Cited by 1,012Psychometric Methodologies and TestingHealth Education and ValidationSurvey Methodology and Nonresponse

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Initial Scale Development: Sample Size for Pilot Studies

Johanson, George A., Brooks, Gordon P.·2010·Educational and Psychological Measurement

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Abstract

Pilot studies are often recommended by scholars and consultants to address a variety of issues, including preliminary scale or instrument development. Specific concerns such as item difficulty, item discrimination, internal consistency, response rates, and parameter estimation in general are all relevant. Unfortunately, there is little discussion in the extant literature of how to determine appropriate sample sizes for these types of pilot studies. This article investigates the choice of sample size for pilot studies from a perspective particularly related to instrument development. Specific recommendations are made for researchers regarding how many participants they should use in a pilot study for initial scale development.

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“46,47 The pilot test was conducted over a period of four weeks using Research Electronic Data Capture, a web-based application designed for data collection and management.”
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“Therefore, a sample size of 60 participants (30 for each group) will be recruited to achieve the practical purpose of the trial based on clinical experience.(24)”
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“Johanson and Brooks (2010) suggest that 30 samples from the target population are reasonable for a pilot study.”
Background
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“The determination of the number of samples of the pilot study according to Johanson and Brooks (2010) is between 10 and 40 people.”
Method
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“This is supported by [40], [41], who state that the ideal sample size for a pilot study should be between five and ten to thirty respondents.”
Background
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“It is worth noting that pilot studies typically comprised 20 to 30 respondents (Johanson & Brooks, 2010).”
Background
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“Following translation, the questionnaire underwent piloting with 30 participants, adhering to the methodology outlined by Johanson and Brooks [18].”
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“Subsequently, the questionnaire instrument underwent an initial pilot testing phase with 40 respondents to evaluate the reliability of its contents [48].”
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“…because, as per Cooper and Schindler (2014) the suitable number of respondents in the pilot concentration goes from 25 to 100 individuals, while Johanson and Brooks (2010) recommend the base number is upwards of 30 individuals for a pilot concentrate on whose object is for beginning review or…”
Background
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“[10] G. A. Johanson and G. P. Brooks, “Initial Scale Development: Sample Size for Pilot Studies,” Educ.”
Background
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Background
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Background
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Crick, J. M. (2018) · Loughborough University Institutional Repository (Loughborough University) · Cited by 3
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Awanis, S. (2013) · Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) · Cited by 3

Authors: Johanson, G. A., & Brooks, G. P.
Affiliations: Ohio University (US)
Corresponding author: Johanson, George A.
ORCID: Johanson, George A.
Brooks, Gordon P.
Venue: Educational and Psychological Measurement
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2009-12-18
Volume: 70
Issue: 3
Pages: 394-400
ISSN: 0013-1644 (ISSN-L)
1552-3888
DOI: 10.1177/0013164409355692
OpenAlex: W1984294110
Cited by: 1,012
References: 19
Citations by year: 2026: 134 · 2025: 115 · 2024: 110 · 2023: 99 · 2022: 89 · 2021: 104 · 2020: 83 · 2019: 67 · 2018: 49 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 13
FWCI: 9.92
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Educational and Psychological Measurement (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
Health Sciences › Nursing › Research and Theory › Health Education and Validation
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Survey Methodology and Nonresponse
Keywords: pilot study, sample size determination, scale development, instrument development, item difficulty, item discrimination, internal consistency, response rate, parameter estimation

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Initial Scale Development: Sample Size for Pilot Studies

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