Assessment & Research

A tutorial for software options to aid in assessing functional relations in single-case experimental designs.

Manolov (2026) · Behavior Research Methods 2026
★ The Verdict

You can now judge single-case effects with free websites—no installs, no code, just upload and click.

✓ Read this if BCBAs who run single-case designs and want faster, easier data checks.
✗ Skip if Teams that already script their own R or Python analyses.

01Research in Context

01

What this study did

Manolov (2026) built a step-by-step guide to free websites that test if your single-case data show a real effect.

The tutorial walks you through uploading your file, picking the right test, and reading the output.

No software to install—just open the browser and click.

02

What they found

The paper does not give new data.

It simply shows where to click to get trustworthy answers from your own data.

03

How this fits with other research

Manolov et al. (2022) gave us a free Brinley-plot tool for judging replication. The 2026 guide now adds more web apps, so you can check both replication and functional relations in one place.

Zheng et al. (2022) built PB.MI for real-time FA graphs. The new tutorial includes PB.MI-style tools plus others, giving you a menu instead of a single dish.

Lanovaz et al. (2017) told us to collect at least 3 points in A and 5 in B before trusting dual-criteria lines. The 2026 sites run those same rules for you, so you do not have to count by hand.

Jacobs (2019) pushed randomization tests over t-tests. The tutorial links to free randomization-test calculators, turning the 2019 advice into a one-click action.

04

Why it matters

You no longer need Excel, SPSS, or R. Next time you finish an AB design, open the tutorial, upload your file, and let the site tell you if the change is real. It saves hours and cuts math errors.

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Pick one of your last AB graphs, open the tutorial link, upload the data, and screenshot the result for your next supervision meeting.

02At a glance

Intervention
not applicable
Design
methodology paper
Finding
not reported

03Original abstract

Single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) can be used for identifying effective interventions via the intensive study of one or a few individuals in different conditions, actively manipulated by the researcher. The assessment of SCED data entails both judging whether there is sufficient evidence of a functional relation (i.e., a causal effect of the intervention on the target behavior) and quantifying the magnitude of the effect. In the current text, the focus is on assessing the presence of a functional relation, considering all the attempts to demonstrate an effect that SCEDs include. Specifically, the aim is to review several freely available websites, which require no additional software to be installed, and offer graphical representations of the data, visual aids, and quantifications. Several data analytical steps are outlined for performing the assessment, both dealing with each basic effect separately and evaluating the consistency of effects. Software that is useful for carrying out these steps is reviewed, including the way in which the data files should be specified and the few clicks required by applied researchers to achieve the desired output. The interpretations of the output are illustrated with real data.

Behavior Research Methods, 2026 · doi:10.3758/s13428-026-02951-z