Recruiting [AUS] Under the Influence: Do you work in AOD related fields?

Living in ‘Interesting Times’…



In the first decade of the new millennium, the world is an ‘interesting’ place for scientists and researchers. A number of critical issues, of global importance, have highlighted the increasingly significant role of impartial scientific inquiry in protecting humanity from itself. Unfortunately, as the stakes in the issues we need to address, so do the lengths that other parties go to influence the findings of scientists and researchers. The increasing attempts by non-scientific actors to influence the findings of science and scientists are increasingly being uncovered around the world.



This has been particularly well documented in the field of climate change, both in the USA and it appears, in Australia. The Union of Concerned Scientists was formed in the USA to counter this movement, and a number of other areas are now under scrutiny.



Anecdotal reports suggest that the arena of alcohol and other drug (AOD) policy is not immune to this intervention and influence. Little formal research exists to investigate the scale of this problem in Australia, or indeed if it exists at all. We would like to invite you to have your say on the issue, and contribute to our greater understanding of the situation.



We have designed our ‘Under the Influence’ survey for anyone who is currently working in the AOD arena in Australia. It’s anonymous, and we are using a ‘snow-ball’ technique to target individual, rather than corporate, opinions. We want to know if you feel your work and your interests are allowed to stand on its’ merit, or whether you feel that you have had to make compromises for reasons that, to date, you have been unable to share.



It’s not all about the negative, though. We also want to hear about your hopes and aspirations, and what you would like see happen in your field in the next decade of this millennium. We believe that the data generated from our project will be useful to researchers and policy makers alike, providing a snapshot of the current mood of the profession, as well as a template to guide future endeavours.



If you are interested, please click on the following link and follow the instructions.


Under the Influence



It won’t take very long (we promise!) and we think the results, once compiled, will provide very interesting reading. Please feel free to forward this on to anyone that you think might be interested in the topic, or in completing the survey. We are hoping that respondents forwarding this email will help get the maximal coverage for the survey, ensuring that we have a truly representative sample with which to work.



Thanks again for your time and energy- we look forward to sharing our results with you!

David Caldicott (Royal Adelaide Hospital)
Andrew MacIntosh (ANU)

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Please direct any inquires to [email protected]

how do you intend to varify the information collected, it seems that this survey itself could be very easily stacked.

would be cery interested to see the results, when are they due???

I don't understand the point of this. Are they looking to see how many people work in AOD and use themselves, or how many have had to change opinions for the prevailing understanding?

I posted this on behalf of Dr Caldicott (aka drplatypus). I've asked him to address the above questions.

In reply...

Stacking is a possibilty and a risk, but does not appear to be happening- results seem fair and even handed;

Results will be available later this year, once analysed;

I thought that the survey was pretty well explained. Not in the slightest bit interested in whether respondents are interested, it's not aimed at users. It's aimed at people who work in the AOD sector, and is looking at how they perceive their work is inflenced by outside forces. Unsure of where your confusion comes from... PM me if you like.

Hope that answers things adequately...