JOURNAL OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
2014, 47, 679–680
NUMBER
4 (WINTER)
EDITOR’S NOTE: UPDATES ON NEW INITIATIVES
In the Spring 2014 issue I mentioned several new initiatives that would be sampled during my tenure as editor, including video abstracts, video methods, podcasts," and companion pieces called “Implications for Practice.” Some other developments mentioned included the initiation of new awards and the development of virtual issues (electronic collections of articles on a particular theme). Here I will provide an update on these developments and others that have been implemented in 2014. If you go to the JABA website (Wiley Blackwell) and then to the article by Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, and Hanratty (2014, spring issue), you will see a link next to the article. That link leads to the first video abstract, delivered by Gregory Hanley. Because video abstracts must be housed somewhere on the Internet, we have created a JABA YouTube channel, where you can find not only the video abstract but also the first examples of video methods and the podcast. Within the first week of developing the YouTube channel, we had several hundred views. The first video methods sample accompanies the article by Wunderlich and Vollmer (2014, this issue). Kara Wunderlich and I chose to use one of our own articles so that we could try this out before asking other authors to do it. I have received feedback from some authors who are concerned that creating video methods is just one more burden on authors. To the contrary, we only expect to add one or two samples per year, and it is entirely voluntary on the part of the authors. The majority of the feedback on video methods has been very positive. The first podcast accompanies an article by Donlin Washington, Banna, and Gibson doi: 10.1002/jaba.183
(2014, summer issue). In the podcast, JABA associate editor Matthew Normand interviews author Wendy Donlin Washington about her article on prize-based contingencies to increase activity levels in healthy adults. Donlin Washington provides insights into why she became interested in the topic and how the research was conducted. One initiative that was not discussed in the spring editorial note is the use of audio slides. Other scientific journals are using them, and the idea of using them in JABA was presented to me by former JABA editor Wayne Fisher. Wayne has agreed to trial balloon the audio slides, and a link will soon accompany his article in this issue (2014, winter issue). Audio slides will be excellent for teaching and for reading groups. The students or group members can hear the main points from the perspective of the author. It is a nice supplement to regular lectures. The first two JABA awards were presented at the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior banquet this past May. The award for Contribution of the Year went to Dallery, Raiff, and Grabinski (2013) for their work on Internet-based contingency management to promote smoking cessation. The Seminal Article award went perhaps not surprisingly to Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968). When the authors of an award-winning article are deceased, the award plaque is presented to the academic department or organization affiliated with the authors (in this case, the University of Kansas). We have not yet released the first “virtual issue,” but it is likely that at least two will be released in 2015. These may include but are not limited to autism and health psychology. We are currently assembling featured articles
679
680
TIMOTHY R. VOLLMER
from the past few years to form the virtual issues. Keep an eye out for links next to articles in future issues and also check the JABA YouTube site from time to time. I hope the initiatives
supplement your interest in and understanding of these articles. Timothy R. Vollmer Editor
2014, 47, 679–680
NUMBER
4 (WINTER)
EDITOR’S NOTE: UPDATES ON NEW INITIATIVES
In the Spring 2014 issue I mentioned several new initiatives that would be sampled during my tenure as editor, including video abstracts, video methods, podcasts," and companion pieces called “Implications for Practice.” Some other developments mentioned included the initiation of new awards and the development of virtual issues (electronic collections of articles on a particular theme). Here I will provide an update on these developments and others that have been implemented in 2014. If you go to the JABA website (Wiley Blackwell) and then to the article by Hanley, Jin, Vanselow, and Hanratty (2014, spring issue), you will see a link next to the article. That link leads to the first video abstract, delivered by Gregory Hanley. Because video abstracts must be housed somewhere on the Internet, we have created a JABA YouTube channel, where you can find not only the video abstract but also the first examples of video methods and the podcast. Within the first week of developing the YouTube channel, we had several hundred views. The first video methods sample accompanies the article by Wunderlich and Vollmer (2014, this issue). Kara Wunderlich and I chose to use one of our own articles so that we could try this out before asking other authors to do it. I have received feedback from some authors who are concerned that creating video methods is just one more burden on authors. To the contrary, we only expect to add one or two samples per year, and it is entirely voluntary on the part of the authors. The majority of the feedback on video methods has been very positive. The first podcast accompanies an article by Donlin Washington, Banna, and Gibson doi: 10.1002/jaba.183
(2014, summer issue). In the podcast, JABA associate editor Matthew Normand interviews author Wendy Donlin Washington about her article on prize-based contingencies to increase activity levels in healthy adults. Donlin Washington provides insights into why she became interested in the topic and how the research was conducted. One initiative that was not discussed in the spring editorial note is the use of audio slides. Other scientific journals are using them, and the idea of using them in JABA was presented to me by former JABA editor Wayne Fisher. Wayne has agreed to trial balloon the audio slides, and a link will soon accompany his article in this issue (2014, winter issue). Audio slides will be excellent for teaching and for reading groups. The students or group members can hear the main points from the perspective of the author. It is a nice supplement to regular lectures. The first two JABA awards were presented at the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior banquet this past May. The award for Contribution of the Year went to Dallery, Raiff, and Grabinski (2013) for their work on Internet-based contingency management to promote smoking cessation. The Seminal Article award went perhaps not surprisingly to Baer, Wolf, and Risley (1968). When the authors of an award-winning article are deceased, the award plaque is presented to the academic department or organization affiliated with the authors (in this case, the University of Kansas). We have not yet released the first “virtual issue,” but it is likely that at least two will be released in 2015. These may include but are not limited to autism and health psychology. We are currently assembling featured articles
679
680
TIMOTHY R. VOLLMER
from the past few years to form the virtual issues. Keep an eye out for links next to articles in future issues and also check the JABA YouTube site from time to time. I hope the initiatives
supplement your interest in and understanding of these articles. Timothy R. Vollmer Editor
