ELISAD European Gateway on Alcohol and other Drugs / Final Research and Activity Report December 2003
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2. Methodology.
2.1. Definition of scope and quality criteria
To limit and define the kind of websites described and included to the gateway catalogue, a clear definition of the scope is necessary. Together with the criteria for selection, they serve as the guidelines for data collection.
2.1.1. Formulation of the gateway scope policy
The gateway scope policy is focusing on the thematic content of web resources. Resources meeting the scope criteria are listed and subject to investigation and description, while websites outside the scope are excluded from research.
Subject matter: Websites on all psychoactive substances, including alcohol, tobacco, prescription drugs as well as illicit substances (cannabis, cocaine, opiates etc) will be collected. Websites with a focus on addictions, including compulsive substance use and behavioral addictions such as eating disorders, workaholism, gambling, etc. and their consequences will be included. These may relate to several working areas in the AOD field, such as prevention, education, research, policy, culture, treatment and economy.
Publisher and audience matter: Publishers responsible for websites content must be clearly evident and can include governmental and non-governmental policy organisations and initiatives, university and scientific research institutes, networks, treatment institutions and hospitals, private non-profit associations and persons. Inclusion of commercial publishers is limited to trade publishers in the AOD field (books and journals). Resources containing illegal information will be rejected.
Resource types: Entire websites with thematic scope on AOD will be catalogued with their main domain URL, and can be listed in one or more subject sections. Cataloguing of website sections concerned with AOD issues, and forming part of larger and more general websites, is considered as an exception according to relevance and substantiveness of information. In these cases, URL extensions are recorded. Emphasis is on resources of interest to AOD professionals. Comprehensivity is a matter of consideration to serve the general public.
Geographical coverage: AOD websites from all European countries will be reviewed and catalogued when meeting the thematic scope, including non-EU and Eastern states. Resources from pan-European and International organisations will also be collected, with emphasis on European scope. Websites in all European languages will be accepted.
The complete text of the ELISAD Scope Policy is available online at elisad.org . It is added to this report in Annex 2.
2.1.2. Formulation of criteria for selection / inclusion of web resources
The diversity of AOD websites in several features (see 1.2.1.) and the requirements of the project´s main target group in the health professions (see 1.2.2.) led to the necessity to ensure quality control of data and results by according methods.
The review of current research (see 1.3.4.) served as a base for the formulation of basic selection criteria for the Elisad gateway catalogue. These serve to ensure a certain degree of quality in the choice process for the inclusion of websites.
Following the practical examples of SOSIG, and recommendations of the DESIRE handbook, questions relating to quality criteria were formulated. A lecture on that subject by Marianne van der Heijden at the project group meeting in Lisbon, February 2002 triggered a discussion among the participants on the importance of this issue (see Annex 3, Lisbon minutes).
Several points of consideration were identified to be important in the website identification, selection and evaluation process. The selection criteria were summarised to basic points of considerability that serve to support the data selection process. They can be summarised as follows:
Author:
Name / reputation / balancedness or bias / input / feedback of users
Goal:
Accessibility / reason for web publishing / target group defined / code of ethics /
Scope:
Scope definition / content matches scope / Size / Currency / Update date and regularity
Content:
Accuracy and credibility / substantiveness / quality marks / uniqueness or originality of information / Logical ordering and levels / Services / References
Presentation:
User-friendly design / Error free / Readability / Comprehensiveness / Navigation / orientation / help functions / site search
A checklist with these main criteria for quality are listed in the input help manual for data collection (see 2.3.2. and Annex 5, winputform.doc). Moreover, an editor´s rating is part of the website description process in the evaluation part of the online questionnaire (see 2.2.3.1. and Annex 4, finalform.php).
2.1.3. Quality ensurance through participants expertise and networking ability
Next to the adaption and application of the above quality criteria, several additional factors serve to ensure good practise and high quality of project performance.
It is a human expertise filter securing access to and inclusion of valuable resources. Expertise and judgement is considered an essential part of the evaluation process. This task can be performed jointly on a high level by professional AOD information managers through Europe.
The European Association of Libraries and Information Services, ELISAD was founded in 1988. Its objectives are to strengthen professional relations between all European libraries and to promote exchange and systematic cooperation. Moreover, Elisad aims to develop and facilitate technical exchanges and collaborative projects among members. Acitvities within Elisad focus to enhance skills and competences of its members by continued training and education. This objective is realised by meetings, workshops and projects. ELISAD has presently around 50 members from European and non-European countries.
Collaborative projects initiated by ELISAD include a feasibility study on a distributed database for grey literature on AOD in Europe (GLADE) which later became the REITOX virtual library (http://virtlib.emcdda.org/index.html). Another project was aimed to develop a multilingual European Alcohol and Drugs thesaurus, in order to achieve a standardised and comparable indexing system. Due to lack of funding it has not been possible to realise this complex task to date.
ELISAD is in close exchange and cooperation with other International associations and library networks, in order to increase its focus of reference and expertise. Among these are the European Association for Health Information and Libraries, EAHIL (www.eahil.org) founded in 1985, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Addiction, EMCDDA (www.emcdda.eu.int), and the US organisation Substance Abuse Librarians and Information Specialists, SALIS (http://salis.org) founded in 1978. Networking activities are essentially supported by the use of the internet, and email communications. The gateway project is supported by EMCDDA cooperation (see 2.1.5.). Other references exist with the European Association of Information Services, EUSIDIC (www.eusidic.org), funded in 1982 and the Medical Library Association, MLA (www.mlanet.org).
Within 14 years of cointinued activity and cooperation in the field, ELISAD members have gathered expertise and experience, to perform research into systematic information management on a high standard.
Expertise of project participants: All libraries involved in the gateway project are ELISAD members. All participant libraries have a high degree of expertise in the field, as the collection, administration and distribution of AOD information covers the focus of their daily work. Competence of these ELISAD members results from many factors. Many libraries have a long tradition of performance: The Swedish CAN library was founded in 1901, and had an electronic bibliographic database already in 1982. The former NIAD library in the Netherlands, which is today part of the TRIMBOS Instituut, has been operating since 1968, as well as the UK drugs library of the former ISDD (Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence), which is today a part of Drugscope, established 2001.
The French library network TOXIBASE was founded in 1986 and today includes 8 drug libraries through France in a distributed system: the CIRDD Library Coordination Centre at Lyon, the CIRDD Marmottan Library at Paris, and the CIRDD Toxibase situated at Marseille, Strasbourg, Reims, Montpellier, Bordeaux and Lyon.
Like Trimbos and Drugscope, other libraries have a primary adjunction of their work to AOD research: The German ARCHIDO library was set up in 1987 to support the scientific work of the BISDRO with a systematic base of AOD resources. The Gruppo Abele drugs library, Italy was founded in 1975 and is closely associated to research.
The documentation centre of the Spanish PNSD (Plan Nacional Sobre Drogas), founded in 1985, belongs to a library network adjuncted to research and policy.
By involvement of other ELISAD members during the research process, recommendations and expert advise from several drug libraries ensure additional input in a continued networking process. According to the project concept, cross-country networking with other alcohol and drug professionals and institutions ensure quality of performance. To be able to include websites from Eastern Europe, the Czech partner, SZU, has knowledge and expertise not only in AOD but also in the context of cooperation with related organisations in the Eastern European countries.
2.1.4. Team work process, meetings and group dynamics
The complete project has been performed in team work of average 12 participants. The core group had been existing since 4/2000, formed in an initial meeting at the Trimbos Instituut, Utrecht (NL), growing successively during several exlorative working meetings (Prague 11/2000, Paris 3/2001, Stockholm 10/2001, see elisad.org for minutes). Limited financial resources of members were complemented with private resources, invested in time and money and commitment.
Thus, the overall group cohesion was very strong and binding, affirming a reliable working structure. The high level of motivation and engagement of participants has been an essential factor during the cooperation. This condition has essentially secured the project performance ability, and was not endangered by fluctuations of persons responsible within the organisations involved. Several ancient members remained within the team during the complete process, thereby securing continuity of the group.
In the team work research process, essential steps were performed during the project group meetings, whereas 2 were initially planned for the funded phase 2002-2003. (Lisbon 2/2002, Bremen 10/2002 cf. Annexes 3 and 15). The process endorsed that additional meetings were organised (Utrecht 6/2003 and Dublin 9/2003, Bremen technical meeting 5/2002 cf. Annexes 10, 17 and 22) and by support from Elisad and its member organisations.
The project work programme has been prolonged by 3 months until 9/2003 (instead of 6/2003) to encompass 24 months. A very positive effect was that the group of participants involved had doubled by September 2003, to include 16 libraries specialised in the field of alcohol, other drugs and addictions through Europe. Cooperation within the gateway project context has been subsequently defined in official agreements between Elisad member organisations (cf. Annex 22, Dublin protocol / cf. 4.2.).
Alphabetical listing of institutions and persons involved:
External monitoring was provided to the project from several sources. Partners included the University Bremen (DE, www.uni-bremen.de ), the University of Maryland (USA, www.umd.edu ), as well as the European Drugs Information agency (EU, www.emcdda.eu.int ).
2.1.5.1. Scientific monitoring
Scientific monitoring of the project was provided by the Stephan Quensel, professor at the department of sociology at the University Bremen, who works for the Bremen Institute for Drug Research (BISDRO, www.bisdro.uni-bremen.de ), Germany.
Prof. Quensel gave input in several working papers and in the Lisbon meeting to support the project in aspects of methodology and content, focusing on the sociological and political impact of drug related information.
Research methodology: Prof Quensel stressed the importance of qualitative data input in relation with the explorative character of the research. A suitable instrument facilitating website descriptions should include freetext fields. In fact, the exclusive use of quantitative methods would lead to a reduction of potential findings. Since free data entries are wellknown as a source of mistake and error, quantitative items could be developed as a result from qualitative input. Inclusion of unexpected and complementary qualitative data into the metadata can serve to improve the quantitative answering options in a repeated revision process. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection was identified as best solution to cope with the problem (see 2.2.3.1.).
Sociological reflections focused on scope and content of collection, e.g. problems related to inclusion of private or drug users websites and alternative information resources to the gateway catalogue. In research, drug users knowledge is considered as an important resource to learn about new trends and substances, subjective drug effects, patterns and rituals of use, and attitudes towards drugs. On the other hand, editors are confronted with ethical problems in providing access to websites that promote drug use and criminal activities. Another important point of importance, many established and wellknown institutional websites through Western Europe can be easily found and accessed. Potential focus of interest and added value would mean to provide access to small, independent or developing associations and resources.
More considerations centered on the sociological and political impact of drug related terminology, in relation with the variety and changes of concepts and paradigms in the field through Europe, and in comparison to US-American attitude. Concepts like prevention can have different meanings, and have undergone various changes in many countries in the last decades. Prevention can mean prevention of first use (primary), of misuse (secondary), and of dependency (tertiary). Prevention of harmful consequences is known as harm reduction, which is a term used for policies as well as for certain kinds of intervention. Since the term premisses an approach that accepts drug use as a fact, it is associated with controversial perception in relation to political environment of some countries. Over time, interventions that were understood as harm reduction measures, are established as elements of the normal public health and treatment system, and thus perceived as services and therapy in some countries. Another example is the use of the terms addiction and dependency, or use, abuse and misuse that are perceived differently in relation with the legal status of psychoactive substances. Varying cultural interpretation and use of terms must be considered in the use of standardised terms provided by the data collection tool, to reduce misunderstanding in the description of websites.
Additional scientific monitoring as a voluntary input was provided by cooperation with Dagobert Soergel, professor at the information sciences department at the University of Maryland (USA). Prof. Soergel is an expert in the field of electronic information storage and retrieval systems. He stressed the importance of suitable indexing, and a suitable ordering structure of the online information system. From his experience with the development of the NIAAA Alcohol and other Drugs Thesaurus (15), and continued SALIS cooperation, profesor Soergel is familiar in depth with concepts and definitions of substance related terms, and indexing methods coping with the contentual interrelations of categories. (15a).
Another subject of repeated discussion with ELISAD members was focused on the methodological and cooperational feasibility of a standardised European thesaurus indexing system.
2.1.5.2. European drugs expert monitoring: EMCDDA
The European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (Lisbon) was founded in 1996 as an agency tasked with the collection, analysis and distribution of AOD related information. One main objective is to improve comparability of data from various areas. The Centre processes and produces statistical, documentary and technical information for professional audiences in the AOD field. Thematic focuses of information include epidemiology, trends and responses, such as governmental strategies and legislation, prevention, demand reduction and treatment. The EMCDDA is member to the ELISAD network.
Several departments of the Centre are active in specific issues of systematic documentation:
The EMCDDA library collects, administrates and distributes the documentary publications holdings of the Centre. The "Bibliodatabase" is available for online search at http://oxford.emcdda.org/winlib/gbs.htm and contains 4.500 records.
The European Legal Database on Drugs ELDD collects, administrates and distributes legal documents in their original format in a searchable database at http://eldd.emcdda.eu.int .
The Exchange on Drug Demand Reduction Action information system EDDRA collects and provides details of a wide range of drug-responses programmes in the EU. The database is available online at http://eddra.emcdda.eu.int:8008/eddra.
The Evaluation Instruments Bank EIB is an archive of 185 tools that feature reliable methods and good practise for evaluation of various interventions. It can be searched online at http://eibdata.emcdda.eu.int/databases_eib.shtml .
The inventory on Qualitative European Drug Research QED collects and provides information about recent and current research projects, publications, and researchers. Three related databases can be searched online at http://qed.emcdda.eu.int .
Since from its work definition, the EMCDDA has expertise in collection and management of drug related information, there are several opportunities for collaboration with ELISAD in the frame of the gateway project. A general agreement was formulated in a statement from the EMCDDA direction (G. Estievenart) and forms part of the project collaboration. The cooperation includes general support and follow-up of the project, that consist in several activities:
- participation in the ELISAD gateway working group email exchanges and meetings, continous general monitoring of the research process, e.g. methodology and analysis of data quality
- contributions to the data collection process focusing on pan-European web resources
- contributions on project promotion e.g. using the EMCDDA´s newsletter "Drugnet"
- Training and knowledge exchange e.g. by ELISAD conference participation (see Annex 14) and contributions, and joint training activities for European drug experts, e.g. in the frame of the PHARE CEECs project (see 2.5.3.)
ELISAD European Gateway on Alcohol and other Drugs / Final Research and Activity Report December 2003
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