RESEARCHERS VIEWS ABOUT PRIORITIES FOR RESEARCH ON ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND OTHER DRUGS

There have been few attempts to study systematically researchers' view s about priorities for addiction research. This mail/telephone survey of 101 Australian researchers achieved a 90% response rate. Respondent s believed there should be a 50/50 split between the agency-directed a nd researcher-initiated methods of funding: allocation. The top four d rugs in terms of desired proportions of research spending were alcohol 32%, tobacco 18%, opiates 9% and prescribed drugs 9%. Researchers' pr eferences for high funding allocations on prevention research were at odds with the low level of Australian studies in this area. Complexiti es of design and methodology were nominated as the most important barr iers to prevention research. The divide between qualitative and quanti tative approaches was not identified as a major barrier to personal or prevention research. In addition to increases in both overall and spe cific funding, greater collaboration and political support were viewed as important facilitating factors for research efforts. Improved rese archer training and the need to integrate research into quality assura nce programmes were also nominated as useful means of encouraging prev ention studies.