Researchers sometimes aim to understand the effectiveness of an intervention in a broad population of colleges. When that is the goal, it is essential to develop a thoughtful college recruitment plan that helps ensure the study sample of colleges reasonably represents that broader population of interest. Doing so strengthens the generalizability of the findings and their relevance for policy and practice.

The Generalizer is a powerful tool that is designed to help researchers identify a sample of colleges that reflects their target population. It guides researchers through the following steps:

1. Defining the inference population. Clarify the types of colleges the findings should apply to and identify which colleges meet those criteria.
2. Identifying important college characteristics. Select the characteristics—such as size, region, or control (public or private)—to be represented in the study sample.

With interactive visualizations, The Generalizer helps researchers create a recruitment plan that balances feasibility with representativeness. It produces ordered lists of “similar” colleges that can be used as a foundation for recruiting institutions.

In addition, this report—commissioned by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)—provides an excellent overview of the steps involved in planning a study with generalizability in mind; implementing the plan; and assessing, analyzing, and reporting findings.^[1]