Several prominent researchers in the problem gambling field have recently called for high-quality replications of existing gambling studies. This call should be extended to the entire field of addiction research: there is a need to focus on ensuring that the understanding of addiction and related phenomena gained through the extant literature is robust and replicable. This article discusses two important questions addictions researchers should consider before proceeding with replication studies: [1] which studies should we attempt to replicate? And: [2] how should we interpret the findings of a replication study in relation to the original study? In answering these questions, a focus is placed on experimental research, though the discussion may still serve as a useful introduction to the topic of replications for addictions researchers using any methodology.researchers should consider before proceeding on this replication crusade: [1] which studies should we attempt to replicate? And: [2] how should we interpret the findings of replication research? 1 In answering these questions, a focus is placed on experimental research, though the discussion may still serve as a useful introduction to the topic of replications for addictions researchers using any methodology.
Which studies should we replicate?Addictions researchers, like all others, are unavoidably constrained by their available resources and therefore prioritising studies for replication attempts is desirable (Coles et al., 2018).Intuitively, we might consider the studies that have greatly influenced our thinking about addiction 2 as most worth replicating. This approach is logical and consistent with Makel and colleagues' (2012) cautiously proposed heuristic of replicating all studies that have received ≥100 citations to prevent flawed or fraudulent findings from going unchallenged for extended periods of time.Isager (2018) has found replication authors are often motivated by different types of impact, including theoretical, academic, and societal forms. Within the addictions field, theoretically impactful studies requiring replication, for example, might include those investigating nascent developments such as network theories of addictive disorders (e.g., Rhemtulla et al., 2016). The identification of so called "bridge symptoms" and symptoms with high "centrality" (see Fried et al., 2017) by such studies may help us better understand the relationship between addiction and comorbid psychopathologies and identify target symptoms for intervention.A priority for addictions researchers considering replications may be clinical impact. Studies evaluating novel interventions or screening procedures, for example, should be candidates for replication whenever the original studies observe promising findings. This would streamline the testing process whilst still ensuring the efficacy of the procedures before their implementation in 1 A focus is placed on answering these questions and not "how to replicate?" as this question has received significant attention in re...
