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Code Saturation Versus Meaning Saturation: How Many Interviews Are Enough?
Open accessAbstract
Saturation is a core guiding principle to determine sample sizes in qualitative research, yet little methodological research exists on parameters that influence saturation. Our study compared two approaches to assessing saturation: code saturation and meaning saturation. We examined sample sizes needed to reach saturation in each approach, what saturation meant, and how to assess saturation. Examining 25 in-depth interviews, we found that code saturation was reached at nine interviews, whereby the range of thematic issues was identified. However, 16 to 24 interviews were needed to reach meaning saturation where we developed a richly textured understanding of issues. Thus, code saturation may indicate when researchers have “heard it all,” but meaning saturation is needed to “understand it all.” We used our results to develop parameters that influence saturation, which may be used to estimate sample sizes for qualitative research proposals or to document in publications the grounds on which saturation was achieved.
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“A master codebook was created until meaning saturation was achieved.24”
From Mechanisms of mindfulness in patients with migraine: Results of a qualitative study. (2023) · cites this paper as [24]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Some authors appear to espouse interpretations of saturation that combine two or more of the models defined above, making its conceptualization less distinct.”
From Saturation in qualitative research: exploring its conceptualization and operationalization (2018) · cites this paper as Hennink et al. (2017)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Based on previous studies, saturation is generally reached between 9 and 17 interviews, with 10–15 in-depth interviews planned for this study.54”
From Determinants of the choice of delivery mode in pregnant women: a convergent parallel mixed-methods study protocol (2026) · cites this paper as [54]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“As for the qualitative studies, twelve to fifteen participants for each study will be interviewed, which is regarded as adequate to achieve code saturation in the qualitative analysis (Hennink et al., 2017).”
From A study protocol of a randomized controlled study of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (2023) · cites this paper as Hennink et al., 2017
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“A sample of N = 20 was aimed for based on general recommendation (Francis et al., 2010; Hennink et al., 2017) and experience in the field with the potential for further recruitment if deemed necessary (e.g. because of low saturation).”
From How to promote usage of telehealth interventions for farmers' mental health? A qualitative study on supporting and hindering aspects for acceptance and satisfaction with a personalized telephone coaching for depression prevention (2023) · cites this paper as Hennink et al., 2017
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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In the citing paper
“Meaning saturation was used as a stopping criterion, which meant that new participants would not be enrolled once novel fieldwork insights stopped changing analysis significantly [55].”
From Development and Evaluation of the Usefulness, Usability, and Feasibility of iNNOV Breast Cancer: Mixed Methods Study (2022) · cites this paper as [55]
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“This diminishes meaning saturation since themes derived from only one participant might encompass it less comprehensive (Fusch and Ness, 2015; Hennink et al., 2017).”
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In the citing paper
“A multitude of prior models have been developed to understand the mechanisms of mindfulness, which are well-summarized in this review.24”
From Mechanisms of mindfulness in patients with migraine: Results of a qualitative study. (2023) · cites this paper as [24]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“Being a qualitative research, the search and inclusion of participants was completed when the results generated meanings to understand the phenomena in depth, richness and complexity( 14 ).”
From Care opportunities for premature infants: home visits and telephone support (2020) · cites this paper as [14]
In the citing paper
“However, the 12 IDIs with girls and the 25 KIIs yielded rich information, which is consistent with studies reporting on expected information saturation [42, 43].”
From Menstrual hygiene management in rural schools of Zambia: a descriptive study of knowledge, experiences and challenges faced by schoolgirls (2019) · cites this paper as [42]
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Citations
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“We further invited more participants for FG and IDI to verify and contextualize the distinctive themes, attain “meaning saturation”, and fully capture the thematic issues and sentiments regarding the booster [42,43].”
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“Although the relatively small number of participants was sufficient to identify a range of thematic issues, a larger sample size would be needed to achieve a more richly textured understanding of the themes [43].”
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“Interviewing continued until cohort level saturation was reached, defined as no new codes and meanings generated from interview data (Hennink et al. 2017).”
Metadata
- Authors
- Hennink, M. M., Kaiser, B. N., & Marconi, V. C.
- Affiliations
- Emory University (US)
- Duke University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hennink, Monique M.
- Venue
- Qualitative Health Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2016-09-26
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 591-608
- ISSN
- 1049-7323 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7557
- PMC
- PMC9359070
- OpenAlex
- W2524597629
- Cited by
- 4,597
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1096 · 2025: 933 · 2024: 700 · 2023: 538 · 2022: 482 · 2021: 379 · 2020: 219 · 2019: 125 · 2018: 92 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 365.33
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Qualitative Health Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Emory University
- Center for AIDS Research, University of Washington
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (P30AI050409)
- 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
- saturation, sample size determination, qualitative research, in-depth interviews
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Interviews as Topic, Research Design, Sample Size, Qualitative Research
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