ERIC EJ725249: Self- And Cross-Citations in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior: 1993-2003

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by  ERIC

JOURNALOFAPPLIEDBEHAVIORANALYSIS 2005, 38, 559–563 NUMBER4 (WINTER2005)
SELF- AND CROSS-CITATIONS IN THE JOURNAL OF APPLIED
BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS AND THE JOURNAL OF THE
EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR: 1993–2003
AMY J. ELLIOTT
UNIVERSITYOFSOUTHDAKOTASCHOOLOFMEDICINE
AND
KINETA MORGAN, R. WAYNE FUQUA, KRISTAL EHRHARDT, AND ALAN POLING
WESTERNMICHIGANUNIVERSITY
Self- and cross-citations in JABA and JEAB from 1993 through 2003 were examined. Yearly
mean levels of self-citation for JABA and JEAB were 34.9% and 33.2%, respectively. Overall,
7.8%ofJABAcitationswereJEABarticles,and0.6%ofJEABcitationswereJABAarticles.The
formervalue,butnotthelatter,issubstantiallyhigherthanthecross-citationlevelreportedfor
earlieryears.ThetwoJEABarticlesmostoftencitedinJABAwerepublishedover20yearsago
andareconcerned with establishing operations andthe matchinglaw.
DESCRIPTORS: appliedbehavioranalysis, basic research,citations
_______________________________________________________________________________
For the past 30 years, behavior analysts have areas, including (a) publication of a series of
discussed real and ideal interactions between articles on the applied significance of basic
applied behavior analysis and the experimental research findings, (b) publication of JEAB
analysisofbehavior(e.g.,Mace,1994).Citation abstracts in JABA, and (c) appointment of
analysis provides an empirical method for members of the JEAB Board of Editors to the
examining interactions between the two. The JABA Board of Editors. It seems that such steps
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) is should increase citation of JEAB articles in
generally recognized as the flagship journal for JABA. One of our purposes was to determine
applied behavior analysis; the Journal of the whether they did so.
Experimental Analysis of Behavior (JEAB) has Poling et al. (1994) reported that two of the
the same status for the experimental analysis of three JEAB articles most often cited in JABA
behavior. Therefore, cross-citation rates provide from 1983 through 1992 dealt with the
a tenable index of the degree of interaction matching law (Herrnstein, 1961, 1970); the
between the two. other was concerned with establishing opera-
From 1983 through 1992, 2.4% of JABA tions (Michael, 1982).Our second purpose was
citations were JEAB articles, and 0.6% of JEAB to ascertain from the most cited JEAB articles
citations were JABA articles; these data suggest the areas of the experimental analysis of
there was limited integration of the applied and behaviorthatwereofgreatestinteresttoapplied
experimental areas at that time (Poling, Alling, researchers from 1993 through 2003. This
& Fuqua, 1994). Since the early 1990s, JABA information has implications for training ap-
editors have taken steps to foster productive plied behavior analysts, who should be familiar
interchanges between the basic and applied with those areas. Our third purpose was to
ascertain self-citation rates for JABA and JEAB.
Self-citation rates may provide an index of the
AddresscorrespondencetoAlanPoling,Departmentof relative isolation of particular journals and
Psychology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo,
approaches to the study of behavior (e.g.,
Michigan49008(e-mail: [email protected]).
doi:10.1901/jaba.2005.133-04 Krantz, 1971).
559
560 AMY J. ELLIOTT et al.
METHOD 1981), and we doubt that this has changed. If
so, basic research may suffer, because applied
Reference lists for each article published in
problems often are a good source of direction
JABA and JEAB from 1995 through 2003 were
for basic research. Certainly this model is
scored for the number of (a) total citations, (b)
popular—and productive—in medicine. Some
JABA citations, and (c) JEAB citations. A
of the behavioral problems addressed by JABA
second person independently scored 10% of
researchers might well generate experimental
the articles, selected at random. Interobserver
questions that could be pursued via basic
agreement was calculated by dividing the
research. In 1981, we encouraged all behavior
smaller count by the larger count and multi-
analysts to read widely (Poling et al.). We also
plying by 100% for each article, then averaging
encouraged applied researchers to point out
across articles. Agreement was above 99% for
wherebasicresearchmightprovideafoundation
each of the three categories. The volume and
for better efforts to improve behavior. These
page numbers of JEAB articles cited in JABA
encouragements bear repeating.
were recorded so that the specific articles most
The five JEAB articles most frequently cited
often cited could be determined. After the five
inJABAfrom1993through2003wereMichael
JEAB articles most often cited in JABA were
(1982), Herrnstein (1970), Green and Freed
determined,the2002and2003JABAarticlesin
(1993), Herrnstein (1961), and Mace (1994),
which they were cited were scored as primarily
which were cited 47, 26, 18, 17, and 17 times,
conceptual or primarily empirical, and their
respectively. During 2002 and 2003, these
authors were recorded.
articles collectively were cited in 10 JABA
articles that were primarily empirical and in
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
three JABA articles that were primarily concep-
Figure 1 shows the percentage of total tual, suggesting that articles published in JEAB
citations that were self- and cross-citations for affected the practice of applied behavior
JABA and JEAB. Overall, 7.8% of JABA analysis. Moreover, several different research
citations from 1993 through 2003 were JEAB teamsauthoredtheempiricalarticles,suggesting
articles. This percentage is substantially higher that the influence was rather broad.
than the value for 1983 through 1992 (2.4%; The Michael (1982) and Herrnstein (1970)
Poling et al., 1994). In contrast, relatively few articles, which also were the JEAB articles most
(0.6%) of the sources cited in JEAB were JABA frequently cited in JABA from 1983 through
articles. Editorial actions by JABA editors 1992, are seminal discussions of establishing
intended to increase integration of basic and operations (Michael) and the matching law
applied research, listed previously, may well (Herrnstein). One of the two fourth-most-cited
havecontributedtotheoverallincreaseinJEAB articles (Herrnstein, 1961) also addresses
citations in that journal. The level of JEAB matching. Clearly, matching and establishing
citations in JABA has, however, remained operations are topics of enduring interest to
relatively stable in recent years and does not appliedbehavioranalystsandshouldbecovered
appear to be increasing. JEAB editors have not in training programs. Matching and establish-
instituted editorial policies intended to increase ing operations have proven to be useful in
the integration of applied and basic research, conceptualizing and treating a range of trou-
and JABA articles continue to be rarely cited by blesome behavior. To the extent that applied
those who publish in JEAB. Twenty-five years researchersandpractitionerslearnedaboutthese
ago, few JEAB editors read JABA (Poling, topics from JEAB articles, those articles certain-
Picker, Grossett, Hall-Johnson, & Holbrook, ly influenced applied behavior analysis.
JABA AND JEAB CITATIONS 561
Figure1. Percentageoftotalcitationsthatwerecross-citations(top)andself-citations(bottom)inJABAandJEAB
from1984through2003. Dataprior to1993are fromPolingetal.(1994).
562 AMY J. ELLIOTT et al.
Nonetheless, it is noteworthy that the two ties, Critchfield and Reed (2004) recently have
JEAB articles most frequently cited in JABA conducted elaborate citation analyses that help
appeared20ormoreyearsago.Onewonders:Is to illuminate how findings from basic behav-
there little of applied significance in more ioral research are translated into applied inter-
recent issues of JEAB, must considerable time ventions.
pass before that significance is realized, or are The value for self-citations ranged from
the Michael and Herrnstein articles simply so 23.3% to 49.9% across years for JABA and
important as to overshadow other contribu- from 28.8% to 38.5% for JEAB, with yearly
tions? The answer is unclear but, as Critchfield means of 34.9% and 33.2% for the respective
et al. (2000) point out, ‘‘operant research journals. Compared to values for 1983 through
articles in general—at least those published in 1992 (Poling et al., 1994), JABA self-citations
JEAB—tend to have an unusually long citation haveincreased, whereasJEABself-citationshave
half-life (i.e., they are cited long after publica- not changed. Both JABA and JEAB self-citation
tion)’’(p. 257).Therefore,thefactthatthetwo ratesinrecentyearsaresimilartotheJEABself-
JEAB articles most cited in JABA are relatively citation levels in the 1960s taken by Krantz
old does not provide a good basis for judging (1971) to indicate that operant psychology is
the applied significance of more recent JEAB insular and isolated from nonoperant psychol-
articles. In addition, the third-most-cited ogy. Moreover, the self-citation rates in both
(Green & Freed, 1993) and one of the fourth- journals are high when compared to those of
most-cited (Mace, 1994) JEAB articles were other journals. Frisby (1998), for instance,
publishedinthe1990s.Theformerarticledeals reported 1990 through 1994 self-citation rates
with the substitutability of reinforcers and below 5% for each of the seven major school
psychologyjournalsandself-citationratesbelow
discusses a range of related issues, some of
14% for 14 journals in related fields.
which are applied (e.g., addictions, drug abuse,
Although JABA and JEAB self-citation rates
behavior therapy). The latter article calls
are relatively high, most citations in each
attention to the need for basic research that is
journal come from other journals. In addition,
relevant to applied issues. Although they
Critchfield and Reed (2004) reported that in
appeared in JEAB, these two articles do not
deal with the experimental analysis of behavior 2002 18 other journals cited JABA articles at
per se. Neither does the Michael (1982) article, least 20 times, whereas 16 other journals cited
which is conceptual rather than empirical. JEAB articles at least 20 times. Cross-citations
Clearly, simply counting cross-citations be- were relatively common between JABA and
tween JEAB and JABA provides a relatively other journals concerned with developmental
narrow index of interactions between the fields disabilities or cognitive-behavioral therapy.
of the experimental analysis of behavior and JEABandotherjournalsconcernedwithanimal
applied behavior analysis. More detailed cita- behavior processes or psychopharmacology
tion analyses that take into account the actual frequently cited one another. JABA and JEAB
contents of the articles cited and in which are insular, insofar as their self-citation rates are
citations appear, as well as their authors, and high in comparison to other journals, but both
include journals other than JEAB and JABA are are linked by cross-citations to a substantial
necessary to provide a detailed picture of how number of other journals, not all of which are
the fields interact. Unfortunately, such analyses behavior analytic. Nonetheless, the topics
are difficult to conduct, and there is no studied by behavior analysts and the methods
consensus as to the appropriate methodology used to study those topics are in many cases
(e.g., Borgman, 1990). Despite these difficul- different from those characteristic of other
JABA AND JEAB CITATIONS 563
approaches to the study of behavior (Poling, Green,L.,&Freed,D.E.(1993).Thesubstitutabilityof
Methot, & LeSage, 1995). It is natural for reinforcers. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of
Behavior,60,141–158.
authors who publish frequently in JABA and
Herrnstein,R.J.(1961).Relativeandabsolutestrengthof
JEAB to build on, and therefore to cite, prior responseasafunctionoffrequencyofreinforcement.
publications in those journals. JABA and JEAB Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 4,
267–272.
representscientificcommunitiesthatsometimes
Herrnstein, R. J. (1970). On the law of effect. Journal of
overlapmainstreampsychology,but—asKrantz the Experimental AnalysisofBehavior, 13,243–266.
proclaimed three decades ago—are in a real Krantz,D.A.(1971).Theseparateworldsofoperantand
non-operant psychology. Journal of Applied Behavior
sense separate from it. And therein their value
Analysis,4,61–70.
resides. Mace,F.C.(1994).Basicresearchneededforstimulating
thedevelopmentofbehavioraltechnologies.Journalof
the Experimental AnalysisofBehavior, 61,529–550.
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