Prevention Science - Call for Papers for "Innovations and Strategies for Addressing COVID-19 Pandemic Related Challenges in Prevention Science Research in Applied Settings"
Co-Editors:
Antonio A. Morgan-López (RTI International),
Rashelle J. Musci (Johns Hopkins University), &
Catherine P. Bradshaw (University of Virginia)
Open Call Released: July 12, 2023
Full Submissions Due: December 8, 2023
The journal Prevention Science (ISSN: 1389-4986, IF: IF: 3.931 [2021]) is soliciting the submission of full manuscript for consideration in a forthcoming special issue entitled, “Innovations and Strategies for Addressing COVID-19 Pandemic Related Challenges in Prevention Science Research in Applied Settings.” Many schools and other applied settings across the US closed their doors and shifted to online delivery of prevention services and other support services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This disruption also impacted numerous ongoing research studies being conducted in schools and applied settings (e.g., hospitals, communities), resulting in methodological challenges in the collection and subsequent analysis of trial data collected during this time. Although there are many potential methodological concerns, missing data and measurement concerns are particularly salient. Various modern missing data methods have been recommended by methodologists for missing data generally and the pandemic specifically. Similarly, researchers have expressed concerns about threats to validity when interpreting assessments collected during the pandemic. It may be that measures collected during the pandemic are not reflective of the original constructs as intended (e.g., teacher reports of externalizing when students are not in the school setting); these measures may demonstrate measurement noninvariance/ differential item functioning (MNI/DIF). Newer factor analytic methods, such as moderated nonlinear factor analysis, may be able to account for MNI/DIF attributable to COVID-19 and other key covariates (e.g., gender, race) simultaneously. There are also a number of issues related to study design and implementation in the post-pandemic period, and potential concerns regarding comparing pre- and post-pandemic data and intervention findings that are critical to concern for future prevention science research studies.
The purpose of this open call to the journal Prevention Science is to solicit full submissions to the journal, including original empirical articles and methodological studies regarding innovative solutions to address challenges related to missing data and design challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. This would include how to address problems encountered in studies fielded during the pandemic and future studies. A variety of topics are of interest, including but not limited to measurement, missing data, study design, implementation science, and research ethics. We are interested in papers that focus on different populations (e.g., children, youth, families, adults) and different applied settings, including schools, clinics, hospitals, and other field-based settings. Secondary data analysis, integrative data-analysis, meta-analysis, methodological studies, and simulation studies are also of interest, as appropriate to the research question.
Authors interested in contributing a manuscript for this special issue are asked to submit a full draft of the paper by December 8, 2023, through the editorial manager system. Manuscript formats can include full-length original empirical submissions, systematic reviews, methodological papers, meta-analyses, brief reports etc. Please reference the special issue title: "COVID Special Issue: Methodological Challenges." For additional information on the journal and author guidelines, see http://link.springer.com/journal/11121 (this opens in a new tab). (this opens in a new tab)
For questions regarding the special issue, please contact the guest editors for this special issue: Drs. Antonio Morgan-López ( (this opens in a new tab)amorganlopez@rti.org (this opens in a new tab)) (this opens in a new tab), Rashelle Musci ( (this opens in a new tab)rmusci1@jhu.edu (this opens in a new tab)) (this opens in a new tab), and Catherine Bradshaw ( (this opens in a new tab)cpb8g@virginia.edu (this opens in a new tab)) (this opens in a new tab). Manuscripts viewed as aligned with the goals of the special issue will be sent out for full peer review in accordance with the standard Prevention Science review guidelines.