Creating Single-Subject Research Design Graphs with Google Applications
You can build journal-ready single-case graphs in Google Sheets without paying for software.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Blair et al. (2022) wrote a how-to paper. They show BCBAs every click needed to build single-subject graphs in free Google Sheets and Slides. No data were collected; the paper is a tutorial.
What they found
The authors found that Google apps can make clean, publication-ready graphs. Phase-change lines, labels, and style rules all work without paid software.
How this fits with other research
Watts et al. (2021) give the same kind of recipe, but for Excel. Both papers reach the same end point: free graphs that journals accept.
Cihon et al. (2021) also teach graphing, yet they used a 15-minute video and SigmaPlot. Their video worked; trainees mastered the skill quickly. Blair uses written steps and Google tools instead of video and SigmaPlot.
Manolov (2026) moves one step past graphing. That paper lists free websites that test if the data really change, not just how to draw the lines. Blair helps you draw; Manolov helps you decide what the drawing means.
Why it matters
You no longer need expensive or tricky software. If your clinic already uses Gmail, you can finish the graph before the session note is done. Open the sheet, paste data, follow the pictures in Blair, and the graph is ready for the parent meeting or a journal. Try it next time a supervisor asks for "professional graphs." It costs nothing and takes minutes.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The visual analysis of graphically displayed data is an essential skill for behavior analysts across a range of settings. Although there are several computer-based applications that facilitate the production of simple, consistent, and visually coherent graphs, these applications have several limitations, including cost. An alternative to using these applications is using free and widely available Google Sheets and Google Slides to produce high-quality clinical and research graphs. We provide a step-by-step pictorially supported task analysis for a system for creating graphs for a variety of single-subject research designs and clinical applications using Sheets and Slides. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of using Google applications to create graphs for use in the practice of applied behavior analysis.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-021-00604-5