ERIC Number: EJ1183517
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Jul
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1049-7315
EISSN: N/A
Generalizability of Randomized Trial Results to Target Populations: Design and Analysis Possibilities
Stuart, Elizabeth A.; Ackerman, Benjamin; Westreich, Daniel
Research on Social Work Practice, v28 n5 p532-537 Jul 2018
Randomized trials play an important role in estimating the effect of a policy or social work program in a given population. While most trial designs benefit from strong internal validity, they often lack external validity, or generalizability, to the target population of interest. In other words, one can obtain an unbiased estimate of the study sample average treatment effect from a randomized trial; however, this estimate may not equal the target population average treatment effect if the study sample is not fully representative of the target population. This article provides an overview of existing strategies to assess and improve upon the generalizability of randomized trials, both through statistical methods and study design, as well as recommendations on how to implement these ideas in social work research. [Paper presented at the Stockholm Conference on Behavioral and Social Intervention Research, 11-12 May, 2017.]
Descriptors: Randomized Controlled Trials, Research Design, Validity, Generalizability Theory, Evidence Based Practice, Social Work, Social Science Research
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED); National Institutes of Health (DHHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305D150003; DP2HD084070