

We are inviting clinicians, researchers, and other professionals to partner with us to advance the scope of solutions we can provide, especially focusing on better helping underserved populations. 

Could your data help others? We would love to talk to you about it!  

Click here 

Calling all test developers, researchers, data collectors, and potential authors—we want to work with you! We recently revamped our Partner with PAR programs and are proud to announce two new opportunities, in addition to our longstanding data collection and assessment publishing programs.

• Requests for research proposals. We invite proposals from any nonstudent investigator using PAR instruments for research, with priority given to studies validating PAR instruments, using PAR instruments for developing or validating treatments or interventions, or validating PAR instruments for use with underrepresented populations.
• PAR Data Program. If you have collected data using one or more PAR products, we want to work with you to help develop new solutions and enhancements that will better serve society and improve the mental health of others. Our ultimate goal is to increase fairness and inclusivity in test development by increasing representation of underserved populations.
• Data collection. We are always collecting normative, reliability, and validity data for products in development and welcome new data collectors. Bonus—data collectors earn cash payments or credit toward PAR products for the essential work they do for us!
• Publishing. Developing new and updated assessment instruments is what keeps us going, day in and day out. Though we keep our ears close to the ground for ideas, we invite you to contact us with your proposals or ideas—and to do so as early as possible in the development process. We’d love to have the opportunity to work with you!

Visit parinc.com/PARtner for more information on all our programs and for details on how to get in touch with us.

PAR’s University Partnership Program (UPP) is dedicated to assisting you and your students as they pursue advanced degrees.

Our program consists of eight essential elements, all focused on providing you support. Take a look at our Circle of Support to learn how the UPP takes on tasks that give you time—time that you can invest in your students.

The UPP program can be used by those in a number of degree programs that teach assessment.

Many offers and services are provided under the UPP program, such as reduced time spent reviewing tests thanks to our concierge service, discounts for students and researchers, and free products. Plus, PAR guarantees your order will be shipped the same day you order it, and if you’re not completely satisfied with your purchase, you can simply return it.

Interersted in becoming part of the UPP program? Call 866.727.2884 or e-mail upp@parinc.com.

Last year we posted a blog about our commitment to provide our Customers with additional sources of information about our products through a series of white papers.

Since that time, we’ve released a number of new white papers that are available to you at no cost.

The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Preschool Version (BRIEF-P). This resource helps readers learn about enhanced interpretation of the BRIEF-P, complete with illustrative case samples. You can find the new white paper under the Resources tab on the BRIEF-P page or via this direct link.

The Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). This white paper provides you with insights into the creation and use of a research repository for the PAI. Customers can find the new white paper under the Resources tab on the PAI page or via this direct link.

The Self-Directed Search (VeteranSDS). This white paper explains how the VeteranSDS report and other tools can be used to assist military veterans transitioning to civilian careers. The new white paper can be found under the Resources tab on the SDS page or via this direct link.

The Feifer Assessment of Reading and the Feifer Assessment of Mathematics (FAR and FAM). This resource will help you learn more about using built-in skills, error, and behavior analyses to assist in the development of more effective reading and math interventions. To see this new white paper, go to the Resources tab on the FAR or FAM page, or use this direct link.

The PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI). A new white paper explains the process and rationale behind the release of the Spanish translation of the PDDBI Parent Form. The new white paper can be accessed under the Resources tab on the PDDBI page or via this direct link.

We hope you find that these documents enhance your use of our instruments. Watch for more white papers in the future!  

In order to facilitate research using the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), we are now offering comprehensive bibliographies through Mendeley, a free reference management tool. In addition, a white paper describing this research repository and explaining its creation and use has been created.

After accessing the Mendeley link, you will be prompted to create an account. Mendeley includes a desktop application and a cloud-based system for ease of use when finding references and citing them within a document. Use of this free resource is encouraged to facilitate research on the topics related to the PAI. Individuals who do not wish to create an online account may visit the Resources tab on the PAI product page to view Word documents of these bibliographies.

In addition to the PAI, PAR offers Mendeley bibliographies for the PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI), the Standard SDS, and the Student SDS. More will be added to the website soon!

In order to facilitate research using PAR products, we have begun offering comprehensive lists of research articles. These bibliographies are available through Mendeley, a free reference management tool. Products that offer these bibliographies will have a note on their product page with a link to their Mendeley bibliography. A PDF of the list will be available on the product’s resource tab.

After accessing the link, you will be prompted to create an account. Mendeley includes a desktop application and a cloud-based system for ease of use when finding references and citing them within a document. Use of this free resource is encouraged to facilitate research on the topics related to that particular assessment.

Currently, Mendeley bibliographies are available for the PDD Behavior Inventory (PDDBI), the Standard SDS, and the Student SDS. More will be added to the website soon!

If so, were you aware that you may apply for research support? All applications for research support require administrative review of the research project. To see if your project meets the criteria and to go through the evaluation process, e-mail Customer Support.

This interview is a part of an ongoing feature on the PAR blog to better acquaint Customers with PAR staff. We hope you enjoy this inside look into what goes on behind the scenes to develop, create, and deliver your most trusted assessments.

Sue Trujillo, Manager of Data Collection

How many years have you worked at PAR? 9 1/2 years

What does an average day at PAR look like to you? Read and respond to emails from data collectors, check the demographic database on projects in progress, recruit new and existing examiners to work on finding participants to fill the needed demographics, check incoming data for accuracy and log cases into my SPSS “cases needed” file, and, most recently, helping to work on new project ideas.

What is the best part of your job? Talking with psychologists all over the country.

When people ask you what you do, how do you explain your job? I have a database of examiners from all over the country who administer new or existing assessments in order to create the standardization norms.

When you aren’t at work, where can you be found? In my yard, tending to my flowers and plants, or dancing at a rock concert.

When I first started working at PAR… there wasn’t any one person who did my job. The project directors were responsible for finding authors who already had data or the project directors managed data collection themselves.

If I could switch jobs with anyone in the company for a day, I’d like to try… Being a Clinical Assessment Consultant! I’d like to sell what I’ve helped create!

This interview is a part of an ongoing feature on the PAR blog to better acquaint Customers with PAR staff. We hope you enjoy this inside look into what goes on behind the scenes to develop, create, and deliver your most trusted assessments.

Melissa Messer, Senior Project Director

How many years have you worked at PAR? 13

What does an average day at PAR look like to you? Every day is different depending on the status of my projects. Typically, I am working on some type of data analysis. Other days, I may be solely focused on writing, which also involves doing extensive literature reviews and interpreting/explaining data analysis. I have lots of team meetings, generally getting input and feedback on print and digital projects.

What have you learned by working at PAR? A small group of really excellent people can accomplish a lot when they work together. In comparison to some of our competitors, we are a very small company, yet we remain very competitive.

When you aren’t at work, where can you be found? With my two children. I spend as much time as I possibly can with them when I am not at work.

When you first started working at PAR, what were your plans? I thought I would stay for a year and go back to school to get my PhD. Instead, four positions and almost 13 years later, I can’t imagine leaving PAR.

If you could switch jobs anywhere in the company for a day, what department would you choose? Customer Support. I really enjoy talking to our Customers at conventions, and I think it would be great to have a chance to talk directly to our Customers more.

What product or project have you learned the most from? The Neuropsychological Assessment Battery® (NAB®). I got to work with the director of Research & Development, who had a ton of experience working on project development, and he was also the author of the test. It was by far one of the largest projects ever completed at PAR, and the experiences I gained while working on it definitely had an impact on my future success at PAR.