Publication trends in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior: 1982-1998.

Every article published in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior (TAVB) from its inception as a newsletter through 1998 was rated along several dimensions. Results indicated that the journal has grown substantially over time. Most articles (overall, 73%) published in TAVB did not describe experiments. The experiments that were described characteristically used within-subject designs and direct measures of behavior. They were conducted mostly by researchers in academic settings, using students as participants. Several authors have recently suggested that the journal should publish more experimental articles, covering a wider range of topics. The present results show that there is indeed room for more experimental articles, although they also underscore that the Journal has played, and continues to play, a major role as an outlet for both empirical and theoretical analyses of verbal behavior.