Dear readers,
Welcome to our first science review of 2016! You might notice some exciting changes to The BASIS. First, we’ve streamlined our science reviews. For each scientific paper we review, we now focus less on the details of the methodology and more on the implications of the findings. This is part of our continuing efforts to share addiction science with the broadest audience possible. In addition to informing professionals, like researchers, clinicians, and policy makers, we also want to reach people outside these fields who have an interest in addiction. We want everyone, regardless of professional experience or educational background, to feel they can turn to The BASIS for summaries of the latest addiction research as well as evidence-based resources and tools. We hope you like these changes and are eager for your feedback!
We’re also excited to announce that January 30, 2016 is the 20th anniversary of The BASIS! We started back in 1996 as The WAGER. In the earliest editions of The WAGER, we briefly reviewed gambling research for busy public policy makers. During 2005, we expanded our content by reviewing studies of other expressions of addiction and adopted the name, The BASIS. We organized these new science reviews into ASHES, STASH, and The DRAM. These days, we run one edition each of The WAGER, The DRAM, ASHES, and STASH every month.
Throughout the coming year, we will mark our 20th anniversary with some special content. We will take this opportunity to highlight some of the ways addiction science has expanded and advanced over the last two decades. You can help with this effort! Nominate a research article that you believe represents a breakthrough in the study of gambling or substance use. To nominate an article, send an email to me at hgray@challiance.org.
We’ll have lots of other exciting developments to celebrate during 2016, including a number of new month-long Special Series on addiction research. This year, we will feature important and timely topics including Gambling Disorder Awareness Month, recovery and resilience among tribal communities, addiction and domestic violence, and opioid dependence and recovery. We will also feature public health initiatives and editorials from people with lots of different perspectives on experience of addiction. So far, expect to hear from Drs. Mark Albanese, Ben Lê Cook, and Martina Whelshula, and Ken Winters.
We look forward to continuing our mission to share addiction research. We hope you enjoy and learn from The BASIS. As always, you can use the Comment section to give us feedback on these changes and developments.
— Heather Gray, Senior Editor, The BASIS
On behalf of The BASIS Team:
Howard J. Shaffer, Ph.D., C.A.S., Editor-in-Chief
Debi A. LaPlante, Ph.D., Editor, STASH and WAGER
Sarah E. Nelson, Ph.D., Editor, ASHES and DRAM
Matthew Tom, Ph.D, Content Manager
Alec Conte
Layne Keating
John Kleschinsky
Emily Shoov