TBA Guidelines for Submissions

The Behavior Analyst contains general interest articles on theoretical, experimental, and applied topics in behavior analysis. Articles on the past, present, and future of behavior analysis, as well as its relation to other fields, are particularly appropriate for the journal. The Behavior Analyst also publishes literature reviews, discussions of previously published work, reinterpretations of published data, and articles on behaviorism as a philosophy. Basic and applied experimental studies with original data, as well as technical articles on philosophy, should be submitted elsewhere.

Manuscript Submissions

The journal prefers electronic submission of manuscripts. MS Word files are favored, but any text format is acceptable. A copy with a title page that lists the title only should be accompanied by a separate title page that includes a) any footnotes to the title (e.g., regarding acknowledgements), b) the proper authorship and affiliation(s), c) any footnote(s) to author name(s), d) e-mail address, e) a list of at least four to six key words for indexing purposes, and f) provide a statement indicating the paper is not under review elsewhere and will not be submitted to another outlet while under consideration by TBA. You may also provide the names and addresses of three to five people outside of your institution that you would recommend as qualified reviewers of your manuscript. Submissions should be sent to the Editor, Michael Dougher, at dougher@unm.edu.

Editorial Review

All manuscripts will be considered for suitability for publication in The Behavior Analyst by the Editor.
Reviewers are not sent the name or the institutional affiliation of the author.
Reviewers are selected by the Editor handling the manuscript. At least three reviewers are selected, one or more from the Editorial Board and the remainder selected as guest reviewers appropriate to the manuscript. Reviewer comments will be returned with any marked manuscripts, and the editorial decision generally will be made within three to four months.

Style

Use the active voice in preference to the passive voice. The active is usually shorter and more lively to read, and more clearly specifies the agent of action.
Be specific rather than general whenever possible. A phrase such as, “We need to arrange contingencies to reinforce desired behaviors” communicates little. Instead, tell who needs to do what so that a reader can visualize the action described.
Back up assertions. Statements such as “There is a growing trend in…” leave a reader asking “Why do you say that?” Document with examples or data.
Avoid overuse of the weak verbs “to be” or “to have” as the main verb as the sentence. Avoid use of indefinite pronouns as the subjects of sentences (e.g., “It is…” “This is…” or “There are…”).
Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5^th ed.) for further guidelines regarding manuscript organization, writing and editorial style, references, and typing.

Manuscript Format

Prepare your manuscript in the form used by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5^th ed.).
Type all sections double-spaced, including title, footnotes, and table headings. Put each table or figure on a labeled separate sheet. DO NOT enclose glossy black and white photographs of figures or illustrations.
Only underline words to be set in italics.

Conflicts of Interest

The Association for Behavior Analysis International^TM requires that authors reveal, in writing and for publication with their published article, any possible conflict of interest in the conduct and reporting of research, e.g., personal financial interests in research outcomes, sources of outside funding in which funders have a stake in outcomes.

Articles

Articles generally range in length from 15 to 25 double-spaced manuscript pages (excluding references). Include an abstract with the submission.

On Books

Suitable length for book reviews and commentary is 10 to 20 double-spaced manuscript pages.

On Terms

A length of two to five double-spaced manuscript pages is suitable.

In Response

We encourage readers to submit comments in response to articles published in The Behavior Analyst or in other journals with which our readers are likely to be familiar. Manuscript copy should not be longer than two double-spaced pages.

Other Submissions

If you have something you feel would interest our readers, please submit it even if it does not belong in any of the above categories.

Address for Manuscript Submissions

Michael Dougher
University of New Mexico
Department of Psychology
Albuquerque, NM 87131

dougher@unm.edu