| name | aba-literature-review |
| description | Use when conducting systematic literature reviews of behavior analytic research, building search strategies, evaluating single-subject study quality, and synthesizing findings across ABA studies. |
ABA Literature Review
Conducting rigorous literature reviews in behavior analysis requires knowledge of the field's unique publication landscape, single-subject design methodology, and specialized synthesis methods. This skill covers the complete process from search to synthesis.
Key ABA Journals
Tier 1: Core Behavior Analytic Journals
| Journal | Abbreviation | Focus | Impact |
|---|
| Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis | JABA | Applied research, all populations | Flagship applied journal |
| Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior | JEAB | Basic research, animal and human | Foundational experimental work |
| Behavior Analysis in Practice | BAP | Practitioner-focused, applied | Shorter format, practice-relevant |
| The Analysis of Verbal Behavior | TAVB | Verbal behavior research | Skinnerian language analysis |
Tier 2: Related Applied Journals
| Journal | Focus |
|---|
| Behavioral Interventions | International ABA research |
| Journal of Behavioral Education | ABA in educational settings |
| Journal of Organizational Behavior Management | OBM research |
| Behavior Modification | Applied behavior change |
| Research in Developmental Disabilities | Developmental disability research broadly |
| Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders | Autism-specific research |
| Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders | Multidisciplinary autism research |
Tier 3: Broader Related Journals
- Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions
- Education and Treatment of Children
- Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities
- Journal of Early Intervention
Databases
| Database | Strengths for ABA | Access |
|---|
| PubMed | Medical and clinical ABA research, MeSH indexing | Free |
| PsycINFO | Psychology and behavior analysis, controlled vocabulary | Institutional |
| ERIC | Educational applications of ABA | Free |
| Web of Science | Citation tracking, impact metrics | Institutional |
| Scopus | Broad coverage, citation analysis | Institutional |
| Google Scholar | Broadest coverage, pre-prints, gray literature | Free |
Building Search Strategies
PICO Framework Adapted for Single-Subject Research
| Component | Standard PICO | Adapted for ABA |
|---|
| P (Population) | Patient population | Participant characteristics (age, diagnosis, setting) |
| I (Intervention) | Treatment | Independent variable (specific ABA procedure) |
| C (Comparison) | Comparator | Baseline, alternative treatment, control condition |
| O (Outcome) | Outcome measure | Dependent variable (behavior, skill, performance) |
Example Search
Research question: "What is the evidence for functional communication training (FCT) in reducing aggression in children with autism?"
- P: (child* OR pediatric OR "autism spectrum disorder" OR ASD)
- I: ("functional communication training" OR FCT)
- C: (baseline OR "treatment as usual" OR "differential reinforcement")
- O: (aggression OR "problem behavior" OR "challenging behavior")
Boolean Operators
- AND: Narrows results. All terms must be present.
- OR: Broadens results. Any term can be present. Use for synonyms.
- NOT: Excludes terms. Use sparingly to avoid losing relevant results.
- Quotation marks: Exact phrase search.
- Asterisk (*): Truncation/wildcard. "reinforce*" captures reinforcement, reinforcer, reinforcers.
Search Tips
- Start broad, then narrow.
- Search multiple databases—no single database captures all ABA literature.
- Check reference lists of key articles (backward chaining).
- Check "cited by" for key articles (forward chaining).
- Set up alerts for new publications matching your search terms.
Screening and Selecting Studies
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria
Define before screening:
- Population: Age range, diagnosis, setting.
- Intervention: Must be the specific procedure of interest.
- Design: Single-subject experimental designs (exclude case studies, AB-only designs without replication).
- Outcome: Must measure the behavior of interest.
- Publication type: Peer-reviewed journal articles (exclude dissertations, conference presentations unless conducting a comprehensive review).
Screening Process
- Title/abstract screen: Quick pass to exclude obviously irrelevant articles.
- Full-text review: Read remaining articles fully against inclusion criteria.
- Decision documentation: Record reasons for exclusion.
- PRISMA flowchart: Document the number of articles at each stage. Use PRISMA for single-case extensions where available.
Evaluating Single-Subject Research Quality
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Standards for Single-Case Designs
- Minimum of 3 data points per phase.
- Minimum of 3 demonstrations of effect (replications).
- Experimental design that allows at least one demonstration of effect.
Quality Indicators (Horner et al., 2005)
- Participants and setting: Described with sufficient detail for replication.
- Dependent variable: Operationally defined, measured repeatedly, IOA reported.
- Independent variable: Described with replication precision, fidelity measured.
- Baseline: Stable, predictable pattern established before intervention.
- Experimental control: At least 3 demonstrations of effect at 3 different time points.
- Social validity: Clinical or social significance addressed.
- External validity: Replicated across participants, settings, or behaviors.
Synthesizing Findings
Narrative Synthesis
- Organize findings by theme, population, intervention variant, or outcome.
- Describe the range of effects observed across studies.
- Note moderating variables: what conditions produce stronger or weaker effects?
- Identify gaps in the literature.
- Summarize the strength of evidence using a system (e.g., strong, moderate, limited, insufficient).
Quantitative Synthesis for Single-Subject Research
- PND (Percentage of Non-overlapping Data): Simple but limited. Sensitive to outliers.
- PEM (Percentage Exceeding the Median): More robust than PND.
- Tau-U: Controls for baseline trend. Provides a p-value.
- Hedges' g or standardized mean difference: Used in some meta-analyses but requires assumptions about distributional properties.
- Bayesian methods: Emerging approaches for single-subject meta-analysis.
Effect Size Interpretation
| Metric | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|
| PND | <50% | 50–70% | >70% |
| Tau-U | 0–0.20 | 0.20–0.60 | 0.60–1.00 |
Writing the Literature Review Section
Structure
- Introduction: State the purpose and scope of the review.
- Search methodology: Databases, search terms, inclusion/exclusion criteria.
- Results: Organized thematically or chronologically. Summarize key findings.
- Discussion: Strength of evidence, gaps, directions for future research.
Writing Tips
- Use past tense for describing what studies found.
- Attribute findings to specific studies: "Smith et al. (2020) demonstrated that..."
- Avoid over-generalizing from small numbers of studies.
- Explicitly state the limitations of the reviewed literature.
- Connect the review to the clinical or research question that motivated it.
Key References
- Horner, R. H., Carr, E. G., Halle, J., McGee, G., Odom, S., & Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single-subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71, 165–179.
- Kratochwill, T. R., et al. (2010). Single-case designs technical documentation. What Works Clearinghouse.
- Parker, R. I., Vannest, K. J., Davis, J. L., & Sauber, S. B. (2011). Combining nonoverlap and trend for single-case research: Tau-U. Behavior Therapy, 42, 284–299.
- Moher, D., et al. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6, e1000097.
