See below for how behavior analysis journals compare to some thematically similar journals from outside the discipline. Note that, aside from thematic focus, I chose comparison journals because I thought they would be familiar to readers of this blog. In most categories, you could find both better- and worse-performing comparison journals (here).
How a given behavior analysis journal stacks up against comparison journals can differ across metrics. For instance, a journal can be cited a lot but include few international authors; or get little public policy attention while being cited heavily. (In other words, different metrics measure, duh, different things.)
Note:
- Data shown are for the most recent year available (2024), with one exception. Because mentions in policy documents can be fairly volatile from year to year, I chose to highlight each journal’s highest count in the data base (for most journals, that’s the span of 1999-2024).
- H index means that, during its lifespan, a journal has published N = H articles that have been cited at least N = H times. The spirit of the H index is roughly the same as for citation impact factor: It’s an omnibus estimate of a journal’s scholarly impact. However, some regard the H index as a better measure of journal quality than the more traditional impact factor.
- For information on the metrics, see elsewhere in this post. For a key to behavior analysis journal title abbreviations, see the Postscript.
Emphasis on Developmental Disorders
| Journal | SJR | h Index | International | female | Policy | sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JABA | 1.56 | 93 | 2.7% | 53.4% | 54 | 4 |
| BI | 0.83 | 43 | 10.5% | 66.0% | 10 | 8 |
| BM | 0.87 | 94 | 14.3% | 49.3% | 24 | 1 |
| Autism | 2.03 | 132 | 33.0% | 67.8% | 81 | 101 |
| JADD | 1.23 | 217 | 22.7% | 66.7% | 243 | 143 |
| RIDD | 0.90 | 115 | 25.3% | 67.5% | 166 | 46 |
| RIASD | 0.83 | 100 | 16.3% | 64.9% | 90 | 21 |
| JDPD | 0.70 | 55 | 12.4% | 64.5% | 12 | 22 |
School/Education Focus
| Journal | SJR | h Index | International | female | Policy | sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPBI | 1.00 | 74 | 9.4% | 59.3% | 16 | 10 |
| JOBE | 0.68 | 46 | 18.2% | 58.2% | 7 | 29 |
| ETC | 0.74 | 52 | 10.0% | 48.1% | 16 | 9 |
| EP | 1.36 | 90 | 36.2% | 60.3% | 19 | 17 |
| L&I | 2.24 | 153 | 30.5% | 55.8% | 35 | 42 |
| JSP | 1.89 | 119 | 18.0% | 62.3% | 28 | 45 |
| C&I | 1.67 | 79 | 11.1% | 63.8% | 9 | 5 |
| SMH | 1.34 | 53 | 15.3% | 70.8% | 26 | 37 |
Experimental/Basic Focus
| Journal | SJR | h Index | International | female | Policy | sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEAB | 0.94 | 72 | 16.7% | 40.7% | 5 | 7 |
| TPR | 0.52 | 60 | 15.1% | 41.9% | 3 | 1 |
| EJOBA | 0.46 | 22 | 25.0% | 66.7% | 1 | 2 |
| AC | 0.23 | 6 | 14.7% | 31.8% | 0 | 8 |
| BP | 0.49 | 95 | 19.6% | 44.9% | 12 | 13 |
| JEP-LMC | 1.23 | 181 | 33.3% | 38.6% | 14 | 6 |
| JEP-ALC | 0.86 | 80 | 33.3% | 27.6% | 2 | 0 |
| L&M | 0.46 | 32 | 31.3% | 43.5% | 3 | 24 |
| ECP | 1.00 | 104 | 31.1% | 43.5% | 23 | 32 |
Clinical Psychology
| Journal | SJR | h Index | International | female | Policy | sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JCBS | 1.32 | 52 | 28.0% | 54.9% | 11 | 20 |
| BRT | 2.01 | 272 | 35.8% | 55.3% | 64 | 25 |
| CBT | 1.42 | 78 | 26.8% | 51.4% | 14 | 0 |
| BT | 1.61 | 135 | 23.0% | 60.4% | 29 | 21 |
| MIND | 1.82 | 98 | 26.0% | 57.7% | 36 | 29 |
| BCT | 0.93 | 81 | 20.0% | 59.2% | 5 | 5 |
Theoretical/Review
| Journal | SJR | h Index | International | female | Policy | sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POBS | 0.98 | 46 | 18.4% | 39.6% | 4 | 3 |
| B&P | 0.11 | 18 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0 | (no data) |
| PBR | 1.97 | 187 | 33.6% | 42.2% | 14 | 11 |
| PPS | 5.39 | 196 | 36.5% | 34.9% | 39 | 18 |
| RGP | 1.60 | 120 | 23.1% | 36.2% | 15 | 6 |
| AP | 3.20 | 283 | 22.7% | 51.% | 50 | 44 |
| PSYM | 1.90 | 90 | 29.8% | 36.9% | 13 | 3 |
Organizational Focus
| Journal | SJR | h Index | International | female | Policy | sustainability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOBM | 0.40 | 39 | 7.7% | 44.7% | 3 | 4 |
| JOB | 3.86 | 230 | 55.1% | 52.8% | 39 | 17 |
| JVB | 2.79 | 197 | 46.4% | 49.8% | 59 | 14 |
| EJWOP | 1.92 | 100 | 49.3% | 49.8% | 13 | 4 |
| JMP | 1.14 | 78 | 37.2% | 45.3% | 23 | 7 |
| OD | 0.84 | 81 | 28.1% | 51.6% | 11 | 15 |
Postscript: Key to Behavior Analysis Journal Abbreviations
| ABBREVIATION | JOURNAL TITLE |
|---|---|
| POBS | Perspectives on Behavior Science |
| JABA | Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis |
| JEAB | Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior |
| JCBS | Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science |
| JPBI | Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions |
| BI | Behavioral Interventions |
| BM | Behavior Modification |
| JOBE | Journal of Behavioral Education |
| ETC | Education and Treatment of Children |
| TPR | The Psychological Record |
| JOBM | Journal of organizational Behavior Management |
| EJOBA | European Journal of Behavior Analysis |
| AC | Acta Comportamentalia: Revista Latina de Análisis del Comportamiento |
| B&P | Behavior & Philosophy |
