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Generalizability is a major concern to those who do, and use, research. Statistical, sampling-based generalizability is well known, but methodologists have long been aware of conceptions of generalizability beyond the statistical. The purpose of this essay is to clarify the concept of generalizability by critically examining its nature, illustrating its use and misuse, and presenting a framework for classifying its different forms. The framework organizes the different forms into four types, which are defined by the distinction between empirical and theoretical kinds of statements. On the one hand, the framework affirms the bounds within which statistical, sampling-based generalizability is legitimate. On the other hand, the framework indicates ways in which researchers in information systems and other fields may properly lay claim to generalizability, and thereby broader relevance, even when their inquiry falls outside the bounds of sampling-based research.
(Research Methodology; Positivist Research; Interpretive Research; Quantitative Research; Qualitative Research; Case Studies; Research Design; Generalizability)
1. Introduction
Generalizability is a major concern to those who do, and use, research. Among other things, it refers to the validity of a theory in a setting different from the one where it was empirically tested and confirmed. A theory that lacks such generalizability also lacks usefulness. Because the field of information systems (IS) is not just a science but also a profession (and therefore has professional constituents such as IS executives, managers, and consultants), the generalizability of an IS theory to different settings is important not only for purposes of basic research, but also for purposes of managing and solving problems that corporations and other organizations experience in society. Statistical, sampling-based generalizability is a valid concept within its bounds, but its uncritical application as the norm for all generalizability can lead to an improper assessment of the generalizability of many research studies. The purpose of this essay is to clarify the concept of generalizability by critically examining its nature, illustrating its use and misuse, and offering a framework for classifying its different forms.
The Oxford English Dictionary (1989) defines generalize as "to form general notions by abstraction from particular instances," generalizable as "capable of being generalized," and generalizability as "the fact or quality of being generalizable." Conceptualized in this way, generalizability need not have a quantitative or statistical...