Lessons worth repeating: Sidman's <i>Tactics of Scientific Research</i>

Branch re-read Sidman’s 1960 book Tactics of Scientific Research. He wrote a short essay to remind today’s analysts why the book matters.

The paper is a tribute, not an experiment. It restates three core rules: keep baselines steady, repeat effects within each participant, and let your eyes judge the data.

The reminder is simple. When you follow Sidman’s rules, your single-case graph speaks for itself. Other people can see the same change you see.

Branch shows that modern journals still publish shaky baselines and one-shot demonstrations. The old tactics fix these problems.

Tincani et al. (2024) give you a preregistration checklist that makes Sidman’s rigor automatic. You write your steady-baseline plan before the first data point.

Dowdy et al. (2022) found that most JABA authors still eyeball graphs without rules. Branch’s essay explains why that habit breaks Sidman’s code.

Cohen et al. (2018) show that social-validity reports are rare. Sidman’s tactics do not ask for them, so the two papers sit side-by-side: one guards internal truth, the other guards social value.

Next time you run an ABAB or a multiple baseline, open Sidman’s book first. Plot each phase until the line is flat or predictable. Then, and only then, move to treatment. Your graph will tell a clear story, and other BCBAs will trust it without extra math.