ABSTRACT
In his parting editorial, former Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology editor Larry Beutler ( 1996) emphasized the importance of detailed reporting of demographic information of human participants. He
5 encouraged efforts to reliably measure and analyze demographic constructs, and he cited a statement developed by the National Institute of Mental Health's Editor's Consortium that clearly spells out the need to do so:
10 Not only is the complete description of a study sample central to the scientific goals of sound and replicable research, but also these variables may affect the generalizability of the research findings. This information is necessary for the meaningful interpretation of findings from a
15 particular study. Moreover, the availability of this information provides the methodological basis for determining the extent to which findings depend upon individual and sociodemographic characteristics of the sample. (Beutler, 1996,pp. 846-847)
20 Reporting and analyzing sample composition is "good science," a standard to be met in the interest of external validity. Of course, representative sampling is essential to external validity (Babbie, 1998). Because
Timothy B. Smith Brigham Young University
psychological research must be relevant and appropri25 ate for individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds (S.
