The peer-review and publication process can often seem opaque, especially to those outside of academia or settings in which research is a frequent occurrence. Those who may not have received training and mentorship on the peer-review and publication process could therefore be seen as being at a disadvantage when attempting to navigate those spaces. That lack of knowledge of the process could readily be seen as a barrier for those in less research-intensive settings, hindering their ability to submit their work for peer review. Accordingly, to alleviate such barriers, we provide a primer on the overall peer-review and publication process encountered in behavior analysis. This includes describing the process as a whole; types of decisions that could be rendered and received, and how to navigate each decision; how to select a journal to which to submit; timelines; and the roles of Associate Editors and reviewers in the process. We also describe several behavior-analytic journals most applicable to practitioners and the conditions under which they would (or would not) elect to submit to that journal. Moreover, and critically, we offer discourse on and clarify many common misconceptions surrounding the peer-review process (e.g., authors pay for publication).

High-quality teaching is foundational for producing high-quality behavior-analytic practitioners and researchers. This manuscript explores how behavior analysts can incorporate qualitative assessment methods in both formal educational settings (e.g., behavior-analytic coursework) and supervisory experiences that prepare behavior analysts to enter the field. In particular, we focus on the integration of qualitative methods to evaluate social validity, metacognition, and learning outcomes. Integrating qualitative methods in coursework and supervision holds the potential to enhance learner's self-understanding and insight, while also allowing instructors and supervisors to better customize pedagogical choices to their students and trainees. Strategies to incorporate qualitative data collection and analysis are provided. The application of qualitative techniques could help to promote culturally responsive practices in the classroom and in supervision. In reflecting on the implementation of qualitative techniques with the teaching of behavior analysis, elements of qualitative analysis are likely already in use, but the field has not yet fully explored or acknowledged the role these sources of data play in instruction.

Many social skills, such as empathic responding, social referencing, and facial emotion recognition, require a variety of conditional discriminations under a wide array of stimulus conditions. Proficiency with these responses in the natural environment would involve the ability to identify a variety of emotions across a wide array of faces, genders, ages, ethnicities, and contexts. Using empirically validated stimuli within assessment contexts that represent a wide spectrum of diverse variations across relevant features increases the likelihood of teaching stimulus discriminations necessary for broadly applicable emotion tacting skills. Currently, there is little guidance in behavior analysis on how to conduct a comprehensive assessment of emotions tacting across diverse demographics using empirically validated stimuli. Therefore, this manuscript provides an example process we adopted to create a preliminary assessment of facial emotion recognition that includes empirically validated stimuli representing a multitude of diverse faces, which we named the "Measurement of Emotions Tacting for Empathic Responding" (METER). It is our hope this assessment tutorial will help bring awareness to the importance of identifying appropriate validated and demographically diverse stimuli, the issues that may arise from overlooking the importance of the stimuli we use to assess and teach complex social skills, and to encourage researchers and practitioners to develop inclusive assessments for a variety of social skills using validated and diverse stimuli to aid in developing both targeted and socially valid interventions.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s40617-026-01157-1.].

Motivating operations alter the value of a consequence and increase or decrease the current likelihood of behavior that has previously been followed by that consequence. Unconditioned motivating operations do not require a learning history to alter the effectiveness of a reinforcer, whereas conditioned motivating operations (CMOs; reflexive, transitive, and surrogate) require a learning history to alter the effectiveness of consequences and occur frequently in clinical practice. This paper reviews applied and basic research on CMOs published since Langthorne and McGill, Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2, 22-31, (2009) and translates key findings into practical guidance for clinicians. In addition, research on CMOs is integrated into clinical examples and practice guidelines to assist practitioners with the successful identification and integration of CMOs into behavior-analytic interventions. Potential implications of this paper include improved accuracy in identifying the motivating variables that influence challenging behavior, enhanced selection of function-based treatments, and greater precision in arranging antecedent conditions to strengthen appropriate alternative behavior.

Single-case experimental design (SCED) has historically dominated applied behavior analytic research methodology. While valuable for establishing functional relations, this reliance limits the breadth of evidence available to inform practice. Qualitative methods, underutilized and frequently misunderstood by behavior analysts, offer a valuable and complementary approach to research that can deepen understanding of phenomena beyond observable behavior. This paper critically examines five prevalent myths about qualitative research among behavior analysts: (1) qualitative methods are not behavior-analytic, (2) qualitative methods have limited external validity, (3) qualitative methods are subjective and biased, (4) qualitative research lacks rigor, and (5) qualitative methods are only relevant for studying social validity. We assess the accuracy of each myth and provide necessary clarifications from our perspective as behavior analysts with formal training in qualitative methods and conclude by advocating for the expansion of behavior analysts' methodological repertoires to include qualitative approaches.

The field of behavior analysis has grown rapidly in recent years, as evidenced by a marked increase in the demand for certified behavioral professionals. Despite this growth, the field of applied behavior analysis continues to face challenges in effectively disseminating behavior analysis to non-behavioral professionals and laypeople. Effective dissemination efforts are critical for moving the field forward; however, the existing literature does not include any structured resources, supports, or activities for instructors and supervisors related to this topic. This paper includes resources, supports, and sample activities to support instructors and supervisors in training novice behavior analysts in dissemination-related skill domains. Specifically, we identify and describe dissemination-related skill domains and provide recommendations for supporting novice behavior analysts in developing these skills, provide structured and specific resources (e.g., sample instructional activities, assignments, and discussion prompts) for instructors and supervisors who train novice behavioral professionals, and offer recommendations for embedding dissemination-related content into existing university program and supervision structures.

Consumers of applied behavior analysis (ABA) are largely those with autism or those who identify as disabled. Therefore, it is essential that ABA professionals embody anti-ableist practices by moving away from the deficit-based medical model perspective of disability and toward a strengths-based approach. Six areas of a strengths-based approach to ABA, specifically in goal writing and direct services, are discussed, including (a) respecting client dignity, (b) amplifying client voice, (c) honoring neurodiversity, (d) considering intersectionality, (e) promoting authentic inclusion, and (f) prioritizing social-emotional intervention. Actionable steps and tools are suggested for ABA service providers.

Quantitative methods remain the hallmark of research in applied behavior analysis. Yet, such methods frequently fail to capture the nuances of context where behavior analysis is practiced. Therefore, qualitative methods can provide complementary means to gain deeper insight into changes in socially significant behavior. We believe that researchers within the field of behavior analysis have much to gain from embracing qualitative methodologies. We propose that more researchers can and should consider conducting rigorous qualitative research to elevate the voices of the participants and relate the depth and complexities of their nuanced experiences. This article discusses Tracy's "big tent" quality criteria to offer guidance to qualitative researchers on ensuring their studies possess high quality. Two recent qualitative research studies, conducted by the authors, are offered as illustrations to demonstrate how "big tent" criteria can be applied to design and conduct meaningful and rigorous research of high quality. We hope that these examples can encourage other researchers in the field of behavior analysis to feel more confident and see value in conducting qualitative research to gain a more comprehensive understanding of human behavior.

Using reinforcers and student preferences may contribute to appropriate academic and behavioral outcomes for students with disabilities. Special education teachers may identify potential reinforcers and student preferences by using preference assessment procedures, which are observation-based procedures to identify and rank student preferences. However, there is limited research on special education teachers' knowledge of preference assessments and how frequently they use preference assessments in the classroom. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore special education preschool teachers' understanding, usage, and perception of preference assessment procedures. Seven special education preschool teachers in Indiana participated in study interviews. Findings revealed that teachers had little to no understanding or a very broad understanding of preference assessments, and they rarely implemented preference assessments in their classroom. Teachers believed that preference assessments are a socially valid procedure for identifying reinforcers, but most teachers did not see a need to implement them often. Potential barriers for teachers' implementation of preference assessments are discussed.

As artificial intelligence (AI) based applications rapidly expand in capability and accessibility, graduate programs in applied behavior analysis (ABA) must adapt their pedagogical models to harness their benefits while mitigating risks. This article examines the integration of large language models (LLMs) in ABA education, highlighting how faculty can support student learning while preserving academic integrity. The article examines practical strategies for integrating AI into conceptual and performance-based assessments, emphasizing approaches that maintain strong instructional standards, promote ethical use, and require authentic demonstration of competence. Examples drawn from ABA coursework demonstrate how LLM applications can be thoughtfully incorporated, and recommendations are offered for clarifying appropriate LLM application use, prompt engineering, and rubric-based grading. In addition, the article discusses the importance of proactive policy development, including behavioral contracts and assessment tools, to set clear expectations. Future directions include adaptive learning platforms, virtual clients powered by LLMs, and competency-mapping dashboards that track progress across a student's academic trajectory.

Social validity has long been at the heart of applied behavior analysis, with behavior analysts focused on making meaningful and socially significant change for its consumers. Despite this, behavior analysts have repeatedly called into question the rigor of social validity measures (e.g., Likert scales) and emphasized the need for more comprehensive ways to ascertain feedback and social significance of goals, procedures, and outcomes. Qualitative research methodologies provide one avenue for behavior analysts to begin to move beyond more traditional approaches to social validity and advance our science, practices as an applied field, and improve the lives of our consumers. In the current article, based on our own experiences journeying into qualitative research, we will describe lessons learned and considerations for behavior analysts interested in conducting qualitative research. We will discuss several considerations relevant to designing and implementing qualitative research in behavior analysis. Finally, we will share how conducting qualitative research has expanded our perspectives and experiences as scholars, and the value we believe qualitative research has in the field of behavior analysis.

Research in applied behavior analysis (ABA) has established the efficacy of behavioral assessment and intervention strategies based in the application of behavioral principles to issues of social importance. However, there remains a research-to-practice gap in which practitioners do not consistently implement procedures in applied contexts. Implementation science is the study of methods to promote the uptake of interventions into routine practice and uses varied methods to evaluate multiple outcomes of implementation. Qualitative research represent an important approach to the study of implementation, relying on the lived experiences of consumers to understand the contexts in which an intervention might be used. These data should inform intervention design, modification of existing strategies, and strategies to promote sustainability of interventions. In this paper, we describe the field of implementation science and how researchers in this field use qualitative research to promote the wide-spread uptake of intervention. We use this foundation to prepare behavior analysts to use qualitative research in their efforts to address the persistent research-to-practice gap in ABA.

In the evolving field of applied behavior analysis, there is a growing recognition of the value that qualitative research brings to understanding and improving interventions (Burney et al., Perspectives on Behavior Science, 46, 185-200, 2023; Leif et al., Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 57(3), 542-559, 2024). Our group of academics and practicing behavior analysts aim to share our journey towards incorporating qualitative approaches in our research and practice, underscoring their importance and application in enhancing our scientific endeavors. This article will guide readers through the process of qualitative inquiry, from thinking of words as data through to an introduction to qualitative inquiry methods and how to collect and analyze data. We then discuss some of the ethical considerations around qualitative research (researcher reflexivity, centering participant voice and cultural responsivity) and conclude with highlighting the value of mixed methods research, as we work towards enhancing the social validity of behavior-analytic interventions. Through sharing this journey, we are hoping our behavior-analytic peers will recognize that the path to including qualitative approaches in their research is not daunting and will lead to valuable insights into how we meet the needs of those we serve.

This manuscript introduces the qualitative methodology interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to behavior analysts, highlighting the potential value that IPA could add to the practice and profession of applied behavior analysis (ABA). We provide a step-by-step description of this research strategy. Following that, we discuss potential areas of application of IPA within the practice and profession of ABA, potential limitations for the incorporation of IPA in ABA, and suggestions for behavior analysts interested in learning more about IPA. The incorporation of IPA within ABA has the potential to expand the scope of behavior-analytic research and to improve the quality of behavior-analytic service delivery.