Why submit your research to Annals of Behavioral Medicine?

Annals of Behavioral Medicine (ABM), the Society of Behavioral Medicine's flagship journal, publishes original empirical articles, systematic reviews, and commentaries on behavioral medicine and the integration of biological, psychosocial, and behavioral factors in health and illness outcomes. All submissions are peer-reviewed for the highest quality.

Learn more about publishing your research with ABM below.

Official journal of the Society of Behavioral Medicine

The Society of Behavioral Medicine is a multidisciplinary organization of clinicians, educators, and scientists dedicated to promoting the study of the interactions of behavior with biology and the environment, and then applying that knowledge to improve the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, and populations. By publishing your research with us, you will be helping to support the society and its mission.

Publishing a wide range of content

ABM publishes a range of different article formats, covering the broad spectrum of behavioral medicine, focusing on establishing an evidence base to inform theory, empirical work, and intervention. We welcome studies using many types of methods: experimental, quasi-experimental, quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies as well as implementation and dissemination research, systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses, and primary and secondary outcomes of registered behavioral medicine clinical trials.

Open Access options for authors

ABM authors have the option to publish their paper under the open access (OA) initiative; whereby, for a charge, their paper will be made freely available online immediately upon publication. Publishing OA offers several benefits for authors including:

Increased visibility and accessibility: OA articles are freely available to anyone, removing any barriers to knowledge. This leads to increased readership and usage by a global audience, including researchers, students, policymakers, and the general public.
Higher citation potential: OA articles tend to receive higher citation rates compared to articles published behind paywalls. This further boosts the impact and recognition of your work.
Public engagement and societal impact: Publishing OA allows research to reach a broader audience beyond the academic field.
Compliance with funding agency policies: Many funding agencies and institutions now require research outputs to be published OA, as it aligns with the principles of public funding and maximizing societal and science progress.

Oxford University Press has Read and Publish agreements with institutions and consortia which provide funding for open access publication. This means authors from participating institutions can publish open access, and the institution will pay the charge. Click here to see if your institution is participating.

An inclusive home for your research

ABM takes pride in fostering an inclusive and equitable environment for researchers, authors, reviewers, editors, and readers, and is committed to publishing peer-reviewed content representing diverse populations and perspectives. ABM actively recruits diverse editors and reviewers, invites submissions on health disparities/minority health, maintains up-to-date policies on bias-free language and keywords, and requires authors to describe their sample sociodemographic characteristics, an effort especially intended to raise awareness and encourage both the recruitment and reporting of more diverse samples. SBM maintains its own commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and enthusiastically supports ABM’s efforts in this area.

Distinguished editorial board

ABM has a highly experienced editorial board that is diverse geographically and in areas of expertise. Members of the editorial team are appointed based on their scientific expertise, ensuring that the journal publishes high-quality content, operates ethically, and provides a welcoming publishing outlet for authors from all backgrounds and at all stages of their career.

Global readership

ABM has readers around the world thereby connecting your research with a wide audience and giving your work even greater impact.

Efficient publishing process

ABM is committed to rapid response times and first decisions, fast online publications, and a quick and easy online submission system.

Published by Oxford University Press (OUP)

As a department of the University of Oxford, OUP is a mission-driven, non-profit publisher committed to delivering world-class academic and educational resources and making them available as widely as possible. OUP understands the importance of making research accessible so that not only researchers, but also practitioners and policymakers around the world, are well-equipped with the latest information to better serve their communities.

Ethical and trustworthy research

ABM follows Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines on ethical oversight. We take research integrity seriously. All research published in the journal must have been conducted in a fair, trustworthy, and ethical manner.

Ready to submit?

Although the journal welcomes articles of all types within behavioral medicine, we have open calls for papers for three ongoing special series. The themes are Primary Outcomes of Behavioral Medicine Trials, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Minority Health in Behavioral Medicine, Innovations in Behavioral Medicine: Advances in Theories and Techniques of Behavior Change. Visit our call for papers page to find out more about each theme and submit your work today.

For all submissions, please refer to our instructions to authors for more detailed information and manuscript requirements, and our submissions site if you are ready to submit.