====== External validity ====== External Validity or [[Clinical Applicability]] is the [[validity]] of generalized (causal) inferences in scientific research, usually based on experiments as experimental validity. In other words, it is the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations and to other people. Mathematical analysis of external validity concerns a determination of whether generalization across heterogeneous populations is feasible, and devising statistical and computational methods that produce valid generalizations. ---- The [[reviewer]] should ask if the results will help doctors care for their patients in the clinical setting. It is important for the reviewer to understand the difference between [[efficacy]] and [[effectiveness]] of the results.