Research in Developmental Disabilities
Research in Developmental Disabilities is a bimonthly, peer‑reviewed medical journal about developmental disabilities. It is published by Elsevier, and the editor‑in‑chief is Dagmara Dimitriou of the UCL Institute of Education.
The journal started in 1987 after two earlier journals merged: Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities (founded in 1981) and Applied Research in Mental Retardation (founded in 1980).
In February 2015, concerns were raised about the journal’s founding editor Johnny Matson. An Elsevier investigation found that he had cited his own work excessively and used a process that allowed papers to be published without proper peer review in some cases. The investigation also found conflicts of interest involving assessment tools he developed and sold through a company registered in his wife’s name, which he did not disclose. As a result, 24 papers across Research in Developmental Disabilities and another Elsevier journal edited by Matson were retracted. Matson faced criticism for publishing many of his own papers and citing his own work.
In March 2015, Dagmara Dimitriou was appointed the new editor‑in‑chief and the journal updated its editorial policies.
The journal is indexed in major databases, and it had an impact factor of 3.635 in 2021 according to Journal Citation Reports.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 04:55 (CET).