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Towards Generalizing Inferences from Trials to Target Populations

Melody Y Huang, Harsh Parikh

arXiv 26 Feb 2024 · Statistics — Methodology · 2 citations (OpenAlex)

arXiv:2402.17042 · PDF · DOI · OpenAlex · Extracted main text

Abstract

Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) are pivotal in generating internally valid estimates with minimal assumptions, serving as a cornerstone for researchers dedicated to advancing causal inference methods. However, extending these findings beyond the experimental cohort to achieve externally valid estimates is crucial for broader scientific inquiry. This paper delves into the forefront of addressing these external validity challenges, encapsulating the essence of a multidisciplinary workshop held at the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM), Brown University, in Fall 2023. The workshop congregated experts from diverse fields including social science, medicine, public health, statistics, computer science, and education, to tackle the unique obstacles each discipline faces in extrapolating experimental findings. Our study presents three key contributions: we integrate ongoing efforts, highlighting methodological synergies across fields; provide an exhaustive review of generalizability and transportability based on the workshop's discourse; and identify persistent hurdles while suggesting avenues for future research. By doing so, this paper aims to enhance the collective understanding of the generalizability and transportability of causal effects, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and offering valuable insights for researchers working on refining and applying causal inference methods.

Citation extraction

42
references
81
in-text mentions
44
distinct cited
4
self-citations
3,931
main-text words

appendix boundary found by appendix_titled_section at “Appendix” · 90% of the source is main text. Read the extracted text to check this.

Most heavily cited references

The works this paper leans on most, across its whole bibliography — not restricted to papers in our corpus. Ranked by composite intensity, which combines how often a work is mentioned, how many sections mention it, and how much of that falls in the main text rather than the appendix.

ReferenceIntensityMentionsSectionsMain text
1Huang, M (2022) Sensitivity analysis in the generalization of experimental results self0.8434375%
2Dahabreh, I. J., Robertson, S. E., and Hernán, M. A (2022) Generalizing and transporting inferences about the effects of treatment assignment subject to non-adherence0.8307286%
3Huling, J. H (2023) Transportability of prinicipal causal effects0.7374275%
4Rudolph, Williams, N. T., Stuart, E. A., and Diaz, I (2023) Efficiently transporting average treatment effects using a sufficient subset of effect modifiers0.7373367%
5Tipton, E. and Mamakos, M (2023) Designing randomized experiments to predict unit-specific treatment effects0.7373367%
6Zivich, P. N., Edwards, J. K., Shook-Sa, B. E., Lofgren, E. T., Less… (2023) Synthesis estimators for positivity violations with a continuous covariate0.7373367%
7Cheng, Y., Wu, L., and Yang, S (2023) Enhancing treatment effect estimation: A model robust approach integrating randomized experiments and external controls using th…0.6443267%
8Schnitzler, N. and Kaizar, E (2023) A two-stage method for extending inferences from a collection of trials0.6443267%
9Chipman, H. A., George, E. I., and McCulloch, R (2007) Bayesian ensemble learning0.64422100%
10Dahabreh, I. J., Robertson, S. E., Tchetgen, E. J., Stuart, E. A., a… (2019) Generalizing causal inferences from individuals in randomized trials to all trial-eligible individuals0.64422100%

Showing the top 10 of 44 scored citations.

Cited by, within the corpus

arXiv econ.EM papers that cite this one, ranked by how heavily they lean on it.

Citing paperIntensityMentionsSections
1A Cautionary Tale on Integrating Studies with Disparate Outcome Measures for Causal Inference0.64422
2TEA-Time: Transporting Effects Across Time0.40511