PICO QUESTION
What is the difference between internal and external validity?
Answer:
Internal validity refers to the degree to which a study accurately measures what it is intended to measure. In other words, internal validity is concerned with whether the observed relationship between variables is causal or whether it can be explained by other factors. Internal validity is important because it ensures that the results of a study are accurate and can be used to draw valid conclusions.
External validity, on the other hand, refers to the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other settings, populations, and time periods. In other words, external validity is concerned with the degree to which the findings of a study can be applied to other contexts beyond the specific study. External validity is important because it ensures that the results of a study are relevant and applicable to real-world situations.
To summarize, internal validity is concerned with the accuracy of a study’s results, while external validity is concerned with the generalizability of those results to other contexts.
