ABSTRACT
Since benefit transfer essentially draws from other valuation studies, it faces the same potential problem of measurement errors. On top of that, benefit transfers is also subjected to transfer errors (errors when generalizing across different contexts), especially when adapting information to a setting which is notably different. Benefit transfer relies on extracting values from existing studies. Any inaccuracy in the original valuation is carried over during the transfer. Hence, accuracy of transferred value is necessarily constrained by the accuracy of the original study. Where the quality of the original study is poor, the results of the benefit transfer will be poor. The final limitation concerns the methodological bias in primary studies. Apart from the issue of the quality of the original study constraining the quality of the transferred value, methodological bias also creates other problems in benefit transfers. For function transfers, however, in particular meta-regression analysis function transfers, even physical site characteristics and original valuation methodology may be adjusted for.
