How well study findings apply to people or settings beyond the one studied.
Generalisability (also called external validity) is the extent to which results from a study sample can be reasonably extended to other populations, settings, or contexts not directly tested. It depends on how representative the study sample and conditions were relative to the group you intend to apply the findings to — a highly selected sample (e.g. elite athletes, narrow age range) may limit it even if internal validity is strong. Clinicians should judge generalisability case-by-case against their own patient population rather than treating it as a fixed property of the study.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.