Practical Considerations for Researchers at Teaching-Focused Colleges

Growth in the discipline of behavior analysis depends on research production in basic, translational, and applied areas from a variety of perspectives and research groups. Although doctoral programs in behavior analysis prepare students to become productive researchers, leading behavior-analytic journals tend to publish articles from a more circumscribed set of researchers than might be expected given the recent growth in the field. One reason may be that as new researchers graduate from their training programs, they take positions in very different environments from those of their training, such as teaching-focused colleges or clinical settings. Establishing and maintaining research production in these settings may be challenging due to practical concerns that could be alleviated by recommendations from researchers with experience in those settings. In this article, we identify some of the research challenges faced by early-career behavior analysts working at small teaching-focused colleges and offer practical advice for new researchers in those settings based on our experience. Additionally, we hope this article serves as a catalyst for established researchers working in a variety of settings to share their experiences and wisdom with new researchers in the field.