Webinar Series
Research Synthesis in Behavior Analysis: An Introductory Guide to Conducting Systematic Reviews
Michael Amlung (University of Kansas (KU))
Date: March 10, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM Eastern
Abstract: As a data-driven science, behavior analysis requires accumulating evidence for research and theory development and clinical intervention. In many disciplines, the gold standard for this type of evidence comes from systematic review and meta-analysis of a given topic. Systematic reviews comprise an established set of methods for collecting and synthesizing a body of research to identify trends, examining the strength of evidence and potential sources of bias, and identifying areas in need of further investigation. Despite their utility and use in other disciplines, systematic reviews are underused in many behavior analysis domains. In this webinar, the speaker will introduce systematic reviews and emphasize the importance of these reviews for behavior analysis research, practice, and theory. Next, the speaker will provide a step-by-step guide to conducting systematic reviews using current best practices and adhering to international guidelines. Examples of literature search and article screening approaches will be discussed, and examples of tables and figures commonly included in these types of reviews will be shared. The speaker also will provide several annotated references to additional in-depth methodology resources for continued learning.
Instruction Level: Intermediate
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
- Explain the importance of systematic reviews for furthering practice and theory.
- Contrast systematic review from meta-analysis.
- Identify gold-standard practices in conducting systematic reviews.
Target Audience: BCBA-Ds, doctoral students, PhD, researchers and scholars
Biography: Dr. Michael Amlung (he/him) is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas (KU). He also serves as the Associate Director for Training of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment at KU. Dr. Amlung received his graduate training in psychology and cognitive neuroscience from the University of Georgia, followed by postdoctoral training in addictions research at the University of Missouri, and he began his career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University (Ontario, Canada). He moved his lab to Kansas in 2020, where he directs the Behavioral Economics and Addiction Neuroscience Laboratory. His research explores the behavioral and neurobiological correlates of addictive disorders, including alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use. He has published multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses on a variety of topics (e.g., delay discounting in substance use, psychiatric disorders, and obesity; reviews of novel behavioral economic methodologies; and neuroscience topics). Together with Dr. Sarah Weinsztok of Rutgers University, Dr. Amlung published a technical report on conducting systematic reviews in behavior analysis for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior (Weinsztok & Amlung, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.70040).
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