As editor of Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, Joel Ringdahl, PhD, aims to ensure that the journal content represents a broad cross section of scholarship, from studies of basic behavioral mechanisms with obvious applied implications to well-controlled clinical demonstrations of applied behavior analysis.
Tell us a bit about your background: What is your area of research? What is your most recent journal-editing experience?
I have a PhD in psychology, and am a board certified behavior analyst.
My research has largely been in the area of assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior, including translational research related to variables that affect treatment maintenance.
My most recent journal-editing experience was as an associate editor for The Psychological Record.. Prior to that, I served as an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
I have served on numerous boards of editors.
Briefly, what are your main priorities? For example, how will you grow readership, what type of scholarship would you like to see in the journal, and what kind of content are you hoping to attract?
My main priorities are to continue much of the original focus of Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice.
I'd like to streamline the journal a bit, consolidating the two sections into one.
As far as content, I'd like the journal to represent a broad cross section of scholarship, from studies of basic behavioral mechanisms with obvious applied implications to well-controlled clinical demonstrations of applied behavior analysis.
Along with marketing the journal to behavior analysts, I'd like the journal to be marketed to psychologists and psychology training programs that have strong behavioral or behavior analytic roots to maintain the link between behavior analysis and psychology.
Why is this journal important for the field? What is its relevance to society / public health? What are the hot issues in your area right now?
I think the journal is important for the field because of its history of publishing research that represents a broader swath of behavior analysis, relative to other behavior analytic journals.
Thus, it is relevant to behavioral concerns commonly encountered by behavior analysts in practice, such as those displayed by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to clinical concerns less often encountered by behavior analysts in practice but nonetheless within the scope of behavior analytic clinical services.
From my perspective, the hot issues in behavior analysis currently revolve around a renewed interest in translational studies that allow for enhanced intervention outcomes, including improved maintenance and generalization of interventions.
What challenges, if any, lie ahead for the field?
Behavior analysis is a conceptual approach that has relevance across a broad range of human behavior concerns.
The challenges I think we have as a field are twofold:
Do you have plans for a special issue or changes to the editorial process? Are you making any changes?
The journal has a history of publishing special issues, and I plan to continue that practice. The specific topic(s) have not yet been identified, but it would be nice to highlight some of the "hot" issues in the field.
There are a few changes.
One is that the journal has consolidated from two editors-in-chief to one.
Additionally, we plan to do away with the current two-segment structure of the journal and publish as one, unified journal.
Finally, we will be looking at potential changes to the submission types.
Editor Spotlight features interviews with the newly-appointed editors of APA Journals.
APA Journals produces an array of scholarly journals that cover the spectrum of modern psychology and feature the latest research in the field.
Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice is a multidisciplinary journal committed to increasing the communication between the subdisciplines within behavior analysis and psychology, and bringing up-to-date information on current developments within the field.