Assess and adjust for differences between the study sample and the target population¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The guide directs researchers to compare the recruited sample against the target population and to make statistical adjustments where the two differ. It names "assessing, and adjusting for differences between the sample and target population" as a key step researchers can take so that impact findings are more generalizable to the population of interest.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Data on sample and target population characteristics must be available to assess differences

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• education researchers designing impact studies

Target Learning Goals¶

• assessing and adjusting for sample-population differences

Related Strategies¶

• Define the target population as the first step in designing a generalizable impact study
• Actively manage school recruitment to protect the generalizability of impact studies
• Select a sample of schools, including replacement schools when needed, to support generalizable impact studies

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Tipton, E., & Olsen, R. B. (2022). Enhancing the Generalizability of Impact Studies in Education. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE 2022-003). https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/