Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Qualitative and Quantitative Validation of Tools with Rating Scales Aimed at Assessing the Quality of University Service-Learning
Published on: August 29, 2025
Checklist for the qualitative evaluation of clinical studies with particular focus on external validity and model
Gudrun Bornhöft1, Stefanie Maxion-Bergemann, Ursula Wolf
1Witten/Herdecke University, Gerhard-Kienle-Weg 4, Herdecke, Germany. gudrun.bornhoeft@uni-wh.de
Background:
It is often stated that external validity is not sufficiently considered in the assessment of clinical studies. Although tools for its evaluation have been established, there is a lack of awareness of their significance and application. In this article, a comprehensive checklist is presented addressing these relevant criteria.
Methods:
The checklist was developed by listing the most commonly used assessment criteria for clinical studies. Additionally, specific lists for individual applications were included. The categories of biases of internal validity (selection, performance, attrition and detection bias) correspond to structural, treatment-related and observational differences between the test and control groups. Analogously, we have extended these categories to address external validity and model validity, regarding similarity between the study population/conditions and the general population/conditions related to structure, treatment and observation.
Results:
A checklist is presented, in which the evaluation criteria concerning external validity and model validity are systemized and transformed into a questionnaire format.
Conclusion:
The checklist presented in this article can be applied to both planning and evaluating of clinical studies. We encourage the prospective user to modify the checklists according to the respective application and research question. The higher expenditure needed for the evaluation of clinical studies in systematic reviews is justified, particularly in the light of the influential nature of their conclusions on therapeutic decisions and the creation of clinical guidelines.
Related Concept Videos
Data Validation
Nursing assessment guides are generally based on holistic models rather than medical...
Data Validation
Key parameters for method validation include:
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Reliability and Validity
Nursing Evaluation
Section...
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...