Stop Preaching to the Choir, Publish Outside the Box: A Discussion

Area of Science:

• Behavior analysis
• Scientific communication

Background:

• Commentary on existing literature regarding publishing outside of behavior analysis.
• Addresses the importance of communicating findings beyond the traditional scope of behavior analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the skills and strategies needed for effective "outside the box" publishing in behavior analysis.
• To provide guidance on communicating with editors, authors, and journalists.

Main Methods:

• Review and commentary on articles by Normand, Vyse, Friman, Schlinger, and Reed.
• Analysis of prerequisite repertoires and guidance (e.g., task analyses).
• Inclusion of personal experiences with "outside the box" manuscript submissions.

Main Results:

• Identifies opportunities and caveats for publishing outside the traditional behavior analysis literature.
• Highlights the importance of technical terms, language, and author-editor-journalist interactions.
• Draws lessons from personal successes and failures in manuscript submissions.

Conclusions:

• If "outside the box" publishing is valued, behavior analysis must analyze and systematically teach the required repertoires.
• Encourages a proactive approach to developing skills for broader scientific communication.