From: Public health research outputs from efficacy to dissemination: a bibliometric analysis
Type of Research | Study design | Intervention scale | Focus on outcome/impact measures | Focus on process evaluation | Internal validity | External validity (generaliz-ability) | Measures of system Adoption | Cost per participant | Population Reach |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Efficacy studies | *RCT | *Limited to study subjects - small | High | Lower | Highest | Lower | Lower | *Higher | *Study subjects |
 | *Cluster RCT |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
2. Replication studies | * RCTs | *Limited to study subjects (multiple sites) - moderate | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | *Moderate | *Study subjects in new target groups or settings |
 | *Cluster RCT |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 | *Step wedge trial |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
 | *Quasi-experimental designs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
3. Dissemination studies | *Step wedge trial | *System level - large | Moderate | Highest | Lower | Higher | Higher | *Lower cost per participant. | *Broad population reach (Multiple populations and settings) |
 | *Quasi-experimental designs |  |  |  |  |  |  | *Measures of system adoption costs. |  |