A retrospective 60‐year review of Murray Sidman's <i>Tactics of Scientific Research</i> and some of its influence on behavior analysis
Sidman’s 1960 Tactics still tells you how to run clean single-case studies—keep it open on your desk.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Holth (2021) looked back at Sidman’s 1960 book Tactics of Scientific Research.
The paper tells how the book shaped 60 years of behavior-analytic work.
What they found
The old book still teaches today’s researchers how to run single-case studies.
Its rules—steady baselines, clear graphs, within-subject checks—remain gold.
How this fits with other research
Branch (2021) says the same thing: Sidman’s rules are still the gold standard.
Tincani et al. (2025) give a 2025 checklist that turns Sidman’s words into daily steps like pre-register and mask your graph review.
Johnston (2025) shows the idea grew after Sidman; Pennypacker’s later Strategies books added new measurement tools.
Why it matters
If you run single-case sessions, keep Tactics on your desk. Use its visual-check steps before you claim victory. Pair it with the new checklist from Tincani et al. to stay modern and trustworthy.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Murray Sidman's book, Tactics of Scientific Research: Evaluating Experimental Data in Psychology, published in 1960, has been called the bible of the experimental analysis of behavior and has been a major influence on basic as well as applied research in behavior analysis. The contents of the early reviews of the book are summarized and the commemoration in The Behavior Analyst at the 30th anniversary of the book is reviewed along with Sidman's comments on updates that he would have made if he were to revise or supplement the book. Included are some later remarks by Sidman regarding specific issues in Tactics. Continuous rates of citations are displayed and show the sustained relevance of the book, and selected themes from the book are discussed. Finally, experiences from using Tactics in lab courses and in graduate-level courses on scientific method are recapitulated, including questions raised by students, and Sidman's answers to those questions. Tactics is a true classic in behavior analysis.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2021 · doi:10.1002/jeab.645