The reporting of therapist sample data in the Journal of Counseling Psychology.

Adequate reporting of sample characteristics is necessary in conducting, reviewing, and replicating research studies. In this study, the author reviewed Journal of Counseling Psychology studies from 1988 to 1997 that used therapists in their research samples and examined the type and consistency of therapist sample reporting. Researchers report as many as 9 different therapist variables, and overall there is a lack of consistency in how often each variable is reported and how it is measured. The implications for the lack of uniformity in reporting are discussed.