Which of the following is NOT a basic question to ask when appraising a study’s causal inferences?

The correct choice highlights that asking whether the study's authors published related works is not a fundamental question for evaluating the causal inferences of a study. When assessing the validity of causal inferences, the primary focus should be on the methodology used within the study itself, particularly how subjects were assigned to different groups, whether randomization was employed, and the presence of a control group.

These questions directly relate to the robustness of the findings and whether they support a causal relationship. Randomization helps to eliminate bias and ensure that the groups being compared are similar except for the treatment, while control groups provide a baseline to compare the effects of the treatment. In contrast, the authorship background or previous publications of the study's authors do not influence the internal validity of the study's results. Consequently, questioning the publication history of the authors does not provide relevant information about the causal inference being examined.