Trending and mapping the intellectual structure of social behavior studies: A study of the Social Behavior and Personality journal
Tsai-Yuan Lin, PhD, Yi-Chou Wang, and Chung-Lin Tsai (Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan, Taiwan, ROC), 2010, 38(9), 1229–1242

This is a longitudinal comparison of social behavior studies published in Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal during two specific time periods: 1982-1995 and 1996-2008. General trends and correlations were examined for the purpose of developing a tool for assessing social behavior-related publications, and ranking their relative importance within the subject area. This study is my pick of the month because it represents one example of researchers streamlining the research process within the ever-evolving field of social psychology. The tool developed is relevant to seasoned scholars and novice psychology students alike, and could be adapted for use in other fields of research. Readers of SBP Journal may also find it interesting to gain some insight into the development of the journal over the years and how publication trends have changed.