Generalization refers to the extent to which findings of an empirical investigation hold for a variation of populations and settings. ... Generalization pertains to various aspects of a research design, including participants, settings, measurements, and experimental treatments.

When can you generalize research?

For generalizability we require a study sample that represents some population of interest — but we also need to understand the contexts in which the studies are done and how those might influence the results.

What makes a research study generalizable?

Very simply, generalizability is a measure of how useful the results of a study are for a broader group of people or situations. If the results of a study are broadly applicable to many different types of people or situations, the study is said to have good generalizability.