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A Critique of the Report of the Dickens’ Enquiry into the Controlled Drinking Research of the Sobells
Author(s) -
Walker Keith D.,
Roach Carol A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
british journal of addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0952-0481
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1984.tb03850.x
Subject(s) - judgement , scope (computer science) , subject (documents) , law , select committee , psychology , political science , epistemology , engineering ethics , sociology , library science , engineering , philosophy , computer science , commons , programming language
Summary A critique is made of the report of the Dickens’ enquiry into the controlled drinking research of the Sobells. On the issue of the rehospitalization of patients following treatment, it is suggested that the Committee misinterpreted the allegations presented in the Science article and its earlier draft. On the issue of frequency of follow‐up contacts, it is suggested that the Report does not adequately address the question of why the Sobells failed to provide accurate information concerning the number of subject contacts. On the issue of randomization, the Committee is criticized for its rejection of evidence from the hospital records. It is concluded that the Committee's analysis of these three most central issues leaves many questions unanswered and that the scope of its enquiry was too narrow to permit a conclusive judgement in either direction. It is also concluded that the Committee's scientific defence of the Sobells’ research appears in many instances to be ill‐founded.