{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T00:56:10Z","timestamp":1789001770500,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,26]],"date-time":"2023-05-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1685059200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Forensic Sciences"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>The National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS) is a drug surveillance program of the US Drug Enforcement Administration that systematically collects data on drugs that are seized by law enforcement and submitted to and analyzed by the Nation's forensic laboratories (NFLIS\u2010Drug). NFLIS\u2010Drug data are increasingly used in predictive modeling and drug surveillance to examine drug availability patterns. Given the complexity of the data and data collection, there are some common methodological pitfalls that we highlight with the aim of helping researchers avoid these concerns. The analysis done for this Technical Note is based on a review of the scientific literature that includes 428 unique, refereed article citations in 182 distinct journals published between January 1, 2005, and April 30, 2021. Each article was analyzed according to how NFLIS\u2010Drug data were mentioned and whether NFLIS\u2010Drug data were included. A sample of 37 articles was studied in\u2010depth, and data issues were summarized. Using examples from the literature, this Technical Note highlights eight broad concerns that have important implications for the proper applications, interpretations, and limitations of NFLIS\u2010Drug data with suggestions for improving research methods and accurate reporting of forensic drug data. NFLIS\u2010Drug data are timely and provide key information to inform drug use trends across the United States; however, our present analysis shows that NFLIS\u2010Drug data are misunderstood and represented in the literature. In addition to highlighting these issues, DEA has created several resources to assist NFLIS data users and researchers, which are summarized in the discussion.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/1556-4029.15269","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,27]],"date-time":"2023-05-27T02:43:45Z","timestamp":1685155425000},"page":"1335-1342","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":26,"title":["Understanding research methods, limitations, and applications of drug data collected by the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (\n                    <scp>NFLIS\u2010Drug<\/scp>\n                    )"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"68","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4428-2356","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wayne J.","family":"Pitts","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"RTI International  Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Heller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RTI International  Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hope","family":"Smiley\u2010McDonald","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RTI International  Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"BeLinda","family":"Weimer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RTI International  Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3706-3083","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Megan","family":"Grabenauer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RTI International  Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katherine","family":"Bollinger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RTI International  Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jeri","family":"Ropero\u2010Miller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"RTI International  Research Triangle Park North Carolina USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"DeMia","family":"Pressley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division  Springfield Virginia USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_10_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jat\/bky049"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_3_1","volume-title":"Statistical methodology","author":"DEA","year":"2017"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_4_1","volume-title":"National Forensic Laboratory Information System: NFLIS\u2010Drug 2020 midyear report","author":"DEA","year":"2021"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/jrsm.1378"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192\u2010018\u20102958\u20105"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192\u2010020\u201003690\u20104"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2020.108416"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_9_1","volume-title":"NFLIS\u2010drug 2019 annual report","author":"DEA","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_10_10_1","unstructured":"CostaJV.The prevalence of synthetic cannabinoids in forensic casework based on data from the drug enforcement Administration's National Forensic Laboratory Information System [dissertation].2015https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/2144\/13967Accessed 18 Apr 2023. 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