BAP Special Issue: Building Research Infrastructure in ABA Service Organizations
Guest Editor: Amber Valentino, Mindcolor Autism, amber.valentino@mindcolorautism.com
Call for Contributions
The journal Behavior Analysis in Practice (BAP) is excited to announce a special issue focused on building research infrastructure within ABA service organizations. This special issue aims to spotlight and share effective strategies for developing research frameworks in these settings. The goal of this special issue is to publish papers that help guide ABA organizations in overcoming research barriers, consider ethics related to research in practice settings, and connect research activity to clinical infrastructure, meaningful outcomes, and quality care. It aims to provide practitioners with practical tools and strategies to contribute to and benefit from research, thus helping to close the gap between what is known and what is practiced in behavior analysis. Submissions should be categorized into one of the accepted manuscript types by BAP: Research Articles, Brief Practices, Discussion or Review Papers, Technical or Tutorials, and Book or Product Reviews. We strongly encourage data-based submissions, and papers with empirical work are highly valued. Submissions can address a variety of topics related to building research infrastructure in ABA service organizations, including but not limited to the following:
- Technology Integration: Papers exploring the role of technology (e.g., data management systems, telehealth) in supporting applied research activities, case examples on using digital tools to streamline data collection and analysis.
- Training and Professional Development: Research on effective training programs that equip practitioners with the skills needed for conducting research, evaluations of ongoing professional development initiatives focused on research methodologies.
- Ethical Considerations: Analyses of ethical challenges and solutions related to conducting research within service organizations and discussions on maintaining ethical standards while integrating research with clinical practice.
- Mentorship and Supervision: Studies on the impact of mentorship programs designed to encourage research activities among practitioners, models of effective supervision that balance clinical responsibilities with research involvement.
- Data-Based Approaches: Papers that illustrate data-driven decision-making processes that guide research priorities in practice settings, as well as an examination of evidence-based methods for enhancing research quality and relevance.
- Innovative Data Collection Techniques: Presentations of novel methodologies for efficient and effective data collection in clinical settings, comparisons of data collection strategies and their impact on research outcomes.
- Presentation and Publication: Strategies for training practitioners in the skills needed to present and publish their research findings, discussions from or interviews with practitioners who have successfully published research from practice settings.
- Organizational Systems and Research Culture: Analyses of organizational structures that support research activities and information on cultivating a research-friendly culture within service organizations.
- Keeping in Contact with Scholarly Literature: Reviews of tools and strategies for encouraging members of ABA organizations to stay updated with current literature and approaches to integrating an organization’s research findings into daily practice.
- Education about the Publishing and Peer-Review Process: Learning and development initiatives aimed at helping practitioners understand and participate in the peer-review process.
- Intertwining Business Practices with Research Initiatives: Analyses of how business practices can be aligned with research goals to enhance organizational efficiency, case studies on successful integration of business and research strategies to drive innovation.
- Book or product reviews: Review of products or books that directly or indirectly support research infrastructure within ABA organizations.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Exploration of strategies for creating inclusive research environments in ABA organizations, analyses of research practices
that promote equity and represent diverse populations, and reviews of initiatives that address diversity-related research challenges in ABA organizations.
- Integrated Research Cultures: Papers that focus on collaboration between clinicians and researchers, partnerships between academic programs and organizations.
Authors are required to deidentify their manuscripts to ensure anonymity during the peer review process. Additionally, manuscripts should focus on scholarly inquiry and not contain content that appears promotional or marketing in nature. Submissions failing to comply with these guidelines will not be considered for publication.
We request potential contributors first submit a tentative title and an extended 1000-word abstract for consideration by September 1, 2025. Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be invited to submit a full manuscript, due February 6, 2026, which will undergo BAP’s standard peer review process.
Submissions are due by February 1, 2026, and authors will be notified of final acceptance by August 2026. The full timeline is:
Call posted: June 1, 2025
Abstract submission deadline: September 1, 2025
Abstract authors notified, extended invitation to submit manuscripts: October 1, 2025
Submissions due: February 6, 2026
First decisions: May 2026
Final acceptance window: August 2026
For submission guidelines and additional information, please visit BAP’s website: https://link.springer.com/journal/40617/aims-and-scope or contact the guest editor: Amber Valentino, at amber.valentino@mindcolorautism.com