Aims & Scope
Journal of Addiction Disorder and Rehabilitation (JADR) publishes rigorous behavioral science research examining the psychological, cognitive, and social mechanisms underlying addictive behaviors and recovery processes. We focus on understanding addiction through empirical investigation of behavioral patterns, decision-making processes, cognitive functioning, and psychosocial factors.
Research Scope: Tiered Structure
Behavioral Mechanisms of Addiction
- Reward processing and reinforcement learning
- Habit formation and behavioral automaticity
- Impulsivity and self-regulation deficits
- Craving and urge dynamics
- Relapse patterns and behavioral triggers
- Behavioral economics of substance use
Cognitive Functioning & Addiction
- Executive function deficits and recovery
- Attention bias and attentional control
- Memory processes in addiction and recovery
- Decision-making under uncertainty
- Cognitive flexibility and set-shifting
- Working memory capacity and substance use
Psychosocial Factors & Recovery
- Social support networks and recovery outcomes
- Stigma perception and help-seeking behavior
- Family dynamics and interpersonal functioning
- Peer influence and social contagion effects
- Identity transformation in recovery
- Community integration and social capital
Assessment & Measurement
- Psychometric validation of addiction measures
- Behavioral assessment methodologies
- Ecological momentary assessment approaches
- Risk assessment and prediction models
- Recovery capital measurement
- Cross-cultural adaptation of instruments
Tier 2: Secondary Focus Areas
Co-occurring Psychological Conditions
Behavioral research on comorbid anxiety, depression, trauma responses, and personality factors as they relate to addiction patterns. Focus on behavioral manifestations and psychological mechanisms, not clinical diagnosis or treatment.
Developmental Perspectives
Age-related differences in addiction vulnerability, adolescent risk-taking behavior, developmental trajectories of substance use, and lifespan perspectives on recovery processes.
Technology & Digital Behavior
Digital phenotyping of addiction behaviors, smartphone-based assessment methods, online social networks and recovery communities, and technology-mediated behavioral interventions (mechanism studies only).
Special Populations
Behavioral research in veterans, older adults, pregnant individuals, LGBTQ+ populations, and other underserved groups. Focus on unique behavioral patterns and psychosocial factors, not medical management.
Cultural & Contextual Factors
Cross-cultural studies of addiction behavior, sociocultural influences on substance use patterns, cultural adaptation of behavioral measures, and community-level behavioral epidemiology.
Prevention Science
Behavioral research on risk and protective factors, early intervention targets, prevention program evaluation (behavioral outcomes), and population-level behavioral surveillance.
Tier 3: Emerging Areas (Selective Consideration)
These topics are considered on a case-by-case basis and may require additional editorial review to ensure alignment with behavioral science focus:
- Artificial intelligence in behavioral prediction
- Machine learning for pattern recognition
- Virtual reality for behavioral assessment
- Computational modeling of addiction
- Neuroimaging correlates of behavior (secondary to behavioral focus)
- Genetic-behavioral interactions (behavioral phenotypes)
- Environmental sensing and behavior
- Social media analytics and addiction
Explicitly Out of Scope
We do not publish clinical practice guidelines, treatment manuals, therapy protocols, or intervention effectiveness studies focused on clinical outcomes. Rationale: Our focus is understanding behavior, not clinical application.
Studies of medication efficacy, drug interactions, pharmacokinetics, or medical detoxification protocols are outside our scope. Rationale: These are medical/clinical topics, not behavioral science.
Neuroimaging studies, molecular biology, genetics, or neuropharmacology without substantial behavioral component are not considered. Rationale: Must have primary behavioral science contribution.
Individual patient cases, clinical observations, or small case series without generalizable behavioral insights are declined. Rationale: Insufficient scientific rigor for behavioral science journal.
Non-empirical commentaries, policy position papers, or advocacy articles without original data or systematic analysis. Rationale: We publish research, not opinion or advocacy.
Article Types & Editorial Priorities
Expedited Review
- Original Research Articles
- Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
- Methodological Innovations
- Measurement Validation Studies
- Registered Reports
Regular Review Timeline
- Short Communications
- Data Notes
- Replication Studies
- Research Perspectives
- Brief Reports
Rarely Considered
- Narrative Reviews (by invitation)
- Commentaries (invited only)
- Letters to Editor
- Book Reviews
Editorial Standards & Requirements
Reporting Guidelines
- CONSORT for randomized trials
- STROBE for observational studies
- PRISMA for systematic reviews
- ARRIVE for animal research
- COREQ for qualitative research
- TRIPOD for prediction models
Data & Transparency
- Open data strongly encouraged
- Analysis code sharing preferred
- Materials availability required
- Pre-registration welcomed
- Replication data supported
- FAIR principles compliance
Ethics & Integrity
- IRB/Ethics approval required
- Informed consent documentation
- Conflict of interest disclosure
- Funding source transparency
- Author contribution statements
- COPE guidelines adherence
Preprint & Prior Publication
- Preprints welcomed and encouraged
- Conference abstracts acceptable
- Thesis chapters considered
- No duplicate publication
- Prior disclosure required
- Version control maintained
Decision Metrics & Performance
Our Commitment to Authors
Ready to Submit Your Research?
If your work aligns with our behavioral science focus and meets our quality standards, we invite you to submit your manuscript for consideration.
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