In Support of Disciplined Passion

Manuel Eisner (2009) has posed the cynic’s hypothesis to help explain the slippage found between developer-led investigations of preventive interventions and those led by independent evaluators, and he has called for more research on developer self-interest as a possible explanation for this pattern of results. The issue Eisner raises has important implications for the integrity of science and for policy making, but he gives insufficient attention to the challenges of intervention development and effective replication across populations, communities, organizations, and service providers. The challenge he poses needs to be addressed by higher standards for reporting trials, better peer review, improved investigator training, and rigorous, collegial support of those who choose to enter this challenging field, lest we dissuade young investigators from seeking careers that combine their commitment to solve social problems with their commitment to rigorously evaluate their efforts.

David OldsEmail: