Cited by 1,636Qualitative Research Methods and ApplicationsFocus Groups and Qualitative MethodsQualitative Research Methods and Ethics

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Does Sample Size Matter in Qualitative Research?: A Review of Qualitative Interviews in is Research

Marshall, Bryan, Cardon, Peter, Poddar, Amit, Fontenot, Renee·2013·Journal of Computer Information Systems

DOI 10.1080/08874417.2013.11645667

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Abstract

This study examines 83 IS qualitative studies in leading IS journals for the following purposes: (a) identifying the extent to which IS qualitative studies employ best practices of justifying sample size; (b) identifying optimal ranges of interviews for various types of qualitative research; and (c) identifying the extent to which cultural factors (such as journal of publication, number of authors, world region) impact sample size of interviews. Little or no rigor for justifying sample size was shown for virtually all of the IS studies in this dataset. Furthermore, the number of interviews conducted for qualitative studies is correlated with cultural factors, implying the subjective nature of sample size in qualitative IS studies. Recommendations are provided for minimally acceptable practices of justifying sample size of interviews in qualitative IS studies.

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Method
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Background
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Method
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Williamson, H. J., Perkins, E. A., Levin, B. L., Baldwin, J. A., Lulinski, A., Armstrong, M. I., & Massey, O. T. (2017) · Intellectual and developmental disabilities · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-55.2.84 · Cited by 16
Development of an attention-touch control for manual cervical distraction: a pilot randomized clinical trial for patients with neck pain
Gudavalli, M., Salsbury, S., Vining, R., Long, C., Corber, L., Patwardhan, A., & Goertz, C. M. (2015) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0770-6 · Cited by 15
“With this number of interviews, we achieved consistent thematic coding of participants’ attributions for treatment allocation within and across groups (largely related to the amount of pressure or force used by clinician during treatment delivery), suggesting we reached theoretical saturation on this topic [78].”
Method
Understanding food waste in the hospitality industry: A social practice theory approach
Nand, A., Bhattacharya, A., Prajogo, D. I., Sohal, A., & de Vass, T. (2025) · International Journal of Hospitality Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104232 · Cited by 15
What is the lived experience of anxiety for people with Parkinson’s? A phenomenological study
Lovegrove, C. J., & Bannigan, K. (2021) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0249390 · Cited by 15
Understanding management educators’ perspectives on AI adoption: A qualitative study
Shahzad, F., Avunduk, Z. B., Ullah, Z., & Arslan, A. (2025) · The International Journal of Management Education · doi:10.1016/j.ijme.2025.101274 · Cited by 20
Reimagining travel memories: the role of artificial intelligence in shaping tourist experiences
Hosseini, S., Carrasco-Santos, M. J., Sthapit, E., & Melé, P. M. (2025) · Current Issues in Tourism · doi:10.1080/13683500.2025.2576659 · Cited by 15
A guide to literature reviews: a comprehensive flowchart beyond PRISMA for sample selection and justifications
Islam, M. S., Mamun, M. J. A., & Hoque, I. (2025) · Management Review Quarterly · doi:10.1007/s11301-025-00528-2 · Cited by 15
“Moreover, it is worth noting that the sample size is largely dependent on the number of available research papers in a given context and it can be adjusted by defining the study’s scope (Marshall et al. 2013).”
Integration of Maqasid Sharia in human resource development practices: a case study in waqf-based organization
Firmansah, Y., Muqorobin, A., & Pramadhan, G. (2025) · Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research · doi:10.1108/jiabr-09-2024-0329 · Cited by 14
Addressing the Diversity Paradox: A Resource‐Based View of DEI Best Practices
Wickham, M., Fiedler, T. A., & Donnelly, T. (2025) · Sustainable Development · doi:10.1002/sd.3467 · Cited by 14
Toward Ethical Digital Practices: Guidelines for Consent, Accountability, and Transparency in Anthropology.
Plemons, A., & Spiros, M. C. (2025) · American Journal of Biological Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.70044 · Cited by 14
The perspectives of women on sustainable fashion consumption: Comparative study of university teachers and students
Stankevičiūtė, Ž., & Jarmalavičiūtė, I. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0314532 · Cited by 23
“In a research that employs semi-structured interviews, the sample size is often determined by the number of participants interviewed until “data saturation”, which refers to the point at which the data collection process no longer offers any new or relevant data, is achieved [73–75].”
Understanding entrepreneurial thinking for designers: Perspectives from entrepreneurs, academicians, product designers, and students
Sandhu, K., Sarkar, P. K., & Subburaj, K. (2024) · Thinking Skills and Creativity · doi:10.1016/j.tsc.2024.101728 · Cited by 18
Participation experiences of young people with cerebral palsy in key life situations: A qualitative study
Ding, J. Y., Cleary, S. L., & Morgan, P. E. (2024) · Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology · doi:10.1111/dmcn.15920 · Cited by 14
Critical Factors Influencing the Bid/no-Bid Decisions of Small and Medium-Sized Contractors in Sri Lanka
Dodanwala, T. C., & Santoso, D. S. (2024) · International Journal of Construction Education and Research · doi:10.1080/15578771.2024.2332237 · Cited by 14
“Marshall et al. (2013) analyzed the sample selection of 83 qualitative publications and concluded that the sample size varies based on cultural factors, and multiple case studies generally had a minimum of 2 cases, with a median of 5.”
Sustainable development practices in small and medium-sized enterprises: multiple case studies
Nabais, E., & Franco, M. (2024) · The International Journal of Organizational Analysis · doi:10.1108/ijoa-08-2023-3900 · Cited by 14
Do teaching staff trust stakeholders and tools in learning analytics? A mixed methods study
Alzahrani, A. S., Tsai, Y., Aljohani, N. R., Whitelock-Wainwright, E., & Gašević, D. (2023) · Educational Technology Research and Development · doi:10.1007/s11423-023-10229-w · Cited by 28
A Systematic Review of Assessment Methods for Seafarers’ Mental Health and Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Carrera-Arce, M., Baumler, R., & Hollander, J. (2023) · INQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing · doi:10.1177/00469580231212218 · Cited by 17
Inter- and intra-annual changes in food consumption among rural households in East China
Li, Y., Filimonau, V., Wang, L., & Cheng, S. (2022) · Journal of Rural Studies · doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.07.022 · Cited by 12
Barriers and facilitators to providing home-based care in a pandemic: policy and practice implications
Bell, S. A., Krienke, L. K., Brown, A., Inloes, J. B., Rettell, Z., & Wyte‐Lake, T. (2022) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-022-02907-w · Cited by 20
“Analysis The processes of coding and analysis were initiated after the study team reached consensus through weekly debriefing meetings that data had reached saturation, guided by expert literature on saturation [22, 23].”
Method
İşyeri Mutluluğunun Öncülleri ve Sonuçları Üzerine Nitel Bir Çalışma
Beyza, E. R. E. R. (2021) · Pamukkale Üniversitesi İşletme Araştırmaları Dergisi · doi:10.47097/piar.918559 · Cited by 20
A Stakeholder Analysis of Schistosomiasis Diagnostic Landscape in South-West Nigeria: Insights for Diagnostics Co-creation
Onasanya, A. A., Keshinro, M., Oladepo, O., van Engelen, J. M. L., & Diehl, J. C. (2020) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.564381 · Cited by 16
“(43); (2) when theoretical saturation is reached by no new mention of stakeholders from the snowballing technique.”
Background
How does the territory impact on entrepreneurial family embeddedness?
Martínez-Sanchis, P., Aragón-Amonarriz, C., & Iturrioz-Landart, C. (2020) · doi:10.1108/jec-09-2019-0087 · Cited by 14
Use of Mobile Technologies in Personal Learning Environments of Intercultural Contexts: Individual and Group Tasks
Tomé-Fernández, M., Curiel-Marín, E., & Caraballo, E. (2020) · Electronics · doi:10.3390/electronics9050876 · Cited by 14
Emotional intelligence and perceived negative emotions in intercultural service encounters
Thrassou, A., Santoro, G., Leonidou, E., Vrontis, D., & Christofi, M. (2020) · European Business Review · doi:10.1108/ebr-04-2019-0059 · Cited by 24
Toward a maturity model for the application of social media in healthcare
Pour, M. J., & Jafari, S. M. (2019) · Online information review (Print) · doi:10.1108/oir-02-2018-0038 · Cited by 14
International migration and livelihood dynamics during the recent economic crisis: a study of Ghanaian migrants in the Como province, Italy
Dotsey, S. (2018) · doi:10.1080/21632324.2017.1345146 · Cited by 14
Health Beliefs and Practices of African Immigrants in Canada
Brathwaite, A. C., & Lemonde, M. (2016) · Clinical Nursing Research · doi:10.1177/1054773815587486 · Cited by 13
Interview-Based Research in Accounting 2000-2014: A ReviewPreprint
Dai, N., Free, C., & Gendron, Y. (2016) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2711022 · Cited by 14
Resilience and adaptation of third sector organizations (TSOs) during crisis situations: Insights from a West African economy
Fagbemi, T., Dosumu, O., Adigun, R., Nakpodia, F., & Sakariyahu, R. (2025) · Financial Accountability & Management · doi:10.1111/faam.12408 · Cited by 13
Perceived greenwashing and its impact on consumer behavior in the cosmetic industry
Suphasomboon, T., & Vassanadumrongdee, S. (2025) · Cleaner and Responsible Consumption · doi:10.1016/j.clrc.2025.100377 · Cited by 19
In-Service Teacher Professional Development: Challenges and Opportunities for Innovating the Trichronous Modality of Delivery in Vietnam’s EFL Education
Nguyen, T. V., & Sit, H. H. W. (2024) · Education Sciences · doi:10.3390/educsci15010019 · Cited by 14
Developing a Comprehensive Smart City Rating System: Case of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Deeb, Y. I., Alqahtani, F. K., & Mahmoud, A. B. B. (2024) · Journal of urban planning and development · doi:10.1061/jupddm.upeng-4707 · Cited by 13
Value elicitation on a scenario of autonomous weapon system deployment: a qualitative study based on the value deliberation process
Verdiesen, I., & Dignum, V. (2022) · AI and Ethics · doi:10.1007/s43681-022-00211-2 · Cited by 13
“Studies have found extreme variations in sample size in qualitative research studies across all research designs [14].”
Background
Modelling the cause and effect relationship risks in reverse logistics supply chains for demolition waste
Jayasinghe, R. S., Rameezdeen, R., & Chileshe, N. (2022) · Engineering Construction & Architectural Management · doi:10.1108/ecam-10-2021-0853 · Cited by 16
Impact of Non-DRR NGOs’ interventions for community-based DRR mainstreaming in Bangladesh
Seddiky, M., Giggins, H., & Gajendran, T. (2022) · International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction · doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.103088 · Cited by 13

Authors: Marshall, B., Cardon, P., Poddar, A., & Fontenot, R.
Affiliations: Georgia College & State University (US)
University of Southern California (US)
ORCID: Cardon, Peter
Poddar, Amit
Venue: Journal of Computer Information Systems
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Published: 2013-09
Volume: 54
Issue: 1
Pages: 11-22
ISSN: 0887-4417 (ISSN-L)
2380-2057
DOI: 10.1080/08874417.2013.11645667
OpenAlex: W124963830
Cited by: 1,636
References: 0
Citations by year: 2026: 125 · 2025: 203 · 2024: 204 · 2023: 168 · 2022: 161 · 2021: 192 · 2020: 128 · 2019: 131 · 2018: 105 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 98 · 2015: 62 · 2014: 7
FWCI: 268.21
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Journal of Computer Information Systems (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
Keywords: sample size justification, qualitative interviews, qualitative research rigor, information systems research, number of authors

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Does Sample Size Matter in Qualitative Research?: A Review of Qualitative Interviews in is Research

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