Newsletter
Volume 31| 2008 | Number 2
Behavior Analysis in Practice
By Dr. Dorothea Lerman
Behavior Analysis in Practice (BAP) is a peer-reviewed translational publication designed to provide science-based information on best practice in behavior analysis. The target audience includes practicing behavior analysts, educators and related personnel, staff in settings where behavior-analytic services are provided, and scientist-practitioners. Types of articles published in BAP include empirical reports describing the application and evaluation of behavior-analytic procedures; discussion papers on professional and practice issues; reviews of the empirical literature that provide best practice guidelines, technical articles on methods, data analysis, or instrumentation in the practice of behavior analysis; tutorials on terms, procedures, and theories relevant to best practice in behavior analysis; and critical reviews of books and products that are aimed at practitioners or consumers of behavior analysis.
This first annual report covers the activities of BAP from its inception in October 2006 to the close-out of its first issue in March 2008. The current journal Editor (Dorothea Lerman) and Associate Editors (Greg Hanley, Stephanie Peterson, Tim Vollmer, Dave Wacker, Doug Woods, Denny Reid, John Austin, George Noell, and Ray Miltenberger) began service in December 2006. Currently, the editorial board consists of 45 reviewers. All terms will end May 31, 2009.
The following start-up activities were completed by the Editor and Associate Editors in early 2007:
(a) Submission of journal name to the ABAI Council,
(b) appointment of reviewers to the editorial board,
(c) drafting of manuals for the Editor and Associate Editors,
(d) description of article types and review criteria, and
(e) solicitation of articles for the first issue.
Papers Published in the First Issue (Spring 2008)
The first issue contained seven papers, three empirical reports and four discussion/review articles. Three of the articles were invited by the Editor (Iwata & Dozier, Miltenberger, Shook & Favell). The total number of pages (48) was the maximum designated by the ABAI Council. Table 1 shows the content analysis of Volume 1 (first issue only).
Table 1. Journal Content by Type.
Processing of Manuscripts Submitted in 2007
Between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007, 38 new manuscripts were submitted. Eight manuscripts had been received in 2008 at the time this report was prepared (mid-April, 2008). The percentage of papers accepted in 2007 (31%)was somewhat low but not unexpected for a new journal. As shown in Table 2, the mean processing time for articles in 2007 was 2.3 months. Mean processing time (Receipt- Decision) is defined here as the number of months between the date a paper was received by the editor and the date the editor or associate editor informed the author of the initial decision. The longest time was 4.5 months. Action-editor time, the time from the receipt of the last review to when a decision letter went out, averaged 21 days.
Table 2. Mean Processing Times.
Board of Editors
The Board of Editors at the time of this report is shown in the list below. All board members were selected for a two-year term. I plan to establish a rotating three-year schedule for the editorial board prior to May 2009. During 2007, 14 individuals served as guest associate editors and 36 individuals served as guest reviewers for one or more manuscripts.
2007-2009
Scott Ardoin, Ph.D., University of South Carolina
Jennifer L. Austin, Ph.D., BCBA, University of Houston, Clear Lake
Jon S. Bailey, Ph.D., BCBA, Florida State University
John C. Borrero, Ph.D., BCBA, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Vincent J. Carbone, Ph.D., BCBA, The Carbone Clinic
James E. Carr, Ph.D., BCBA, Western Michigan University
Marjorie H. Charlop-Christy, Ph.D., Claremont
McKenna College
Linda Cooper-Brown, Ph.D., University of Iowa
Mark R. Dixon, Ph.D., BCBA, Southern Illinois University
Glen Dunlap, Ph.D., University of South Florida
Judith E. Favell, Ph.D., BCBA, Advoserv
Wayne W. Fisher, Ph.D., Munroe-Meyer Institute
Patrick Friman, Ph.D., Father Flanagan’s Boys Home and University of Nebraska School of Medicine
Louis Hagopian, Ph.D., Kennedy Krieger Institute
William L. Heward, Ed.D., BCBA, The Ohio State University<
Thomas S. Higbee, Ph.D., BCBA, Utah State University
Michael B. Himle, University of North Dakota
Rob H. Horner, Ph.D., University of Oregon
Brian A. Iwata, Ph.D., BCBA, University of Florida
Kent Johnson, Ph.D., Morningside Academy
Deb Kamps, Ph.D., University of Kansas
Linda A. LeBlanc, Ph.D., Western Michigan University
Ethan S. Long, Ph.D., BCBA, The Bay School
Nancy E. Marchand-Martella, Ph.D., Eastern Washington University
R. Mark Mathews, Ph.D., University of Sydney
Jen McComas, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Nancy A. Neef, Ph.D., The Ohio State University
Mark F. O’Reilly, Ph.D., BCBA, University of Texas at Austin
Gary Pace, Ph.D., BCBA, May Institute
Marsha B. Parsons, MA, J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center
James W. Partington, Ph.D., BCBA, Behavior Analysts, Inc.
John T. Rapp, Ph.D., BCBA, St. Cloud State University
Hank Roane, Ph.D., BCBA, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Joel E. Ringdahl, Ph.D., University of Iowa
Maureen Schepis, Ph.D., BCBA, Applied Behavioral Consulting
Gerald L. Shook, Ph.D, BCBA, Behavior Analyst Certification Board
Sigurdur Oli Sigurdsson, Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Richard Smith, Ph.D., BCBA, University of North Texas
Bridget Taylor, Psy.D., BCBA, Alpine Learning Group
Rachel Thompson, Ph.D., BCBA, New England Center for Children
Bruce Thyer, Ph.D., Florida State University
Frans van Haaren, Ph.D., BCBA, Autism Early Intervention Clinics
Ron Van Houten, Ph.D., Western Michigan University
David Wilder, Ph.D., BCBA, Florida Institute of Technology
April Worsdell, Ph.D., BCBA, Southern Illinois University
Additional Acknowledgements
Keith Van Norman provided invaluable service as the Managing Editor, and Bill Heward provided much-needed assistance and support.