Internet resources in applied behavior analysis.
The first ABA web boosters were right—online tools now power everything from journal access to direct therapy.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Smith (1996) wrote a short think-piece. It told behavior analysts to start using the brand-new Internet. The paper listed three easy moves: join ABA e-mail lists, bookmark journal web pages, and swap data files online. No experiment, no numbers—just a map for faster sharing.
What they found
The author predicted the web would shrink the distance between researchers and clinicians. Real-time chats could replace slow mail. Free abstracts online could replace library trips. The piece ended with a simple call: 'Get online today.'
How this fits with other research
LeSage et al. (1996) announced the exact same event in the same year. Both papers tell readers that JABA and JEAB now have web pages. One is a friendly commentary, the other a news brief. They match like two witnesses to the same launch.
Araiba et al. (2023) shows the 1996 dream came true. The team ran telehealth ABA sessions with kids with autism. Parents liked it. The study turns the old 'swap data online' idea into real therapy faces on screens.
Critchfield (2024) pushes the idea one step further. He says we should now track when our online articles get cited in policy debates. The 1996 paper said 'get on the web.' The 2024 paper says 'prove the web moved the needle.'
Why it matters
If you still think the web is just cat videos, this 1996 voice is for you. Listservs like ABA-L and forums like ABA Reddit still trade treatment tips in minutes, not months. Try one new online tool this week—maybe search #BCBA on X (Twitter) or join the ABA Discord. Your next consult answer may come from a peer you have never met in person.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Internet communication is becoming an important tool for both academic and clinical areas in psychology and behavior analysis. The Internet, a confederation of thousands of computer systems covering the entire globe (Plaud, 1996b), can significantly enhance behavior analysis in at least three major areas: (a) information exchange and communication among behavior analysts through list servers, (b) dissemination of empirical data and commentary through on‐line journals and information servers, and (c) promotion of programs and services in behavior analysis. This commentary provides specific examples in each of these areas and addresses the basics of connecting to the Internet.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1996 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1996.29-585