Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Eight Characteristics Of Rigorous Multilevel Implementation Research: A Step-By-Step Guide, Rebecca Lengnick-Hall, Nathaniel J. Williams, Mark G. Ehrhart, Cathleen E. Willging, Alicia C. Bunger, Rinad S. Beidas, Gregory A. Aarons

Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background Although healthcare is delivered in inherently multilevel contexts, implementation science has no widely endorsed methodological standards defining the characteristics of rigorous, multilevel implementation research. We identify and describe eight characteristics of high-quality, multilevel implementation research to encourage discussion, spur debate, and guide decision-making around study design and methodological issues.

Recommendations Implementation researchers who conduct rigorous multilevel implementation research demonstrate the following eight characteristics. First, they map and operationalize the specific multilevel context for defined populations and settings. Second, they define and state the level of each construct under study. Third, they describe how constructs relate to each other within …