Publishing Addiction Science: A Self-Guided Tutorial

Welcome | Target Audience | Technical Requirements | Sponsors | Teaching Faculty |
How to Use this Tutorial | For Course Directors | About ISAJE | The Book | Tutorial Modules

Welcome to the PARINT self-guided tutorial, "Publishing Addiction Science."

This tutorial was developed by the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE), with sponsorship from the US National Institute on Drug Abuse and the World Health Organization. It reviews publication practices that can help people to publish scientific articles and other scholarly information. The tutorial also deals with publication ethics.

This tutorial is designed for people interested in publishing any scholarly writing on the subject of alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco and other abused substances. It is especially designed for pre-doctoral students, post-doctoral research fellows, clinical interns, senior research assistants, junior faculty investigators, and to a lesser extent, established investigators in the addiction field.

In addition to the tutorial, this webpage has a variety of options to serve the needs of different users. If you are interested in how and where to publish addiction science, you can go directly to the menu option called "Getting Started: How to Use this Tutorial." It describes the five tutorial modules as well as the background readings that will allow you to explore the lecture material in greater depth. Before you begin, however, you should consult the menu option called "Technical Requirements" to make sure that your computer can handle the software.

Once you have found out how to use the tutorial you can go directly to the Tutorial Modules, which cover the following topics:

1) How to Choose a Journal. This module describes seven steps to find the most appropriate publication outlet using information included in Chapter 2 of the book, Publishing Addiction Science.

2) The Use and Abuse of Citations. This module describes how to write an effective literature review for the introduction to a scientific paper by citing the literature fairly, critically and ethically.

3) Authorship Issues. This module reviews common (and not-so-common) authorship problems and how to avoid them. It deals with such issues as unearned authorship credits (gift author), how to list multiple authors, and how to decide who should be listed as an author.

4) Preparing Manuscripts and Responding to Referees' Reports. This module consists of practical guidance about what journal editors are looking for in a journal article (e.g., originality, sound methodology, good writing) and what to do when the editor asks for a revision.

5) Publication Ethics. This module describes the "seven deadly sins" of scientific publishing (e.g., plagiarism, duplicate publication, scientific fraud, etc.) and how to avoid them.

If you are interested in learning more about the sponsors of the tutorial and the teaching faculty responsible for developing it, please go to the respective menu options.

If you are a course director or other teaching faculty please follow the "Note to Course Directors and other Faculty Interested in Using This Tutorial" link. This section describes how the tutorial can be used as part of a course, workshop or seminar.

The tutorial is based on the book, Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed. If you would like to obtain a copy of the book, go to the menu item labeled "The Book."

Thank you for visiting this website. We hope it is useful and enjoyable.

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Technical Requirements

The following software is required to view this streaming web video program:

  • Windows 98 or later, or Windows NT 4.0 or later , or Mac OS X v10.2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 (or later) or Netscape Navigator 7.0 (or later), or Internet Explorer 5.2.2 (or later) for Mac
  • Windows Media Player 7.0 or later (at least version 9 is recommended to optimize presentation playback) or Windows Media Player for Mac OS X

Click icon below for free download



Playback does require one to allow Active X to be run on the computer. Depending on browser security settings, it may ask when loading (right click to allow). This streaming video will not work with a dial up connection. Note, in addition to running through the presentation in order, one can jump ahead or back. However, depending on the user's connection speed and file size, it may take 3 to 5 minutes to download slides in cache in the background to allow jumping around.

Please report any problems with the tutorial to:
paturzo@nso.uchc.edu

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Sponsors and Acknowledgements

The developers of this tutorial would like to thank the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse for their support of the PARINT website (www.parint.org) and for their contribution to the logistical and technical work that was necessary to bring this project to fruition. We are grateful to the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors and the World Health Organization, Programme on Mental Health and Substance Dependence, for the encouragement and support they provided.

Numerous people participated in the development of this tutorial. Technical support was provided by the University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut, USA. The National Research and Development Center for Welfare and Health, STAKES; Helsinki, Finland, provided space and technical support for the video-filming. The following individuals provided valuable expertise at different stages of the project: Deborah Paturzo, Deborah Talamini, William Hengstenberg, Frank Barton and Thomas Babor from the University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA; Ian Stolerman from the Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK; Kerstin Stenius and Jyrki Penttilä, Welfate and Health (STAKES), Helsinki, Finland; Robert West, University of London, UK; Richard Pates, Community Addictions Unit, Cardiff, Wales and Susan Savva, The International Society of Addiction Journal Editors, London, UK. Finally, we thank Kim Wolf for her suggestion to use the video streaming technology.

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Tutorial Faculty

The following faculty are featured in the tutorial modules:

Thomas F. Babor, Ph.D., M.P.H. is Professor and Chairman in the Department of Community Medicine and Health Care, University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He is the Regional Editor for the Americas of the international journal, Addiction and a contributor to the book, Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed.

Richard Pates is Clinical Director of the Community Addiction Unit in Cardiff and is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist. He has been working with drug users for the past 16 years. He has research interests in injecting, especially needle fixation and the treatment of amphetamine users. He is also the Editor of Journal of Substance Abuse.

Ian Stolerman B.Pharm. Ph.D. is Professor of Behavioural Pharmacology at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London. He was Co-Editor of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, serves on the editorial boards of many other publications and is a former President of the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors.

Kerstin Stenius, PH D, is a researcher at the Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs, Stockholm University, Sweden and editor-in-chief of NAT - Nordic Studies of Alcohol and Drugs. She is also a contributor to the book, Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed.

Robert West is Director of Tobacco Studies at the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London. His research involves clinical trials of behavioural and pharmacological aids to cessation, population surveys and cohort studies of smokers looking at patterns of smoking and smoking cessation. He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Addiction. More information can be found at www.rjwest.co.uk .

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Getting Started: How to Use this Tutorial

These modules were videotaped at a live workshop conducted in September, 2006 by five addiction journal editors in Helsinki, Finland. Once you click on a module link below you will be asked to register in our anonymous data base to make it possible to evaluate our performance and improve our service. At the end of each module, we will ask you to provide a short evaluation of the learning experience. If followed sequentially, these modules guide you through the main chapters of the book, Publishing Addiction Science. Alternatively, the five modules can be taken individually.

After you complete each module, we suggest that you read the relevant chapters in Publishing Addiction Science, which provide additional information. Some chapters have case studies and learning exercises that should be of interest, as well as additional references.

Below is a summary of each module, the module's viewing time, and the faculty member who teaches it. You can click on each link to go directly to the module.


Module 1. How to Choose a Journal. (Richard Pates, 22 min.) This module describes seven steps to help you find the most appropriate publication outlet for a scientific article, using information included in Chapter 2 of Publishing Addiction Science.

Module 2. The Use and Abuse of Citations. (Robert West, 27 minutes). This module describes how to write an effective literature review for the introduction to a scientific paper by citing the literature fairly, critically and ethically. It summarizes the content found in Chapter 4 of Publishing Addiction Science.

Module 3. Authorship Issues. (Kerstin Stenius, 25 minutes) This module describes one of the most contentious issues in scientific publishing, how to assign authorship credits. It also discusses practical methods to avoid authorship problems. It covers the material found in Chapter 5 of Publishing Addiction Science.

Module 4. Preparing Manuscripts and Responding to Referees' Reports. (Ian Stolerman, 35 minutes) This module describes what journal editors are looking for in a journal article (e.g., originality, sound methodology, good writing) and what to do when the editor asks for a revision. It covers Chapter 6 of Publishing Addiction Science.

Module 5. Publication Ethics. (Thomas Babor, 45 minutes) This module describes the "seven deadly sins" of scientific publishing (e.g., plagiarism, duplicate publication, scientific fraud, etc.) and how to avoid them. It covers the material found in Chapters 7 and 8 of Publishing Addiction Science.

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Course Directors and other Faculty: A Note for Those Interested in Using This Tutorial in Courses, Seminars and Workshops

Despite the importance of the journal publication process to the career development of addiction scientists and clinicians, there has been virtually no formal training program developed to either assist new scientists to publish their research or to deal with the ethical problems that arise in the publication process. The information and experiential activities connected with this tutorial were developed to improve scientific integrity and research ethics, and to enhance publication capabilities for addiction professionals. A major assumption of this tutorial, and the book it is based on, is that publication ethics affect the moral choices made by authors of articles submitted to peer reviewed scientific journals, which in turn has clear relevance to research integrity in the biomedical and psychosocial disciplines that constitute the broad field of addiction research.

The tutorial is based on Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed (Babor et al., 2004). This book can be downloaded for free from www.isaje.net or can be purchased from the US National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information (see menu option on how to order or download a copy).

There are two main parts to the tutorial. The first is practical information on where to publish a research article or other scholarly material on topics related to addiction (Module 1). Related modules deal with good citation practices (Module 2), the determination of authorship credits (Module 3), and how to negotiate the editorial review process (Module 4). The second part of the tutorial deals with ethical issues, and is presented in the final component (Module 5). This module is designed to:

  • improve awareness of ethical issues in research and publication,
  • influence commitment to follow ethical guidelines and report ethical misconduct,
  • teach ethical decision-making skills, and
  • facilitate the implementation of ethical policies among young addiction researchers, especially those working in research centers and in academic departments.

Course directors and others interested in using this tutorial in whole or in part should first read the relevant chapters of Publishing Addiction Science. Some of the chapters have training exercises that can be used as part of a workshop or seminar after viewing the module. The chapters can be assigned as background readings and should provide ample ideas for discussion topics. Below are detailed suggestions for teaching each module.

Module 1: How to Choose a Journal. (22 min) This module describes the growth in publishing opportunities, types of journals, major steps in choosing a journal, and the reasons for choosing carefully. Small group discussions are recommended following the lecture to answer questions and deal with technical issues. An interactive exercise can be conducted using several published or unpublished abstracts that cover areas relevant to the seminar participants (e.g., a clinical trial, an epidemiological study, an animal study, a policy study). Participants are asked to assemble in small groups to review the "eight major steps in choosing a journal" covered in the didactic lecture, and then reach consensus on three journals that would likely be receptive to reviewing the article.

Module 2: Citation Practices. (27 min) The purpose of this module is to develop skills useful for ethical citation practices. This lecture reviews the information presented in Chapter 4 of Publishing Addiction Science, covering the scientific purpose of citations and referencing, deviations from ideal citation practices, and procedures to be followed when compiling an informal review to introduce a research report. Participants are then asked to review textual material that illustrates unethical or inappropriate citation procedures such as selective citation and citing inaccessible sources. A copy of the exercise can be obtained by going to the ISAJE site for detailed guidance.

Module 3: Authorship Credits. (25 minutes) The purpose of this exercise is to review current theory and practice regarding the roles and responsibilities of authorship, and to develop practical skills that will minimize unfair and unethical authorship practices. The didactic lecture reviews current journal policies regarding authorship credits, describes the nature and consequences of authorship misconduct, discusses formal guidelines for assigning authorship credits, reviews a model set of practical steps to assign authorship credits, and discusses how to implement model procedures at the institutional level. Small group discussion following the didactic lecture is recommended to focus attention on the difficulties often encountered in multi-authored papers. A section of the chapter devoted to the special case of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows may be of particular interest as a discussion topic. Finally, discussion could focus on how participants would implement authorship policies at their institutions, leading to a plan for influencing procedures at the individual's laboratory, department or research center.

Module 4: Preparing Manuscripts and Responding to Referees' Reports. (35 minutes) This module describes what journal editors are looking for in a journal article (e.g., originality, sound methodology, good writing) and what to do when the editor asks for a revision. It covers Chapter 6 of Publishing Addiction Science. Following the didactic lecture the course director may want to elaborate on issues of interest to students such as how to write a publishable paper and how to deal with referee comments.

Module 5: Moral Reasoning in Addiction Publishing. (45 min). This lecture reviews the "Seven Deadly Sins in Scientific Publishing and How to Avoid Them," as described in Chapter 7 of Publishing Addiction Science. The lecture describes a problem-solving approach to moral reasoning that can be used to evaluate moral dilemmas, based on work by White and Popovits (2001). The set of case studies provided in Chapter 8 can then discussed in small group sessions, each dealing with one of the "seven deadly sins." After discussing each case, participants are asked to apply the moral reasoning approach using a checklist for analysis of critical incidents that is explained in Chapter 8 of Publishing Addiction Science.

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About ISAJE

The International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE) is an organization of journal editors that was founded 'to promote excellence in the communication and dissemination of information on addiction and related sciences within the scientific community and to those who have responsibility for the prevention, treatment, cure, professional training and policy formation in the field.' ISAJE is not only the first society for addiction journal editors, it is also the first international organization specifically devoted to the improvement of scientific publishing in the addiction field. Formally constituted in 2001 as a non-profit organization, the establishment of ISAJE reflects a trend across the broader fields of biomedical and scientific publishing to coordinate efforts and develop a sense of professionalism in what had heretofore been a disparate collection of individual editors and independent journals. Currently the society has members drawn from 34 addiction specialty journals. To learn more about ISAJE, go to www.isaje.net.

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The Book, Publishing Addiction Science

Publishing Addiction Science was written to fill a gap in the professional education of addiction scientists. Its purpose is to advise potential authors of articles in the addiction field of the opportunities for publishing their work in scholarly journals, especially addiction specialty journals. Although all prospective authors should find such a guide useful, it was specifically designed for students, younger investigators, clinicians and professional researchers. A broader purpose of the book was to improve the quality of scientific publishing in the addiction field by educating authors about the kinds of ethical and professional issues that ISAJE has been concerning itself with: scientific misconduct; ethical decision-making; authorship credits and ethical citation procedures.

The book can be downloaded for free at by going to www.isaje.net and clicking on 'Papers and Publications'. A hard copy of the book can be ordered for $29.75 from the US National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information by going directly to http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=16929 or to their site http://ncadi.samhsa.gov or using the following telephone number 1 800 729 6686. Quote publication number BKD510.

Publishing Addiction Science is organized into three sections. The first section deals with general issues of how and where to publish. In this section, Chapters 2 and 3 deal with how to choose a journal, a very important topic that tends to capture the attention of new investigators and graduate students, thereby providing an ideal way to involve scientists in related issues that deal with research integrity.

The second section provides a detailed guide to the practical side of addiction publishing and publication ethics. The initial article describes appropriate and inappropriate citation practices with recommendations for good behavior. The next chapter deals with the often vexing question of how to assign authorship credits in multi-authored articles. Practical recommendations are suggested to provide collaborating authors with a process that is open, fair and ethical.

The third section is devoted to the more traditional ethical issues that are typically discussed in the context of scientific misconduct and research integrity. The first article in this section reviews seven types of scientific misconduct in the context of a broader definition of scientific integrity. The seven 'sins' are carelessness in citing and reviewing the literature; redundant publication; failure to declare a conflict of interest; unfair authorship; failure to conform to minimal standards of protection for animal or human subjects; plagiarism and scientific fraud. Each of these ethical improprieties is discussed in terms of its relative importance, possible consequences, and procedures for avoiding them. The following chapter discusses the same issues in the context of a framework for ethical decision-making. Case studies are used to illustrate the seven ethical topics, with a commentary on each case provided to demonstrate a practical approach to making sound decisions. The authors of these chapters have striven to present practical advice as well as 'best practices'. In most cases, such as resolving authorship disputes or ethical problems, the solutions are not always simple or obvious, but rather are often dependent on the situation and on an open dialogue among colleagues in the research milieu. For these cases, we offer advice on how to use effective problem solving techniques so that skills can be acquired and applied to a variety of situations.

The chapters were designed to be read as part of a stand-alone "self-help book" and were also meant for use as background readings for this on-line tutorial and for special workshops given by ISAJE editors at professional meetings, research centers and university research departments.

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