Standards of Knowledge

The Society for Prevention Research is committed to the advancement of prevention science and the training of prevention researchers. As part of SPR’s strategic plan and under the leadership of then President Zili Sloboda, the SPR Board of Directors appointed a task group that included researchers and practitioners, to define prevention science and the type of research that falls within this definition, as well as prepare a document that begins to outline specific training needs for new prevention researchers.  The Standards of Knowledge for the Science of Prevention (click here for full document) developed by this task group puts forth a set of shared standards for training that is comprehensive and relevant both to prevention researchers and prevention practitioners. We hope, through this work, to facilitate a greater understanding of prevention science and aid in the training of prevention researchers.  As with any evolving field of study, this report is considered a “living document” that will, by necessity, be updated as we learn more about the design and delivery of prevention interventions and advance research design and statistical methodologies to improve our understanding of the key operational elements of effective preventive interventions.