Gerhard Bühringer, Monika Sassen

Institut für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie

Institut für Therapieforschung, München

EMCDDA work and scientific publishing in peer-reviewed journals

Scientific Committee meeting November 17/18, 2008

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Content

1. Key questions

2. EMCDDA products

3. Structure of products

4. Suggested procedure

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1. Key questions

• How can the EMCDDA improve its scientific profile?

• How can the number of publications on EMCDDA work in peer-reviewed journals be increased?

• How can the Scientific Committee contribute to this?

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2. EMCDD Products

Product Content Target group Example

Annual Report

• EMCDDA's yearly overview of the drug phenomenon

• (Published every autumn)

• Policymakers & their advisors (primary target)

• specialists & practitioners in the drugs field

• Drug related infectious diseases

General report of activities

• annual publication• providing a detailed

progress report of the EMCDDA's activities over a 12-month period

• European institutions• EMCDDA statutory bodies• drug-related bodies in the EU

Member States• international organisations

Drugnet Europe

• the EMCDDA's newsletter• (four issues published per

year)

• EMCDDA partners: focal points & international institutions

• practitioners in drugs field• scientists & researchers• European citizens

Drugs in focus

• a series of policy briefings from the EMCDDA

• (published three times per year)

• Policymakers & their advisors • Substance use among older adults: a neglected problem

• Cocaine use in Europe: implications for service delivery; Drugs and crime - a complex relationship

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2. EMCDD Products

Product Content Target group Example

Insights

• volumes conveying the findings of study and research carried out by the agency on topical issues in the drugs field

• Policymakers & their advisors

• specialists & practitioners in the drugs field.

• Prevention of substance abuse (2008)• An overview of cannabis potency in

Europe (2004)• Prosecution of drug users in Europe -

varying pathways to similar objectives (2002)

Literature reviews

• bring the reader up-to-date with current knowledge on a particular topic

• highlighting areas that still need research and development

• Specialists & practitioners in the drugs field (including scientists & academics)

• policymakers.

• Treatment of problem cocaine use: a review of the literature (2007)

Monographs

• specialised publications• containing scientific papers

prepared in the context of EMCDDA research studies, conferences and seminars

• Specialists & practitioners in the drugs field, (including scientists & academics - primary target)

• policymakers & their advisors

• A cannabis reader: global issues and local experiences (2008)

• Hepatitis C and injecting drug use: impact, costs and policy options (2004)

• Modelling drug use: methods to quantify and understand hidden processes (2001)

Manuals

• practical handbooks• aimed at professionals and

grassroot practitioners working in the drugs field

• Practitioners in the drugs field

• Guidelines for the evaluation of treatment in the field of problem drug use (2007)

• Guidelines for the evaluation of outreach work: a manual for practitioners (2001)

• Guidelines for the evaluation of drug prevention: a manual for programme-planners and evaluators (1998)

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2. EMCDD Products

Product Content Target group Example

Risk assessments

• results of the agency's work under the terms of the Action on new drugs (formal risk assessments of a number of substances)

• European institutions• international organisations• drug-related bodies in the EU

Member States;• EMCDDA statutory bodies;• journalists.

Selected issues

• in-depth reviews of topical interest

• based on information provided to the EMCDDA by the Reitox national focal points as part of the national reporting process

• Policymakers & their advisors• specialists & practitioners in the

drugs field

• Vulnerable groups of young people (2008)

• National drug-related research in Europe (2008)

• Towards a better understanding of drug-related public expenditure in Europe (2008)

Thematic papers

• scientific papers• on selected, theme-based

aspects of the drugs phenomenon

• specialists & practitioners in the drugs field (including scientists & academics)

• policy-makers

• GHB and its precursor GBL: an emerging trend case study (2008)

• Hallucinogenic mushrooms (2006)

• Youth media (2005)

Technical datasheets

• present and discuss information on ongoing EMCDDA research topics

• Specialists & practitioners in the drugs field (including scientists & academics)

• Monitoring the supply of cocaine to Europe (2008)

• Monitoring the supply of heroin to Europe (2008)

• Sexual assaults facilitated by drugs or alcohol (2008)

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3. Structure of products

quantitative analyses qualitative analyses

original papers

reviewsposition papers

guidelines

commissioned products

internal products

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4. Suggested procedures I

4.1 Commissioned products• preparation of tenders:

– consider possible (sub-) topics for publications

• in the tender specification:

– specify expected publications

– Consider time requirements

• during selection process:

– consider scientific (publishing) qualifications

• during product development:

– monitor manuscript development and submission (e.g., selection of journal)

– clarify function of EMCDDA “project manager” as possible co-author (ISAJE/PAS2: authorship checklist)

– provide standardized “acknowledgement statement”

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4. Suggested procedures II

• Cave!– Pre-publishing of manuscript contents in EMCDDA publications

might be a risk for scientific publishing.

• Function of the Scientific Committee– advice for selection of “publishable items”

– evaluation of manuscript quality

– advice for selection of journals

– possible authorship

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4. Suggested procedures III

4.2 Internal products• preparation of task/project:

– consider possible subtopics for publication

• during planning process:

– consider publication task and time requirements

• staff selection:

– consider scientific and publication competences and/or

– look for external co-authors

• during product development:

– clarify authorship

– allocate tasks

– select the journal (manuscript requirements)

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4. Suggested procedures IV

• Cave!– Pre-publishing of manuscript contents in EMCDDA publications

might be a risk for scientific publishing.

• Function of the Scientific Committee– advice for selection of “publishable items”

– evaluation of manuscript quality

– advice for selection of journals

– possible authorship