One of UK-SBA’s overarching aims is to provide an information resource across the range of behaviour analytic practice and research. Special Interest Groups are essential in achieving this aim.
What is a UK-SBA Special Interest Group (SIG)?
A SIG is a group of UK-SBA members (at any membership level) who wish to coordinate activities around a particular area of interest. SIGs are a critical component of UK-SBA. They allow members with specialised interests to network with one another, as well as arranging specific activities to support the professional development of SIG members. All UK-SBA SIGs are co-ordinated by an appointed member of the UK-SBA Board, the SIG Lead. Our current SIG Lead is Adele Yellow. Adele can be contacted at [email protected].
Current UK-SBA SIGs:
Each year the SIG Lead prepares a summary of their SIG's activities over the past year. The SIG Chairs are all invited to contribute a summary for this report. The SIG Chair Summary is then presented to the membership at the Annual General Meeting. You can read the summary for the year 2023 here: SIG Chair Summary for 2023
What types of things do SIGs do?
SIGs may coordinate a range of activities aimed at sharing information or promoting behaviour analytic practice within their particular area of interest. For example, SIGs might organise a forum for discussion of relevant issues, arrange training events or speakers for their group, construct bibliographies of key readings in their area of interest (which could be published on the UK-SBA website), or meet to discuss new or historical research in their area. SIGs are encouraged to use a dedicated SIG Facebook page. SIGs are expected to adhere to policies and procedures for these social media pages. Please read our UK-SBA Social Media Policy for full information.
Do I have to be a member of UK-SBA to start or join a SIG?
Yes, to start a SIG or be a SIG member, you must be a member of UK-SBA. However, there may be occasions when the UK-SBA allows a non-member to join a SIG. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the UK-SBA SIG Lead and the Membership Committee.
If I want to establish a SIG, what do I need to do?
If you are interested in establishing a UK-SBA SIG, the first step is to find at least five UK-SBA members who are interested in being members of the SIG. You must then complete the SIG application form, which requires you to outline the goals of your SIG. The application will be reviewed by the UK-SBA Board and you’ll receive correspondence indicating whether your SIG has been approved. If your application is not approved, the UK-SBA will provide guidance on what you need to do to obtain approval. There is no deadline for SIG applications, however, applications should be received by the 15th of the month preceding the quarterly Board meeting at which you would like your application reviewed. Board meetings are held in January, April, July, and October. Completed applications should be sent to UK-SBA SIG Lead at:
Once a SIG application is approved, what does UK-SBA require of SIGs?
Once your SIG is approved by the UK-SBA Board, the SIG Chair must complete a New SIG Progress Report after the first 6 months of operation. SIG Chairs should then submit two reports per year every 6 months there after. This is to report on progress towards meeting goals and describe activities. The SIG Chair submits a SIG Chair 6th Month Report each May to the SIG Lead to describe the activities of the SIG and progress towards meetings their goals. Your SIG will be required to hold an annual meeting (either in person or virtually, at a time deemed appropriate by your members) to inform your SIG Chair Annual Report. The annual report is submitted each November to the SIG Lead. The annual report is used by the SIG Lead to inform the annual SIG Chairs Report for the AGM.
SIGs will also be required to produce a list of key literature (i.e., journal articles or books) relating to their area of interest to be shared on the UK-SBA website.
This should be compiled within the first year of operation, and sent to the SIG Lead at [email protected].
SIGs can set up their own Facebook page (see below) and are encouraged to use their Facebook pages to share further relevant resources. SIGs will be required to adhere to the UK-SBA Social Media Policy.
Do SIG activities have to be approved by the UK-SBA Board?
Activities need only be approved by the Board if you plan to use the UK-SBA name or logo on any written or electronic materials (e.g., advertising for an event, letters to MPs). Any events in which you wish to provide BACB-approved continuing education units must also be approved by the Board. You should submit a description of the activity or event (and a copy of any related materials) to the Board at least eight weeks prior to the event/activity.
What support does UK-SBA provide for SIGs?
Each SIG will have a dedicated page on the UK-SBA website. The page must include a statement of the SIGs mission and goals. SIGs may also post additional information that may be useful to their members, UK-SBA members in general, and to the general public. The UK-SBA Board also will provide written feedback on the SIGs progress and annual reports. SIGs may also contact the UK-SBA SIG Lead at [email protected] for additional guidance and support.
How will the SIG post information to the website?
One person should be designated by the SIG to coordinate uploading information with the UK-SBA webmaster. We ask SIGs to limit their requests to 2 per month unless there are exceptional circumstances. Therefore, it will be helpful to collect several pieces of information and submit them all in one request, rather than making separate requests for each piece of information the SIG wishes to upload. SIGs should consider the overall appearance of their web pages and present information in a way that is likely to be accessible to other members and consumers.
Requests for uploads should be sent to [email protected]
How will the SIG establish a Facebook Group?
Any SIG interested in establishing a Facebook page should contact the UK-SBA SIG Lead for approval and guidance at [email protected] . SIGs will be required to adhere to the UK-SBA Social Media Policy.
Are there any fees associated with forming a SIG or being a member of a SIG?
There is no fee for forming a SIG. SIGs are not allowed to charge dues for being a member of a SIG. Any activities coordinated by the SIG in which a registration fee is charged must be approved by the UK-SBA Board. SIG Chairs should contact the SIG Lead to discuss any such activities in the first instance: [email protected]
Can UK-SBA SIGs affiliate with other organisations?
UK-SBA SIGs may not formally affiliate with other organisations because doing so may cause confusion for UK-SBA members and the wider public. If your SIG would like to provide a link (via the SIGs webpage) to another group that is not specifically behaviour analytic, these links must be approved by the UK-SBA Board. If approved, the links will include a disclaimer of endorsement by UK-SBA. SIG Chairs should contact the SIG Lead to discuss any proposed affiliations in the first instance: [email protected]