Lerman appointed editor of top tier journal

Lesli Cokley

The Signal Staff

Dorothea Lerman

Dorothea Lerman, professor of psychology, coordinator of the master’s program in behavior analysis, and director of the University of Houston-Clear Lake Center for Autism and Development Disabilities, has been elected by the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior as the next editor in chief for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.  Lerman will serve as the editor for the 2011-2013 issues of JABA.

“Being journal editor is an honor and a privilege; the fact that this is a top-tier journal is even more impressive, this is a testament to her ability and research expertise” said Robert Bartsch, interim associate dean for Human Science and Humanities.

JABA was established in 1968 as a psychology journal that publishes research about applications of the experimental analysis of behavior to problems of social importance. The journal is published quarterly by the SEAB.  Typically the journal publishes 50-60 articles a year.

As editor, Lerman will receive all manuscripts submitted to the journal and then assign each manuscript to an associate editor. The associate editor will then select three or four reviewers, who will critique the paper and make a recommendation about whether it should be accepted and, if so, what revisions should be made prior to publication.

Based on the reviewer’s comments, the associate editor then writes his/her own decision letter to publish or not and revisions if need be.  Lerman will make the final decision about whether the paper should be published, and she may request further revisions from the authors. She will then decide which articles will appear in each issue and in what order. The editor also selects associate editors and board members.

“Like all academic journals, its mission is to disseminate the latest research in a particular area. I am honored to serve such an important role for the flagship journal in my field,” Lerman said.   “JABA publishes research in the area of applied behavior analysis, which essentially involves the application of basic learning principles to human behavior of social importance,” Lerman said.

Every three years the election of a new editor begins with the current editor’s call for nominations.  The nominations are reviewed by the election committee, which consists of the current JABA editor, the most recent past JABA editor, and the SEAB president.

The nominating committee forwards one or more nominees to the SEAB board for consideration. Following discussion, the board elects the next editor, typically from among the individuals whose names have been forwarded by the nominating committee.

Lerman is a former associate editor for JABA, a former associate editor for Research in Developmental Disabilities, and a former editor in chief for Behavior Analysis in Practice.

Lerman has more than 50 previously published articles in JABA. Her research interests include functional assessment and treatment of behavior disorders in individuals with development disabilities and early intervention, and caregiver training.  Lerman teaches courses in learning and applied behavior analysis.

“The journal will be in excellent hands,” said Cathleen Piazza, current editor in chief.