Inside Behavior Analysis
Volume 2 | 2010 | Number 2
Publication Board Update
By Marc Branch
In 2009, ABAI continued to publish three journals, The Behavior Analyst, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, and the recently inaugurated Behavior Analysis and Practice. What follows here is a brief overview of the state of the scientific publications released by ABAI, based on the annual reports submitted by the Editors of each journal.
To begin, gratitude is due the three Editors: Michael Dougher, Greg Hanley, and Caio Miguel. All have shown dedication to their missions and displayed good organizational skills in getting the journals edited and published. We have a strong group of Editors.
The flagship journal, The Behavior Analyst, had an improved year, thanks in large measure to the proactive stance taken by the Editor, Michael Dougher. The number of pages published increased by 70% over the 2008 total, and the number of papers almost doubled. Despite those numbers, however, there is reason for concern about the journal, due to the decline in the number and quality of submissions. That trend is continuing, with only six unsolicited submissions by April of this year. It is not clear what the origin of the decline is, but it is a concern that—despite substantial growth in ABAI membership—submissions and quality are down. One explanation seems likely: New members of the organization are not contributing proportionally to the core issues in behavior analysis as represented by the content of TBA. Associated with the diminished manuscript flow has been a modest decrease in the size of the Editorial Board, a reduction that appears appropriate given the current circumstances.
A more positive situation, in contrast, exists with the new journal, Behavior Analysis and Practice (BAP). There, manuscript flow increased by 17% over the previous year, and appears to be increasing again this year. Another positive development is that the journal has been selected for indexing by PsychINFO. One issue of possible concern is the editing model that has emerged for this journal. During 2009, the journal had 9 Associate Editors, plus 20 Guest Associate Editors, for a total of 29 action editors.
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB) had what has become a normal year for it. Of the 20 manuscripts that were submitted, 10 were published in this year’s issue. The journal serves a valuable, albeit still small, role in the understanding of language development and in the generation and study of techniques to improve language skills in those deficient in them. Specifically, the journal remains the only outlet in which research and interpretations based on the conceptual analyses offered by B. F. Skinner about verbal behavior are welcome. Perhaps my glasses are too rose-colored, but I remain hopeful—now that the nativist wave seems to have passed—that there will eventually be a place at the table among researchers of language development for those who see basic learning processes as playing a role. If my hope becomes reality, ABAI will be able to note proudly that it helped keep an important research enterprise viable.