Heroin assisted treatment and research networks
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to map research communities related to heroin-assisted treatment (HAT) and the scientific network they are part of to determine their structure and content.
Design/methodology/approach
Co-authorship as the basis for conducting social network analysis with regard to degree, weighted degree, betweenness centrality, and edge betweenness centrality.
Findings
A number of central researchers were identified on the basis of the number of their collaborative relations. Central actors were also identified on the basis of their position in the research network. In total, 11 research communities were constructed with different scientific content. HAT research communities are closely connected to medical, psychiatric, and epidemiological research and very loosely connected to social research.
Originality/value
The first mapping of the collaborative network HAT researchers using social network methodology.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The research leading to these results or outcomes has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013), under Grant Agreement No. 266813 – Addictions and Lifestyle in Contemporary Europe – Reframing Addictions Project (ALICE RAP – www.alicerap.eu). Participant organisations in ALICE RAP can be seen at www.alicerap.eu/about-alice-rap/partner-institutions.html. The views expressed here reflect only the author’s and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
Citation
Houborg, E. and Andersen, R.M. (2015), "Heroin assisted treatment and research networks", Drugs and Alcohol Today, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 203-215. https://doi.org/10.1108/DAT-07-2015-0031
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited