Reducing barriers in future benefit transfers: Needed improvements in primary study design and reporting

Original research provides many social benefits, including additions to our stock of knowledge. Benefit transfer is a formal process whereby our stock of knowledge, rather than original research, is used to inform decisions. Any shortcoming in this stock directly affects our ability to conduct valid and reliable benefit transfers. This paper discusses three general criteria that are necessary for valid benefit transfers and how original research designs and reporting of results unnecessarily constrain the potential of benefit transfers. We make several suggestions regarding how original research, through improved design and reporting, might increase the validity and reliability of benefit transfers. We also recommend that repositories for original research surveys and data be developed to insure long-term availability of study information.