Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed

Abstract

Cover design by Amber MacKay, developed from 2nd Edition cover by Matthew West of Vasco Graphics. Images used in the cover design were sourced from Pixabay and are licensed under CC0 Public Domain.Reproductions of journal covers and logos used with permission. We dedicate this book to two people who changed addiction science for the better: Lenka Čablová (1986-2016) and Griffith Edwards (1928Edwards ( -2012 Contents Foreword to the Third EditionThe health and social burden attributable to psychoactive substance use is enormous. Alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use taken together are by far the most important preventable risk factors to a population's health. According to the latest WHO estimates, the harmful use of alcohol alone results in around 3.3 million deaths every year. With rapid social and cultural changes taking place in many countries, alcohol and drug use are becoming increasingly embedded in social matrices, often with strong commercial forces playing a role in promoting the use of legal intoxicating and dependence-producing substances. A number of jurisdictions have undertaken major changes in the regulation of psychoactive substances controlled under international drug treaties. New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), with their health effects and distribution channels, present new challenges for public health authorities. Debates around alcohol and drugs are at the forefront of social policy processes in many countries, with significant variations in societal responses. Unfortunately, these debates are often not based on solid data or research evidence, and in many cases the relevant data simply does not exist. Significant caveats exist in the evaluation of existing policy responses and policy changes made in different jurisdictions. There is an urgent need to strengthen the evidence base for the development of adequate program and policy responses to substance use and substance use disorders at different levels. It is difficult to overestimate the role of research and scientific data in shaping policy and program responses at all scales, from local communities to the x Foreword to the Third Edition international level. A consistent and common issue is the lack of sufficient resources for research on substance use and substance use disorders, and very often even those resources available are not utilized to their maximum potential. One of the biggest problems is when investment in research does not result in the publication and dissemination of results, preferably in peer-reviewed journals. This is a particularly prevalent issue in less-resourced countries where opportunities for publishing results of research on substance use and substance use disorders are limited, and where no specialized journals on addiction exist.The third edition of Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed is an important resource for researchers around the world, especially for those who work in low and middle-income countries. It is hoped that this resource will facilitate the dissemination of new data and ...

The challenge of institutionalised complicity: Researching the pharmaceutical industry in the era of impact and engagement

“…Within multidisciplinary studies of addiction, there has been a debate about the dilemmas posed by accepting funding from alcohol and pharmaceutical companies that manufacture addictive products (Miller et al., 2017 ). Many researchers have experienced problems in terms of restrictions placed on the research design, the publishing and sharing of data and attempts to undermine the policy impact of such studies.…”

Basic recommendations for publishing in scientific journals of the psychiatry area

“…Among other functions, editors have the responsibility of updating and adapting publication rules in keeping with international trends and the best practices of the publication (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors [ICMJE], 2017; Babor et al, 2017). These updates vary, but can be roughly grouped into the following categories: a) Guidelines and editorial policies, concerning response times, standardized procedures for receiving manuscripts, editing, production, indexing, and the dissemination of published articles, b) Methodological aspects, involving the implementation of a peer evaluation system, the formation of a group of experts in various areas as part of the Editorial Committee, and, in particular, the adoption of international reporting standards corresponding to each type of methodology (Equator- Network, 2018).…”

Psychology of addictive behaviors.

“…PAB's high standards for publication can make what happens after submission seem like a black box. A recommended open access book, Publishing Addiction Science (Babor et al, 2017), makes the editorial process more transparent by discussing what happens in the pathway to the decision letter. This invaluable book offers sage advice for early career and experienced investigators alike on how to increase the chances of publishing one's research, from selecting a journal to responding to review comments.…”