title: Replication in prevention science.
abstract: Replication research is essential for the advancement of any scientific field. In this paper, we argue that prevention science will be better positioned to help improve public health if (a) more replications are conducted; (b) those replications are systematic, thoughtful, and conducted with full knowledge of the trials that have preceded them; and (c) state-of-the art techniques are used to summarize the body of evidence on the effects of the interventions. Under real-world demands it is often not feasible to wait for multiple replications to accumulate before making decisions about intervention adoption. To help individuals and agencies make better decisions about intervention utility, we outline strategies that can be used to help understand the likely direction, size, and range of intervention effects as suggested by the current knowledge base. We also suggest structural changes that could increase the amount and quality of replication research, such as the provision of incentives and a more vigorous pursuit of prospective research registers. Finally, we discuss methods for integrating replications into the roll-out of a program and suggest that strong partnerships with local decision makers are a key component of success in replication research. Our hope is that this paper can highlight the importance of replication and stimulate more discussion of the important elements of the replication process. We are confident that, armed with more and better replications and state-of-the-art review methods, prevention science will be in a better position to positively impact public health.
authors.affiliation: 309 College of Education, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40205, USA. jeff.valentine@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Jeffrey C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Valentine
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biglan
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Boruch
authors.forename: Felipe González
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Linda M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Flay
authors.forename: Sheppard
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kellam
authors.forename: Eve K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Mościcki
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Schinke
mesh_terms: D006302:Health Services Research; D011315:Preventive Medicine; D015203:Reproducibility of Results