Rigor, Replication, and Reproducibility: Increasing the Relevance of Behavioral Disorders Research

Science is being criticized within scientific domains and society. To address this, we suggest that researchers in special education, broadly, and those working in the behavioral disorders field, specifically, consider three critical facets of research: (a) importance of rigor, (b) value of replication, and (c) transparency of reproducibility in behavioral disorders. In this manuscript, we describe critical features of the three facets. Then, we provide an empirical illustration of all three research facets via a quasi-experimental design analysis of school-wide positive behavior interventions and support (SWPBIS) and its impact on discipline outcomes. Recommendations are then provided for improving the quality of behavioral disorders research.