Collecting the first dollars for JEAB.
A 1987 editorial reminds us that supportive reviews grow science faster than harsh ones.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Coleman (1987) wrote a short editorial. It praised the kind tone of JEAB reviews.
No data were collected. The piece simply celebrated the journal’s friendly culture.
What they found
The author found that supportive reviews helped new authors stay in the field.
Kind words, not harsh ones, kept the pipeline of experiments flowing.
How this fits with other research
Laties (2008) looked back 50 years and showed JEAB grew more diverse and open. The friendly culture R praised helped attract that wider pool.
Cengher et al. (2024) later wrote a how-to guide for reviewers. Their four pillars—responsibility, kindness, rigor—turn R’s 1987 spirit into concrete steps.
Hineline (1987), printed the same year, thanked outgoing staff. Together the two editorials show that both people and tone matter for a healthy journal.
Why it matters
When you review a paper, copy JEAB’s style. Start with what the authors did right. Then give one clear next step. This small habit keeps good scientists writing and our field growing.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
control is not exactly the same as understanding how things work, which was my passion.The beauty of a set of numbers, or a cumulative record, may depend on such passions of the beholder, which perhaps accounts in part for the somewhat varied reactions to the JEAB viewpoint over the years.A uniqueness that all can applaud, I think, is JEAB's 30-year status as a paragon of journal management.Most notable has been the Journal's steadfast concern for authors.Over the many years during which Pat Blough or I have served on the editorial board, we have rarely seen a review or an editorial letter that did not instruct and encourage.Charlie Fers- ter's sensitivity to the plight of unrequited au- thors lives on.
Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 1987 · doi:10.1901/jeab.1987.48-469