ABSTRACT
The science of addiction is being hampered by confusion in concepts and terms, and a multiplicity of models and theoretical approaches that make little reference to each other. In this respect it has much in common with other areas of social, clinical and behavioural sciences. Technologies now exist and are being rapidly advanced that can address this problem, and other sciences are already making use of them. In particular, what are known as ‘ontologies’ (as used in computer science) and the ‘Semantic Web’ could revolutionise our ability to formulate models and theories in addiction that can then provide much-needed direction to the scientific endeavour.
