title: Funder interference in addiction research: An international survey of authors.
abstract: Scientific research is essential to the development of effective addiction treatment and drug policy. Actions that compromise the integrity of addiction science need to be understood. The aim of this study is to investigate funder (e.g. industry, government or charity) interference in addiction science internationally.
  
  
  
  Corresponding authors of all 941 papers published in an international specialist journal July 2004 to June 2009 were invited to complete a web questionnaire. A sensitivity analysis with extreme assumptions about non-respondents was undertaken.
  
  
  
  The questionnaire was completed by 322 authors (response fraction 34%), 36% (n=117) of whom had encountered at least one episode (median=3, Interquartile range=4) of funder interference in their research: 56% in Australasia, 33% in Europe, and 30% in North America. Censorship of research outputs was the most common form of interference. The wording or writing of reports and articles, as well as where, when and how findings were released were the areas in which influence was most often reported.
  
  
  
  Funder interference in addiction science appears to be common internationally. Strategies to increase transparency in the addiction science literature, including mandatory author declarations concerning the role of the funder, are necessary.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: petermiller.mail@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Florentine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.affiliation: The Graduate School, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Ashlee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Richelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mayshak
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University, 1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Droste
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Kypros
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kypri
mesh_terms: D000073316:Addiction Medicine / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D001319:Authorship; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics*; D000068597:Censorship, Research; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011643:Publishing / Q000191:economics / Q000941:ethics; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012109:Research Support as Topic / Q000941:ethics*
keywords: Censorship; Ethics; Funder influence; Research integrity; Vested interests