Welcome to the self-guided tutorial, called "Publishing Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed."
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.
If you are interested in how and where to publish addiction science, you can go directly to the menu option called "How to Use this Tutorial." It describes the ten tutorial modules as well as the background readings that will allow you to explore the lecture material in greater depth.
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.
2) Publication Issues Related to Being a Graduate Student or Postdoctoral Fellow.
3) How to Write a Research Paper.
4) How to Write Publishable Qualitative Research.
5) The Use and Abuse of Citations.
6) Authorship Issues.
7) Preparing Manuscripts and Responding to Referees' Reports.
8) Serving as a Referee and Writing Reviews for Peer Review Journals.
9) Publication Ethics.
10) Science & Industry: Ethics of Academic Relationships with theAlcohol Beverage Industry, Pharmaceutical Companies and Other Funding Agencies.
If you are a course director or other teaching faculty, you can go to the menu option called: "A Note to Course Directors and other Faculty Interested in Using This Tutorial." 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, 2nd edition. 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.
Getting Started: How to Use this Tutorial
Five of the modules were videotaped at a workshop conducted in September, 2006 by five addiction journal editors in Helsinki, Finland. The other five were videotaped at a workshop conducted in September, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. Once you click on a module link below you will be ready to begin a module If followed sequentially, these modules guide you through the main chapters of the book, Publishing Addiction Science. Alternatively, the ten modules can be taken individually.
Before of 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. These are best viewed when using Internet Explorer.
Module 1. How to Choose a Journal. (Richard Pates, 22 minutes) 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. Publication Issues Related to Being a Graduate Student or Postdoctoral Fellow. (Dominique Morisano, 43 minutes) This module describes the challenges and rewards of publishing early in one's professional career. Discussion includes authorship issues, timetables, ethical dilemmas, and pressures to publish. This content is found in Chapter 4 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 3. How to Write a Research Paper. (Phil Lange, 44 minutes) This module describes the development of a typical data based research article from the planning stage to the completion of the final draft. Emphasis is given to scientific writing techniques, the structure of a scientific article and effective methods of scientific communication. It covers material in Chapter 5 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 4. How to Write Publishable Qualitative Research. (Kerstin Stenius, 36 minutes) This module discusses issues related to publishing qualitative data in peer reviewed journals. The content is found in Chapter 6 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 5. 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 7 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 6. 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 8 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 7. 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 includes part of an open forum discussion with a live audience. It covers Chapter 9 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 8. How to Serve as a Referee and Write Reviews for Peer Reviewed Journals. (Bob Balster, 49 minutes) In the context of the Peer Review process, this module explains what journal editors expect from reviewers, and how to prepare a critical but constructive manuscript evaluation. It covers material in Chapter 10 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 9. Publication Ethics. (Thomas Babor, 45 minutes) This module describes the “seven deadly sins” of scientific publishing (e.g., plagiarism, authorship disputes, duplicate publication, scientific fraud, etc.) and how to avoid them. It covers the material found in Chapters 11 and 12 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 10. Science & Industry: Ethics of Academic Relationships with the Alcohol Beverage Industry, Pharmaceutical Companies and Other Funding Agencies. (Peter Miller, 45 minutes) This module describes recent trends in industry sponsorship of scientific research and the ethical risks involved in accepting funding from industry sources. The risks include conflict of interest, biasing the research agenda, biasing the corpus of research findings, and confusing public perceptions of research. It covers material found in Chapter 13 of Publishing Addiction Science.
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 affects 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., 2008). This book can be downloaded for free from www.isaje.net or can be purchased from Multi-Science Publishing Company LTD (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 special issues for doctoral students and postdocs (Module 2), how to write a research paper (Modules 3 and 4), good citation practices (Module 5), the determination of authorship credits (Module 6), how to negotiate the editorial review process (Module 7) and how to serve as a manuscript reviewer (Module 8). The second part of the tutorial deals with ethical issues. Module 9 deals with how to improve awareness of ethical issues in research and publication. Module 10 deals with conflict of interest and other issues related to funding sources. Ethical issues are also covered in Modules 2, 5, and 6.
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 modules 1,5,6,7, and 9.
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 5: 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 7 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 is included at the end of this section.
Module 6: 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 7: 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 9 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 9: 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 11 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 12 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 12 of Publishing Addiction Science.
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 35 addiction specialty journals. To learn more about ISAJE, go to www.isaje.net.
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 from Multi-Science Publishing Company, Ltd., 5 Wates Way, Brentwood, Essex CM15 9TB, United Kingdom. Tel 01277 224632; +44(0)1277 224632 (international) or Fax 01277 223453; +44(0)1277 223453 (international). Email enquiries: [email protected] Price: £18/€27/$36US, plus shipping and handling charges. Also order by going directly to http://www.multi-science.co.uk/addiction-science.htm
Publishing Addiction Science is organized into three sections. The first section deals with general issues of how and where to publish. In this section, Chapter 2 deals with how to choose a journal. Chapter 3 deals with special issues of investigators in low and middle income countries, as well as those whose first language is not English. Chapter 4 focuses on the special needs of new investigators and doctoral students, thereby providing an ideal way to involve new scientists in 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 (Chapter 11) 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 final chapter deals with the relationships research scientists have with funding organizations, especially those connected with the private sector such as the alcohol, tobacco, gambling and pharmaceutical industries.
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 an on-line tutorial and for special workshops given by ISAJE editors at professional meetings, research centers and university research departments.
Five of the modules were videotaped at a workshop conducted in September, 2006 by five addiction journal editors in Helsinki, Finland. The other five were videotaped at a workshop conducted in September, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. Once you click on a module link below you will be ready to begin a module If followed sequentially, these modules guide you through the main chapters of the book, Publishing Addiction Science. Alternatively, the ten modules can be taken individually.
Before of 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. These are best viewed when using Internet Explorer.
Module 1. How to Choose a Journal. (Richard Pates, 22 minutes) 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. Publication Issues Related to Being a Graduate Student or Postdoctoral Fellow. (Dominique Morisano, 43 minutes) This module describes the challenges and rewards of publishing early in one's professional career. Discussion includes authorship issues, timetables, ethical dilemmas, and pressures to publish. This content is found in Chapter 4 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 3. How to Write a Research Paper. (Phil Lange, 44 minutes) This module describes the development of a typical data based research article from the planning stage to the completion of the final draft. Emphasis is given to scientific writing techniques, the structure of a scientific article and effective methods of scientific communication. It covers material in Chapter 5 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 4. How to Write Publishable Qualitative Research. (Kerstin Stenius, 36 minutes) This module discusses issues related to publishing qualitative data in peer reviewed journals. The content is found in Chapter 6 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 5. 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 7 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 6. 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 8 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 7. 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 includes part of an open forum discussion with a live audience. It covers Chapter 9 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 8. How to Serve as a Referee and Write Reviews for Peer Reviewed Journals. (Bob Balster, 49 minutes) In the context of the Peer Review process, this module explains what journal editors expect from reviewers, and how to prepare a critical but constructive manuscript evaluation. It covers material in Chapter 10 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 9. Publication Ethics. (Thomas Babor, 45 minutes) This module describes the “seven deadly sins” of scientific publishing (e.g., plagiarism, authorship disputes, duplicate publication, scientific fraud, etc.) and how to avoid them. It covers the material found in Chapters 11 and 12 of Publishing Addiction Science.
Module 10. Science & Industry: Ethics of Academic Relationships with the Alcohol Beverage Industry, Pharmaceutical Companies and Other Funding Agencies. (Peter Miller, 45 minutes) This module describes recent trends in industry sponsorship of scientific research and the ethical risks involved in accepting funding from industry sources. The risks include conflict of interest, biasing the research agenda, biasing the corpus of research findings, and confusing public perceptions of research. It covers material found in Chapter 13 of Publishing Addiction Science.
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 affects 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., 2008). This book can be downloaded for free from www.isaje.net or can be purchased from Multi-Science Publishing Company LTD (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 special issues for doctoral students and postdocs (Module 2), how to write a research paper (Modules 3 and 4), good citation practices (Module 5), the determination of authorship credits (Module 6), how to negotiate the editorial review process (Module 7) and how to serve as a manuscript reviewer (Module 8). The second part of the tutorial deals with ethical issues. Module 9 deals with how to improve awareness of ethical issues in research and publication. Module 10 deals with conflict of interest and other issues related to funding sources. Ethical issues are also covered in Modules 2, 5, and 6.
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 modules 1,5,6,7, and 9.
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 5: 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 7 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 is included at the end of this section.
Module 6: 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 7: 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 9 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 9: 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 11 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 12 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 12 of Publishing Addiction Science.
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 35 addiction specialty journals. To learn more about ISAJE, go to www.isaje.net.
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 from Multi-Science Publishing Company, Ltd., 5 Wates Way, Brentwood, Essex CM15 9TB, United Kingdom. Tel 01277 224632; +44(0)1277 224632 (international) or Fax 01277 223453; +44(0)1277 223453 (international). Email enquiries: [email protected] Price: £18/€27/$36US, plus shipping and handling charges. Also order by going directly to http://www.multi-science.co.uk/addiction-science.htm
Publishing Addiction Science is organized into three sections. The first section deals with general issues of how and where to publish. In this section, Chapter 2 deals with how to choose a journal. Chapter 3 deals with special issues of investigators in low and middle income countries, as well as those whose first language is not English. Chapter 4 focuses on the special needs of new investigators and doctoral students, thereby providing an ideal way to involve new scientists in 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 (Chapter 11) 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 final chapter deals with the relationships research scientists have with funding organizations, especially those connected with the private sector such as the alcohol, tobacco, gambling and pharmaceutical industries.
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 an on-line tutorial and for special workshops given by ISAJE editors at professional meetings, research centers and university research departments.
Links to
- Publishing Addiction Science at Ubiquity Press
- Supplementary material