title: Theory and methods in comparative drug and alcohol policy research: Response to a review of the literature.
abstract: Comparative drug and alcohol policy analysis (CPA) is alive and well, and the emergence of robust alternatives to strict prohibition provides exciting research opportunities. As a multidisciplinary practice, however, CPA faces several methodological challenges. This commentary builds on a recent review of CPA by Ritter et al. (2016) to argue that the practice is hampered by a hazy definition of policy that leads to confusion in the specification and measurement of the phenomena being studied. This problem is aided and abetted by the all-too-common omission of theory from the conceptualization and presentation of research. Drawing on experience from the field of public health law research, this commentary suggests a distinction between empirical and non-empirical CPA, a simple taxonomic model of CPA policy-making, mapping, implementation and evaluation studies, a narrower definition of and rationale for "policy" research, a clear standard for measuring policy, and an expedient approach (and renewed commitment) to using theory explicitly in a multi-disciplinary practice. Strengthening CPA is crucial for the practice to have the impact on policy that good research can.
authors.affiliation: Center for Public Health Law Research, Beasley School of Law, Temple University, 1719 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States. Electronic address: burris@temple.edu.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burris
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011050:Policy Making; D011634:Public Health; D011640:Public Policy; D012107:Research Design; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Methodology; Policy research; Policy surveillance; Public health law research; Theory