The Committee on Scientific Activities has two purposes: to identify scientific issues of importance to psychoanalysis; and to develop proposals for dealing more effectively with those issues.
Heinz Kohut, who established the Committee in 1964, realized that because the American Psychoanalytic Association serves so many purposes, practical problems tend to overshadow scientific issues. The CSA is, therefore, an ombudsman for questions about the relationship between psychoanalysis and science. It is our hope that members will convey to us their concerns and questions, as well as offering suggestions.
As issues are clarified, their importance and validity are assessed and solutions formulated that will be useful and acceptable to the overall membership. Past examples include the formation of the Fund for Psychoanalytic Research and the formulation of the Statement on Ethics in Psychoanalytic Research.
Scientific activities are not limited to formal research. The Committee currently sponsors and monitors two independent satellite groups. The Study Group to Improve Psychoanalytic Indexing and Indexes is working on a guide for preparing cross-references. In addition, Paul Mosher is developing procedures for preparing printed indexes for the Goodman/Spruiell JOURLIT computer database. The Indexing Study Group will then prepare the first of a series of printed indexes.
CSA also sponsors the semi-annual meetings for analysts interested in using computers for scientific studies. This forum provided a means for developing the JOURLIT database. In a different direction, John Jenkins has started a psychoanalytic computer user's group newsletter.
Recently, the Committee met with psychoanalytic journal editors to discuss problems of verifications and confidentiality in clinical reports in our journals, and is now formulating a set of guidelines requested by the editors.
Guidelines are also being formulated for the increasing accumulation of computer readable psychoanalytic data, both clinical and bibliographic. They have only begun to clarify what might be done, what can be done and the procedures required. Storage, maintenance, standardizing, indexing and distributing the information must protect both confidentiality and data integrity—old problems that are becoming more complex as we share data so easily copied. Valuable information for scientific study must be shared, but at the same time must be safeguarded so as to protect those who provide it.
All projects have been originated by analysts who raised scientific questions with the Committee and expressed their concerns. You are invited to do the same.