RESEARCH METHODS CORE

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RESEARCH METHODS CORE (Director, Dr. Steven Belenko) A distinctive characteristic of the proposed advanced center is its bridging of three sectors: JWental Health (MH), Substance Abuse (SA), and Criminal Justice (CJ), which typically function in intellectual isolation. Our challenge is to blend them together in a coherent and useful way. Methodologically this entails understanding the state of the evidence and the methods of various disciplines and pulling them together to enhance and advance the MH-SA-CJ evidence base. Methodological areas that most limit the science in the MH-SA-CJ fields are not sophisticated statistical techniques or data collection methods, but the basic application of stateof- the-art methods that form and inform the foundation of scientific services and intervention research. Problem areas in the field include the lack of integrative conceptualization (learning and synthesizing across specialty fields and disciplines); the misapplication of outcome evaluation methods (using effectiveness instead of formative methodologies in evaluating innovations or not using RCT or other methods to control for selection effects); and the underuse of qualitative and geographic information methods to enhance validity, refine multivariate modeling, and contextualize cultural, social, and community elements and dynamics. The Research Methods Core applies methods from different fields to MH-SA-CJ research and develops a methods process and tools for improving the conceptual and methodological rigor underpinning the evidence base in the MH-SA-CJ field. Our research focuses on understanding and modeling organized complexity and instrument development through a collective process that involves researchers and stakeholders. Specific Aim 2: Develop and Conduct of Methodologically Rigorous and Innovative Research Develop and support a methods infrastructure that informs and supports MH-SA-CJ services and intervention research and develops and incorporates new methods into the research process.