Trust me, it is valid: Research validity in pharmacy education research

Research validity is a complex concept that is often used loosely or conflated with concepts in measurement validity in published quantitative pharmacy education literature. The problem begins with a lack of clarity of the distinction between four types of research validity including measurement, statistical conclusion, internal, and external validity (i.e., generalizability). In many cases published studies provide only incomplete discussions of measurement and external validity. The problem is exacerbated within the context of measurement validity where validation efforts are often reduced to statements about established levels of reliability. Ineffective discussions of research validity make it difficult to interpret study findings. After reading this article, the reader will be able to identify the different types research validity and discuss issues of research validity in quantitative pharmacy education research more completely.