Welcome!

A note from Kathy Herrlich, Sciences Librarian: I’m the library liaison for Applied Behavior Analysis, available to answer your questions and to help you to navigate the library's resources. I enjoy helping contribute to student success! The resources you see on this page have been recommended faculty in Northeastern’s ABA program.

I meet with students to help them to find high quality research articles and answer questions about evaluating resources, search strategies, and anything else you can think of. If you are struggling, please don't hesitate to contact me. To send an email or schedule a research consultation, look for the link in my profile box.  

Tackling a new topic?

One strategy is to look for a review article first.  Review articles attempt to summarize the state of research on a scientific topic. Review articles are a great way to get a handle on an unfamiliar topic. Review articles can be found in PsycInfo and PubMed, for example. In these two databases, you can search for a topic and select a box to view only review articles. Note that review articles have distinctive titles. Often you will see the phrase "Literature review" or "Review of the literature" in the article title. What does "review of the literature" mean? This phrase signals a specific type of search in academia. First, it denotes an in-depth search. Second, it is a search for original articles; these are research articles, published in scholarly journals, and they are the first instance of publishing the results of a study. An original article is written about a research study by the researchers who did that research. Third, the search is done across a very large body of literature in that discipline or on that topic. 

Some sections of an article are the most useful for beginners. Those are labelled as Abstract, Introduction, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Pay special attention to them. Also scan the bibliography. The bibliography is the reference list, which is the literature cited at the end of a review article. Some people gloss over this section, but it can be a gold mine of information. Classic and seminal articles may be cited here, and it gives clues about the key discoveries and main researchers in the field.

Not sure where to start?  

See lists of core databases, and recommended journals and books, under Resources. To dive deeper into understanding what a review article is and does, see this author submission page from Taylor & Francis.

Resources

Applied behavior analysis advanced guidebook : a manual for professional practice  --ebook, Second edition (Luiselli 2023)

Behavior analysis of child development  ebook, unlimited users (Bijou and Baer 1995)

A behavior analytic view of child development --print only, Remote Annex (Schlinger 1995)

Behavioral foundations of effective autism treatment --print only, Remote Annex  (Mayville and Mulick 2010) 

Behavioral intervention for young children with autism  --print only, Remote Annex (Maurice, Green and Luce 1996)

Clinical and organizational applications of applied behavior analysis. – ebook (Roane, Ringdahl, and Falcomata, Eds. 2015). 

Effective practices for children with autism educational and behavioral support interventions that work. ebook (Luiselli 2008)

Handbook of applied behavior analysis  --ebook (Second edition). Fisher and Piazza, Eds. 2021). 

Handbook of applied behavior analysis --ebook (Austin, Carr, and Sulzer-Azaroff 2000).

Learning and behavior -- print only, Remote Annex (Mazur 1986)

Science and human behavior --print only, Stacks  (Skinner [1953])

A scientific framework for compassion and social justice : lessons in applied behavior analysis --ebook (1st edition) (Sadavoy and Zube, Eds. 2021)

Teaching children with autism: strategies for initiating positive interactions and improving learning opportunities -- print only, Remote Annex (Koegel and Koegel 1995)

Understanding ethics in applied behavior analysis : practical applications  --ebook (Second edition) Beirne and Sadavoy, Eds. 2022)

Verbal behavior  --print only, Remote Annex (Skinner 1957)

A workbook of ethical case scenarios in applied behavior analysis --ebook (Second edition) (Sush & Najdowski 2022)

--8/22/24 Newly updated list, with several books added published 2021-present 


ERIC, PsycInfo and Medline are three core databases, covering education, psychology, and medical literature, respectively. ScienceDirect is a smaller collection of scholarly journals in full text from the scientific publisher Elsevier.

Want to go one step further? Try these to broaden your scope even more

Donnelly, M. G., & Karsten, A. (2024). Resolving barriers to continence for children with disabilities: Steps toward evidence-based practice. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 17, 157-175. doi:10.1007/s40617-023-00891-0

Twyman, J., Pinkelman, S., Kenyon, S., Heward, W. L., Lattal, K. A., & Critchfield, T. S. (2024). Ronnie Detrich (1946–2023): A versatile behavior analyst who demanded more of behavior analysis and education. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 57(1), 32–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.1043

Plattner, C., & Anderson, C. (2023). Therapeutic relationships in applied behavior analysis: Current status and future directions. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16(4), 1222–1230. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1007/s40617-023-00819-8

Kornack, J., Unumb, D. R., & Williams, A. L. (2023). Preventing insurance denials of applied behavior analysis treatment based on misuse of medically unlikely edits (MUEs). Behavior Analysis in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00877-y

Gatzunis, K. S., Weiss, M. J., Ala’i-Rosales, S., Fahmie, T. A., & Syed, N. Y. (2023). Using Behavioral Skills Training to Teach Functional Assessment Interviewing, Cultural Responsiveness, and Empathic and Compassionate Care to Students of Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00794-0

Thompson, R. L., Belokas, J., Johnson, K., & Williams, A. L. (2023). The Public Policy Advocacy Actions Checklist: Success Stories from Three States. Behavior Analysis in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00874-1

Nohelty, K., Hahs, A. D., Rodriguez, K. A., Rue, H., Cameron, M. J., & Dixon, D. R. (2023). Assessing the social validity of telehealth-based applied behavior analysis services for autism spectrum disorder. Behavioral Interventions, 38(3), 590–610. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1002/bin.1938

Keesey-Phelan, S. H., Axe, J. B., & Williams, A. L. (2022). The effects of teaching a problem-solving strategy on recalling past events with a child with autism. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 38(2), 190–198. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-022-00176-7

Gatzunis, K. S., Edwards, K. Y., Rodriguez Diaz, A., Conners, B. M., & Weiss, M. J. (2022). Cultural Responsiveness Framework in BCBA® Supervision. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15(4), 1373–1382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00688-7

Farros, J. N., Shawler, L. A., Gatzunis, K. S., & Weiss, M. J. (2022). The effect of synchronous discussion sessions in an asynchronous course. Journal of Behavioral Education, 31(4), 718–730. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-020-09421-2

Palmer, S. K., Maguire, R. W., Lionello‐DeNolf, K. M., & Braga‐Kenyon, P. (2021). Expansion of Sidman’s theory: The inclusion of prompt stimuli in equivalence classes. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 115(1), 255–271. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.655

Hilton, J., Syed, N., Weiss, M. J., Tereshko, L., Marya, V., Marshall, K., Gatzunis, K., Russell, C., & Driscoll, N. (2021). Initiatives to Address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within a Higher Education ABA Department. Behavior and Social Issues, 30(1), 58–81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-021-00082-y

Coffey, A. L., Shawler, L. A., Jessel, J., Bain, T., Nye, M., & Dorsey, M. F. (2021). Generality of the practical functional assessment and skill‐based treatment among individuals with autism and mental health disorders. Behavioral Interventions, 36(1), 298–314. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1755

Coffey, A. L., Shawler, L. A., Jessel, J., Bain, T., Nye, M., & Dorsey, M. F. (2021). Generality of the practical functional assessment and skill‐based treatment among individuals with autism and mental health disorders. Behavioral Interventions, 36(1), 298–314. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1755

Lambert, J. M., Colton, C. D., Braga-Kenyon, P. R., & Boyle, M. A. (2020). Evaluation of transferability of persistence-enhancing effects of reinforcement through stimulus equivalence. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 20(4), 236–251. https://doi.org/10.1037/bar0000196

Kornack, J., Williams, A. L., Johnson, K. A., & Mendes, E. M. (2020). Reopening the doors to center-based ABA services: Clinical and safety protocols during COVID-19. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 13(3), 543–549. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00462-7

Johnson, C., Iversen, I., Kenyon, P., Holth, P., & Souza, D. G. (2020). Murray Sidman: A life of giving. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(3), 1290–1298. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.718

Shawler, L. A., Russo, S. R., Hilton, J. L., Kahng, S., Davis, C. J., & Dorsey, M. F. (2019). Behavioral Treatment of Self-Injury: 2001 to 2016. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 124(5), 450–469. https://doi.org/10.1352/1944-7558-124.5.450

Mahoney, A., Li, A., Curiel, H., Plattner, C., & Poling, A. (2019). Self and crosscitations in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior: 20042018. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 52(4), 1130–1139.

Chaffee, R.K.*, Briesch, A.M., Volpe, R.J., Johnson, A.H., & Dudley, L. (2019). Effects of a class-wide positive peer reporting intervention on middle school student behavior. Behavioral Disorders, 45(5), https://doi.org/10.1177/0198742919881112

Blair, B. J., Tarbox, J., Albright, L., MacDonald, J. M., Shawler, L. A., Russo, S. R., & Dorsey, M. F. (2019). Using equivalence‐based instruction to teach the visual analysis of graphs. Behavioral Interventions, 34(3), 405–418. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1669

Dudley, L. L., Axe, J. B., Allen, R. F., & Sweeney‐Kerwin, E. J. (2019). Establishing praise as a conditioned reinforcer: Pairing with one versus multiple reinforcers. Behavioral Interventions, 34(4), 534–552. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1690

Forte, S., Dorsey, M. F., Weiss, M. J., Palmieri, M. J., & Powers, M. D. (2018). Exploring issues of generalization and maintenance in training instructional aides in a public school setting. Journal of Behavioral Education, 27(4), 435–460. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-018-9304-0

Beaulieu, L., Van Nostrand, M. E., Williams, A. L., & Herscovitch, B. (2018). Incorporating interview-informed functional analyses into practice. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11(4), 385–389. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-018-0247-7

Blair, B. J., Shawler, L. A., Debacher, E. A., Harper, J. M., & Dorsey, M. F. (2018). Ranking graduate programs based on research productivity of faculty: A replication and extension. Education & Treatment of Children, 41(3), 299–318. https://doi.org/10.1353/etc.2018.0015

Dorsey, M. F., & Harper, J. M. (2018). Toward the scientist practitioner model in applied behavior analysis: Examples of a science-based practice. Education & Treatment of Children, 41(3), 273–276. https://doi.org/10.1353/etc.2018.0013

Cohen, S., Fulcher, B. D., Rajaratnam, S. M. W., Conduit, R., Sullivan, J. P., St Hilaire, M. A., Phillips, A. J. K., Loddenkemper, T., Kothare, S. V., McConnell, K., Braga‐Kenyon, P., Ahearn, W., Shlesinger, A., Potter, J., Bird, F., Cornish, K. M., & Lockley, S. W. (2018). Sleep patterns predictive of daytime challenging behavior in individuals with low‐functioning autism. Autism Research, 11(2), 391–403. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1899

Donnelly, M. G., & Karsten, A. M. (2017). Effects of programmed teaching errors on acquisition and durability of self-care skills. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50, 511-528. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.390

Kornack, J., Herscovitch, B., & Williams, A. L. (2017). A response to Papatola and Lustig’s paper on navigating a managed care peer review: Guidance for clinicians using applied behavior analysis in the treatment of children on the autism spectrum. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 10(4), 386–394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-017-0192-x

Braga-Kenyon, P., Guilhardi, P., Lionello-Denolf, K. M., & Dube, W. V. (2017). Teaching visual conditional discriminations using errorless learning: The role of prompts requiring simple and conditional discriminative control. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 18(2), 180–194. https://doi.org/10.1080/15021149.2017.1309624

Cohen, S., Fulcher, B. D., Rajaratnam, S. M. W., Conduit, R., Sullivan, J. P., Hilaire, M. A. S., Phillips, A. J., Loddenkemper, T., Kothare, S. V., McConnell, K., Ahearn, W., Braga-Kenyon, P., Shlesinger, A., Potter, J., Bird, F., Cornish, K. M., & Lockley, S. W. (2017). Behaviorally-determined sleep phenotypes are robustly associated with adaptive functioning in individuals with low functioning autism. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 14228–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-14611-6

Axe, J. B., & Laprime, A. P. (2017). The effects of contingent pairing on establishing praise as a reinforcer with children with autism. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 29(2), 325–340. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1007/s10882-016-9526-9

Laprime, A. P., & Dittrich, G. A. (2014). An evaluation of a treatment package consisting of discrimination training and differential reinforcement with response cost and a social story on vocal stereotypy for a preschooler with autism in a preschool classroom. Education & Treatment of Children, 37(3), 407–430. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1353/etc.2014.0028

Lionello-DeNolf, K. M., & Braga-Kenyon, P. (2013). Membership of defined responses in stimulus classes. The Psychological Record, 63(4), 769–784. https://doi.org/10.11133/j.tpr.2013.63.4.005

Rue, H. C., & Knox, M. (2013). Capacity building: Evidence‐based practice and adolescents on the autism spectrum. Psychology in the Schools, 50(9), 947–956. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1002/pits.21712

Schmidt, J. D., Luiselli, J. K., Rue, H., & Whalley, K. (2013). Graduated exposure and positive reinforcement to overcome setting and activity avoidance in an adolescent with autism. Behavior Modification, 37(1), 128–142. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1177/0145445512456547

Karsten, A. M., Andrade, M., Cividini-Motta, C., Conde, K. A., Donnelly, M. G., McConnell, K., Moore, K., Peters, L., Roberts, K., Stocco, C., Sveinbjornsdottir, B., & Vanselow, N. (2012). A review of “Behavioral Foundations of Effective Autism Treatment.” Behavior Analysis in Practice, 5, 47-51. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391817

Knox, M., Rue, H. C., Wildenger, L., Lamb, K., & Luiselli, J. K. (2012). Intervention for food selectivity in a specialized school setting: Teacher implemented prompting, reinforcement, and demand fading for an adolescent student with autism. Education & Treatment of Children, 35(3), 407–417. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1353/etc.2012.0016

Pelletier, K., McNamara, B., Braga-Kenyon, P., & Ahearn, W. H. (2010). Effect of video self-monitoring on procedural integrity. Behavioral Interventions, 25(4), 261–274. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.316

Luiselli, J. K., DiGennaro Reed, F. D., Christian, W. P., Markowski, A., Rue, H. C., St. Amand, C., & Ryan, C. J. (2009). Effects of an informational brochure, lottery-based financial incentive, and public posting on absenteeism of direct-care human services employees. Behavior Modification, 33(2), 175–181. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1177/0145445508320624

Reed, D. D., Luiselli, J. K., Magnuson, J. D., Fillers, S., Vieira, S., & Rue, H. C. (2009). A comparison between traditional economical and demand curve analyses of relative reinforcer efficacy in the validation of preference assessment predictions. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 12(3), 164–169. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1080/17518420902858983

Carlson, J. I., Luiselli, J. K., Slyman, A., & Markowski, A. (2008). Choice-making as intervention for public disrobing in children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 10(2), 86–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098300707312544

Meany, M.G., Roscoe, E.M., Bourret, J.C., & Ahearn, W.H. (2007). A comparison of momentary time sampling and partial interval recording for evaluating functional relations. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 501-514. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2007.40-501

Lyons, E. A., Rue, H. C., Luiselli, J. K., & DiGennaro, F. D. (2007). Brief functional analysis and supplemental feeding for postmeal rumination in children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(4), 743–747. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1901/jaba.2007.743-747

Dudley, L., Johnson, C., & Barnes, S. (2002). Decreasing rumination using a starch satiation procedure. Behavioral Interventions, 17, 21-28. DOI:10.1002/bin.104

Weatherly, J. N., Stout, J. E., Rue, H. C., & Melville, C. L. (2000). The effect of second-half reinforcer type on responding for sucrose in the first half of the session. Behavioural Processes, 49(1), 43–60. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1016/S0376-6357(00)00072-3

Weatherly, J. N., Rue, H. C., Davis, C. S., & Melville, C. L. (2000). Delivering different reinforcers in each half of the session: Effect of reinforcement rate. The Psychological Record, 50(3), 543–556.

Weatherly, J. N., Stout, J. E., Rue, H. C., & Melville, C. L. (2000). Effect of unsignaled delay to reinforcement on within-session responding. The Psychological Record, 50(2), 355–371.

Weatherly, J. N., Stout, J. E., McMurry, A. S., Rue, H. C., & Melville, C. L. (1999). Within-session responding when different reinforcers are delivered in each half of the session. Behavioural Processes, 46(3), 227–243. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1016/S0376-6357(99)00046-7

Carr, E. G., Levin, L., McConnachie, G., Carlson, J. I., Kemp, D. C., Smith, C. E., & McLaughlin, D. M. (1999). Comprehensive multisituational intervention for problem behavior in the community: Long-term maintenance and social validation. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 1(1), 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/109830079900100103

Melville, C. L., Rue, H. C., Rybiski, L. R., & Weatherly, J. N. (1997). Altering reinforcer variety or intensity changes the within-session decrease in responding. Learning and Motivation, 28(4), 609–621. https://doi-org.ezproxy.neu.edu/10.1006/lmot.1997.0984

Iwata, B. A., Dorsey, M. F., Slifer, K. J., Bauman, K. E., & Richman, G. S. (1994). Toward a functional analysis of self-injury. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 27(2), 197–209. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1994.27-197

Carr, E. G., & Carlson, J. I. (1993). Reduction of severe behavior problems in the community using a multicomponent treatment approach. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26(2), 157–172. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1993.26-157

Task Analysis for Accessing an Article by Its Name

How can I access an article by its name?  

Let's use this article as an example. 

 

Beaulieu, Lauren, and Jaime L. Povinelli. "Improving solitary play with a typically developing preschooler." Behavioral Interventions 33, no. 2 (April 2018): 212-218. 

 

Some articles can be found quickly and easily; others cannot. It may take some patience. Prefer to watch a video? See this tutorial: Finding an Article from a Citation.

 

Step by step guide

 

Option 1.

  1. Copy and paste the article title, Improving solitary play with a typically developing preschooler, into the Scholar OneSearch search box (big search box on the library's main page).
  2. If an exact title match is found, it will be the first item in the results list. Click on the article title and look for the bolded, blue links. These are the options for full text. Choose the link with the range of dates that best matches the year of the article publication-- in this case, 2018.  (NOTE: "Available from 1996" means the library has a subscription that includes issues from 1996 to the current year.) The PDF for the article should appear. 
  3. If an exact match is not found or the link doesn't go to the full text, try Option 2.

Option 2.

  1. Go to the ejournal finder. From the library homepage, look for Journals and E-Journals, below Scholar OneSearch, to search for your journal, magazine or newspaper. It contains all the journals to which the Northeastern University Library subscribes.
  2. Enter the source (journal) title for example, Behavioral Interventions, into the search box.
  3. If an exact match is found, it will be the first item in the Ejournal results list. Click on the Online Access link and look for the bolded, blue links. These are the options for full text. 
  4. Choose the bolded, blue link with the range of dates that best matches the year of the article publication. (E.g., "Available from 1996" means the library has a subscription that includes 1996 up to the current year.)
  5. If the title doesn't appear in the search results, it means that it is not a journal in the Northeastern University Libraries' subscriptions. Your next option is Interlibrary Loan.

Option 3.

  1. Go to Interlibrary Loan (also can be found on the right-hand side of the Library home page).
  2. Create an ILLIAD account. In your ILLIAD account, click on Make New Request-- ARTICLE.
  3. Enter all the information you have available to you about the article-- Article Title, Author, Journal Name (source title), etc.
  4. Submit your request and wait a day or two. You will receive either the PDF or a message with an update on the status of your request.
  5. Ask a Librarian if you have questions about how to find an article or make an ILLIAD request.

Peer Review

What is Peer Review?

Peer review is a form of quality control for scholarly information.

Peer review is a process by which a scholar's peers (other scholars in the same field) read, evaluate, and decide whether a new article is ready for publication. The article could be accepted, rejected, or returned for rewriting and revision. Most articles in scholarly journals (except for the editorials, commentary, letters and other short sections) have been through the peer review process. They have passed a test for quality before they reach the reader.

Why is Peer Review important?

Peer Review is a way to ensure quality of writing and research. Without a Peer Review process, readers would have to spend a lot more time evaluating every part of an article to determine its quality. They would have to spend hours reading poorly written articles to get to the good ones. Peer review saves time for scholars and students so that they can focus on learning about the results of a research study. 

Learn more about Peer Review from the videos below! 

Accessibility Note: Closed captioning is included in these videos. The same information can be viewed via videos or slides. 

How do I find peer-reviewed articles?  [Slide version (opens in new window)]    Is this article peer-reviewed?  [Slide version  (opens in new window)]

APA Writing Style Guidelines

Students in the ABA program will be expected to cite their sources in APA style. Follow your instructor's guidelines.

APA style is a standardized way of 1) creating reference lists (bibliographies) and 2) formatting and writing of manuscripts (the issues associated with headings, spacing, font, tables and figures, clarity of writing, avoiding bias, and more).

The official APA style guidelines exist in a book entitled Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (aka the "APA Style Guide"). The APA Style Blog is the official companion to the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition. For citing tricky formats, the APA Style Blog can be a great help. It has a conversational tone and helps to demystify citing of odd and unusual items. 

Need an introduction to APA Style? See the APA Style Workshop website (Purdue University Online Writing Lab) for a clear and concise introduction. It covers: what is APA style, why use APA, general rules for APA style for manuscripts, what to avoid, basic rules for reference lists and in-text citations.

For specific APA Style examples, see Reference List: Electronic Sources (also from Purdue OWL). Use the left navigation on that page to find examples of citing books, articles, and other materials.

To see the big picture, view an entire sample paper in APA Style.

Always follow the guidelines of your instructor if they differ from the examples shown in the websites above.

Preparing for the BACB Exam

For information about the BACB exam, visit the BACB website:

BACB.com

Students may find the following resources helpful when studying for the BACB exam:

BDS modules 

Pass The Big ABA Exam.com