The DOI matches its Crossref record; 72 of the 72 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
What about N? A methodological study of sample-size reporting in focus group studies
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Focus group studies are increasingly published in health related journals, but we know little about how researchers use this method, particularly how they determine the number of focus groups to conduct. The methodological literature commonly advises researchers to follow principles of data saturation, although practical advise on how to do this is lacking. Our objectives were firstly, to describe the current status of sample size in focus group studies reported in health journals. Secondly, to assess whether and how researchers explain the number of focus groups they carry out. METHODS: We searched PubMed for studies that had used focus groups and that had been published in open access journals during 2008, and extracted data on the number of focus groups and on any explanation authors gave for this number. We also did a qualitative assessment of the papers with regard to how number of groups was explained and discussed. RESULTS: We identified 220 papers published in 117 journals. In these papers insufficient reporting of sample sizes was common. The number of focus groups conducted varied greatly (mean 8.4, median 5, range 1 to 96). Thirty seven (17%) studies attempted to explain the number of groups. Six studies referred to rules of thumb in the literature, three stated that they were unable to organize more groups for practical reasons, while 28 studies stated that they had reached a point of saturation. Among those stating that they had reached a point of saturation, several appeared not to have followed principles from grounded theory where data collection and analysis is an iterative process until saturation is reached. Studies with high numbers of focus groups did not offer explanations for number of groups. Too much data as a study weakness was not an issue discussed in any of the reviewed papers. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings we suggest that journals adopt more stringent requirements for focus group method reporting. The often poor and inconsistent reporting seen in these studies may also reflect the lack of clear, evidence-based guidance about deciding on sample size. More empirical research is needed to develop focus group methodology.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“More participants may be recruited in additional focus groups and/or interviews until saturation is met in line with established recommendations for focus group thematic analysis.72”
From Novel ACT-based eHealth psychoeducational intervention for students with mental distress: A study protocol for a mixed-methodology pilot trial (2019) · cites this paper as [72]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook
(1994) · Journal of Environmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/s0272-4944(05)80231-2 · Cited by 48,420
Wagner, H. R., Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1968) · Social Forces · doi:10.2307/2575405 · Cited by 46,525
The Discovery of Grounded Theory; Strategies for Qualitative Research
Glaser, B. G., Strauss, A. L., & Strutzel, E. (1968) · Nursing Research · doi:10.1097/00006199-196807000-00014 · Cited by 39,449
Qualitative research and evaluation methods
Patton, M. Q. (1980) · Cited by 35,637
Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques.
Ellis, C., Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1992) · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews · doi:10.2307/2074814 · Cited by 29,296
Handbook of Qualitative Research
Crozier, G., Denzin, N., & Lincoln, Y. (1994) · British Journal of Educational Studies · doi:10.2307/3121684 · Cited by 26,666
Basics of Qualitative Research
Ozanne, J. L., Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1992) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.2307/3172751 · Cited by 17,852
Basics of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques
Long, D. R., Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1993) · Modern Language Journal · doi:10.2307/328955 · Cited by 17,625
Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research
McQuarrie, E. F., & Krueger, R. A. (1989) · Journal of Marketing Research · doi:10.2307/3172912 · Cited by 15,489
(1990) · Cited by 11,110
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–200 of 669
Rotz, M. E., & Dueñas, G. G. (2016) · Journal of Interprofessional Care · doi:10.3109/13561820.2015.1086731 · Cited by 35
“This apparent data saturation was used as justification for limiting the data collection to three focus groups (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011).”
MethodLópez, I., & Buendía, M. P. (2018) · Journal of Mountain Science · doi:10.1007/s11629-018-4943-0 · Cited by 38
Moghaddam, A. K., Khankeh, H. R., Shariati, M., Norcini, J. J., & Jalili, M. (2019) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031014 · Cited by 37
Parental perspectives on early childhood caries: A qualitative study
Lotto, M., Strieder, A. P., Aguirre, P. E. A., Machado, M. A. D. A. M., Rios, D., Cruvinel, A. F. P., & Cruvinel, T. (2020) · International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry · doi:10.1111/ipd.12622 · Cited by 35
Bernstein, M. H., Locher, C., Stewart‐Ferrer, S., Buergler, S., DesRoches, C. M., Dossett, M. L., Miller, F. G., Grose, D., & Blease, C. (2020) · British Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjhp.12429 · Cited by 47
“Although there is no consensus about the ideal number of participants in focus groups, our goal was to recruit between 6 and 10 participants per group (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011).”
BackgroundSampling Methods in Qualitative Sampling in Multicultural Settings
Akkaş, H., & Meydan, C. H. (2024) · Advances in Library and Information Science · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-3306-8.ch003 · Cited by 34
Aamland, A., Werner, E. L., & Malterud, K. (2013) · Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care · doi:10.3109/02813432.2013.788274 · Cited by 34
Ogourtsova, T., Archambault, P. S., & Lamontagne, A. (2017) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2017.1387292 · Cited by 34
“In the qualitative research literature, the number of focus groups and sample size within focus groups vary significantly [37].”
BackgroundOlder adults experiences with ambulation during a hospital stay: A qualitative study
King, B., Bodden, J., Steege, L. M. B., & Brown, C. J. (2020) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.08.005 · Cited by 34
Validity and Reliability of General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire for Adults in Uganda
Bukenya, R., Ahmed, A., Andrade, J., Grigsby‐Toussaint, D. S., Muyonga, J. H., & Andrade, J. E. (2017) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu9020172 · Cited by 34
“The focus groups were conducted using the available recommendations [45].”
MethodNewhouse, R. P. (2017) · doi:10.25302/67.2017 · Cited by 34
van Ravesteijn, H. J., Suijkerbuijk, Y. B., Langbroek, J. A., Muskens, E., Lucassen, P. L., van Weel, C., Wester, F., & Speckens, A. E. M. (2014) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2014.04.010 · Cited by 33
“However, both too few and too many interviews can lower the quality of the data; the more hours of taped interviews or pages of transcribed material, the less depth and richness we would be able to extract from thematerial [41].”
BackgroundPardhan, S., Nakafero, G., Raman, R., & Sapkota, R. (2018) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2018.1455809 · Cited by 34
“The FGDs comprised literate younger males, literate older males, illiterate older males, literate younger females, literate older females and illiterate older females, with 4–7 participants in each group; sample size of similar range has been used in previous research (Carlsen and Glenton 2011).”
MethodExploring the Needs of Cancer Survivors When Returning to or Staying in the Workforce
Berger, I., Beck, L., Jones, J. M., MacEachen, E., & Kirsh, B. H. (2020) · Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation · doi:10.1007/s10926-020-09877-z · Cited by 33
Unpacking “support”: Understanding the complex needs of therapeutic foster parents
Tullberg, E., Vaughon, W. L., Muradwij, N., & Kerker, B. D. (2019) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104420 · Cited by 32
Do Fans Care About the Activist Athlete? A Closer Look at Athlete Activism Effect on Brand Image
Brown, S. M., Brison, N. T., Bennett, G., & Brown, K. (2022) · International Journal of Sport Communication · doi:10.1123/ijsc.2022-0101 · Cited by 35
Brommeyer, M., Whittaker, M. A., & Liang, Z. (2024) · Journal of Healthcare Leadership · doi:10.2147/jhl.s487589 · Cited by 52
“50,51 Further, having participants represented from both metropolitan and regional sites can improve the generalizability of results.”
BackgroundHermaszewska, S., & Sin, J. (2021) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361320984895 · Cited by 32
“We intentionally recruited 4–8 participants for each of the five groups; however, three groups featured three participants which are below the number recommended by Carlsen and Glenton (2011).”
Schichtel, M., MacArtney, J. I., Wee, B. L., & Boylan, A. R. (2021) · British Journal of General Practice · doi:10.3399/bjgp.2020.0973 · Cited by 32
“34”
Exploring the “Social” in Social Media: Adolescent Relatedness—Thwarted and Supported
West, M., Rice, S., & Vella‐Brodrick, D. (2021) · Journal of Adolescent Research · doi:10.1177/07435584211062158 · Cited by 45
Huntink, E., van Lieshout, J., Aakhus, E., Baker, R., Flottorp, S., Godycki-Cwirko, M., Jäger, C., Kowalczyk, A., Szecsenyi, J., & Wensing, M. (2014) · Implementation Science · doi:10.1186/s13012-014-0185-x · Cited by 27
A phenomenological inquiry into farmers’ experiences growing cotton in Punjab, Pakistan
Ashraf, S., Ch, K. M., Ashraf, I., & Akbar, N. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-62950-y · Cited by 37
“Large sample size in qualitative research was associated with wasting funds, leading to wasted data and overloading the respondents 72,73 .”
BackgroundDavids, D., Blouws, T. A., Aboyade, O. M., Gibson, D., de Jong, J. T. V. M., Klooster, C. V., & Hughes, G. D. (2014) · Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine · doi:10.1186/1746-4269-10-77 · Cited by 30
“After the s econd FGD, no new information, themes or insights arose from the data and saturation h d been reached [35].”
BackgroundArcan, C., Culhane‐Pera, K. A., Pergament, S. L., Rosas-Lee, M., & Xiong, M. B. (2017) · Public Health Nutrition · doi:10.1017/s1368980017001719 · Cited by 30
“order to obtain saturation; general focus group guidelines support aiming for saturation of ideas, which usually occurs with two to five groups per category of participants((46)).”
BackgroundHow does IATF 16949 add value to ISO 9001? An empirical study
Laskurain‐Iturbe, I., Landín, G. A., Saizarbitoria, I. H., & Boiral, O. (2020) · Total Quality Management & Business Excellence · doi:10.1080/14783363.2020.1717332 · Cited by 32
“This point of saturation – which raises frequent doubts and concerns among scholars (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011) – was assessed following an iterative process of discussion among the researchers that had carried out the fieldwork.”
BackgroundFrom statistics to clinics: the visual feedback of PROMIS® CATs
van Muilekom, M. M., Luijten, M. A. J., van Oers, H. A., Terwee, C. B., van Litsenburg, R. R. L., Roorda, L. D., Grootenhuis, M. A., & Haverman, L. (2021) · Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes · doi:10.1186/s41687-021-00324-y · Cited by 30
Provision of palliative and end-of-life care in stroke units: A qualitative study
Gardiner, C., Harrison, M., Ryan, T., & Jones, A. (2013) · Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1177/0269216313483846 · Cited by 30
A Zero-Waste Campus Framework: Perceptions and Practices of University Campus Community in Malaysia
Baba-Nalikant, M., Syed-Mohamad, S. M., Husin, M. H., Abdullah, N. A., Saleh, M. S. M., & Rahim, A. A. (2023) · Recycling · doi:10.3390/recycling8010021 · Cited by 39
Machín, L., Aschemann‐Witzel, J., Patiño, A., Moratorio, X., Bandeira, E., Curutchet, M. R., Martínez, J., Bové, I., Molina, V., Giménez, A., et al. (2017) · Health Education & Behavior · doi:10.1177/1090198117744243 · Cited by 30
“In addition, conducting this number of focus groups enabled to reach a point of saturation (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011).”
BackgroundPersonal Values of Luxury Services Consumption: A Confucian Culture Perspective
Le, N. T. C., & Quý, V. T. (2020) · Journal of International Consumer Marketing · doi:10.1080/08961530.2020.1712292 · Cited by 28
“…suggests that the main unit of analysis based on FGDs (Kawamura and Morgan 1998), and that the number of groups is determined as adequate when the saturation point is reached; that is, when no more new information is retrieved from the participants (Carlsen and Glenton 2011; Krueger 1994).”
BackgroundDurand, M., Coutu, M., Tremblay, D., Sylvain, C., Gouin, M.-M., Bilodeau, K., Kirouac, L., Paquette, M.-A., Nastasia, I., & Côté, D. (2020) · Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation · doi:10.1007/s10926-020-09894-y · Cited by 28
Perceived Severity and Susceptibility towards Leptospirosis Infection in Malaysia
Sukeri, S., Mohammad, W. M. Z. W., Shafei, M. N., Hamat, R. A., Osman, M. B., Jamaluddin, T. Z. M. T., & Daud, A. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17176362 · Cited by 34
“However, the inclusion of a few more than the suggested number of groups is recommended to account for any unforeseen confounders [22].”
BackgroundВладимирович, Л. В., Yadgarov, M. Y., Бондоевич, Б. Л., Kadantseva, K., & Kuzovlev, A. N. (2020) · Russian Journal of Anesthesiology and Reanimatology · doi:10.17116/anaesthesiology202006177 · Cited by 27
Mgaiwa, S. J., & Kapinga, O. S. (2021) · Higher Education Pedagogies · doi:10.1080/23752696.2021.1904433 · Cited by 27
“To ensure the quality information is collected, data were iteratively generated and analysed (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011).”
MethodRomli, M. H., Foong, C. C., Hong, W.-H., Subramaniam, P. L., & Yunus, F. W. (2022) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-022-03587-1 · Cited by 27
“Optimally, a qualitative study requires around 4 to 18 samples and is divided into three focus groups to achieve data enrichment [61, 62] – where it is suggested between 4 to 8 members per group [20].”
BackgroundBabatunde, T., & Moreno-Leguizamon, C. (2012) · Nursing Research and Practice · doi:10.1155/2012/181640 · Cited by 27
“While some authors mention that this is obtained between three and six focus groups, [74] other authors [75] view it as a reemerge of a theme or a topic even if it is in one focus group.”
BackgroundPatzelt, C., Heim, S., Deitermann, B., Theile, G., Krauth, C., Hummers, E., & Walter, U. (2016) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-016-0374-3 · Cited by 32
“In the review by Carlsen & Glenton [21], it was shown that the use of four to six focus groups depending on the theme and theoretical data saturation is an appropriate number.”
Zilio, M. I., Alfonso, M. B., Ferrelli, F., Perillo, G. M. E., & Píccolo, M. C. (2017) · Tourism Management · doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2017.04.008 · Cited by 27
“In all the cases, the size of the group was determined following the most usual practices in focus group studies (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011) and, according to standard ethical guidelines, participation in the research was entirely voluntary (ESRC, 2006).”
Understanding elite youth athletes’ knowledge and perceptions of sport psychology
Bell, A. F., Knight, C. J., Lovett, V. E., & Shearer, C. (2020) · Journal of Applied Sport Psychology · doi:10.1080/10413200.2020.1719556 · Cited by 31
INNOSERV: Generalized scale for perceived service innovation
Manohar, S., Paul, J., Strong, C. A., & Mittal, A. (2023) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113723 · Cited by 26
“Under each focus group, the number of participants varied from 9 to12, the sample size for each group was based on the availability of frequent users, which satisfied the minimum threshold limit for focus group discussions stated in earlier literature (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011; Chan, 2001).”
BackgroundKaufman, J., Ryan, R. E., & Hill, S. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0201145 · Cited by 26
AFENTINA, A., McShane, P., & Wright, W. (2019) · Agroforestry Systems · doi:10.1007/s10457-019-00428-x · Cited by 25
Autonomous Goods Vehicles for Last-mile Delivery: Evaluation of Impact and Barriers
Sindi, S., & Woodman, R. (2020) · IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC) · doi:10.1109/itsc45102.2020.9294558 · Cited by 25
“The larger the information power a sample holds, the lower n is needed and vice versa [24].”
BackgroundCommunity Health Workers’ Role in Addressing Farmworker Health Disparities
Harwell, E. L., LePrevost, C. E., Cofie, L. E., & Lee, J. G. L. (2022) · Journal of Agromedicine · doi:10.1080/1059924x.2022.2040069 · Cited by 25
“The number of FGDs was sufficient to draw conclusions and achieve saturation of themes.(38,39)”
BackgroundStakeholders’ insights on learning analytics: Perspectives of students and staff
Gray, G., Schalk, A. E., Cooke, G., Murnion, P., Rooney, P., & O'Rourke, K. C. (2022) · Computers & Education · doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104550 · Cited by 25
Hamm, J., Money, A., & Atwal, A. (2017) · JMIR Human Factors · doi:10.2196/humanfactors.7161 · Cited by 25
“The number of focus groups and sample of participants in each group is in line with the minimum 4 focus group rule and the recommended 4-12 participants threshold [66] that is considered to be suitable numbers for conducing focus groups within a healthcare context [67].”
Nybergh, L., Bergström, G., & Hellman, T. (2020) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-020-10045-4 · Cited by 27
“Six focus groups and one pilot interview were included: although the sizes and amounts of focus groups vary greatly between studies [48], this adheres to a common rule of thumb of having between four to six focus groups [49].”
BackgroundChesire, F., Ochieng, M., Mugisha, M., Ssenyonga, R., Oxman, M., Nsangi, A., Semakula, D., Nyirazinyoye, L., Lewin, S. A., Sewankambo, N. K., et al. (2022) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-022-01183-0 · Cited by 33
“The amount of data we collected was guided by considerations of the variation in issues emerging from the data collection and the extent to which we were able to explain these variations, our time and resource constraints, coupled with the need to avoid large volumes of data that cannot be easily managed or analyzed a…”
MethodSustaining care for a parent with dementia: an indefinite and intertwined process
Hwang, A. S., Rosenberg, L., Kontos, P., Cameron, J. I., Mihailidis, A., & Nygård, L. (2017) · International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1080/17482631.2017.1389578 · Cited by 23
“These three authors also agreed that the quantity and quality (i.e., rich rigour (Tracy, 2010)) of focus group data were adequate (Carlsen & Glenton, 2011).”
BackgroundMethodNurse‐to‐nurse shift handoffs on medical–surgical units: A process within the flow of nursing care
Ernst, K., McComb, S. A., & Ley, C. (2018) · Journal of Clinical Nursing · doi:10.1111/jocn.14254 · Cited by 24
Strandberg, E. L., Brorsson, A., Hagstam, C., Troein, M., & Hedin, K. (2013) · Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care · doi:10.3109/02813432.2013.824156 · Cited by 24
Martin, M. C., Ha, V., Fasola, L., Dalgarno, N., & Zevin, B. (2022) · Clinical Obesity · doi:10.1111/cob.12558 · Cited by 23
Bayly, J., Edwards, B., Peat, N., Warwick, G., Hennig, I. M., Arora, A., Wilcock, A., Higginson, I. J., & Maddocks, M. M. (2018) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-018-0350-0 · Cited by 23
“We did not intentionally seek data saturation [28].”
BackgroundAttitudes About Informed Consent: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis of UK Psychotherapy Trainees
Blease, C., Arnott, T., Kelley, J. M., Proctor, G., Κube, T., Gaab, J., & Locher, C. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00183 · Cited by 23
Social Justice Pre-Practicum: Enhancing Social Justice Identity Through Experiential Learning
Sanabria, S., & DeLorenzi, L. (2019) · Journal for Social Action in Counseling & Psychology · doi:10.33043/jsacp.11.2.35-53 · Cited by 23
Ontrup, G., Schempp, P. S., & Kluge, A. (2021) · Journal of Organizational Effectiveness People and Performance · doi:10.1108/joepp-03-2021-0064 · Cited by 25
Cervical Cancer Screening and Chinese Women: Insights from Focus Groups
Chang, S., Woo, J. S. T., Yau, V. W. K., Gorzalka, B. B., & Brotto, L. A. (2013) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00048 · Cited by 23
“Also, the inevitable trade-off between the number of focus groups and the depth of description also contributed to our decision to stop recruitment after theme saturation at two groups as the quality of qualitative studies significantly depends on the richness of the data and its analysis (Carlsen and Glenton, 2011).”
BackgroundThe impact of sleep deprivation on surgeons' performance during night shifts.
Amirian, I. (2014) · PubMed · Cited by 23
Klinke, M. E., Hjartardóttir, T. E., Hauksdóttir, A., Jónsdóttir, H., Hjaltason, H., & Andrésdóttir, G. T. (2019) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2019.1661037 · Cited by 24
Fleming, T. M., Stasiak, K., Moselen, E., Hermansson-Webb, E., Shepherd, M., Lucassen, M. F. G., Bavin, L. M., & Merry, S. (2019) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00802 · Cited by 25
“Guidance for focus group size often ranges from 4 to 12 participants (37), or more narrowly, for example from 6 to 10 participants (38).”
Development and evaluation of flipped learning using film clips within a nursing informatics course
Oh, J., Kim, S., Kim, S., Kang, K., Kan, J.-S., & BARTLETT, R. L. (2018) · Japan Journal of Nursing Science · doi:10.1111/jjns.12245 · Cited by 22
Iglesias, A., Sánchez, B., Garrote, L., & López, I. (2015) · Water Resources Management · doi:10.1007/s11269-015-0995-x · Cited by 22
“In relation to the representation, it is recognised good results can be achieved with just a few interviews, as data become saturated, and data analysis indicates that all themes can reach saturation, meaning additional participants would likely not have added to the depth or breadth of parent responses (Sandelowski 1…”
BackgroundPublic trust and performance measurement in charitable organizations
Yang, Y., Brennan, I. R., & Wilkinson, M. (2014) · International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management · doi:10.1108/ijppm-09-2013-0159 · Cited by 22
Toft, T., Alfonsson, S., Hovén, E., & Carlsson, T. (2019) · European Journal of Oncology Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2019.07.010 · Cited by 22
Fields, N. L., Miller, V. J., Cronley, C. C., Hyun, K. (., Mattingly, S., Khademi, S., Nargesi, S. R. R., & Williams, J. R. (2020) · Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives · doi:10.1016/j.trip.2020.100110 · Cited by 22
(2017) · doi:10.25302/67.2017.3 · Cited by 23
Group affiliation in self‐management: support or threat to identity?
Bossy, D., Knutsen, I. R., Rogers, A. E., & Foss, C. (2016) · Health Expectations · doi:10.1111/hex.12448 · Cited by 22
Active learning using a smartphone app: analysing land use patterns in Cork City, Ireland
Holloway, P., Kenna, T., Linehan, D., O’Connor, R., Bradley, H., O’Mahony, B., & Pinkham, R. (2020) · Journal of Geography in Higher Education · doi:10.1080/03098265.2020.1802703 · Cited by 23
Sekandi, J. N., Kasiita, V., Onuoha, N. A., Zalwango, S. K., Nakkonde, D., Mafigiri, D. K., Turinawe, J., Kakaire, R., Davis-Olwell, P., Atuyambe, L. M., et al. (2021) · JMIR mhealth and uhealth · doi:10.2196/27131 · Cited by 25
“The focus groups were composed of a minimum of 6 participants, as recommended for qualitative studies [33,34].”
Gut health, the microbiome and dietary choices: An exploration of consumer perspectives
Williams, G. M., Tapsell, L. C., & Beck, E. J. (2022) · Nutrition & Dietetics · doi:10.1111/1747-0080.12769 · Cited by 22
“While data generated from small online focus groups has been considered satisfactory,(30) our focus groups with <3 participants (n = 2 groups) may have been limited in terms of generation of group discussion and interaction between participants.(56) This potentially limited data generation given reduced opportunity fo…”
BackgroundHerbeć, A., Perski, O., Shahab, L., & West, R. (2018) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph15020288 · Cited by 21
“Recruitment and data collection for the interview study stopped after data saturation was reached, meaning that no new themes or issues were arising from the data collected through additional interviews [48,49].”
BackgroundJayasinghe, N., Moallem, B. I., Kakoullis, M., Ojie, M.-J., Sar-Graycar, L., Wyka, K., Reid, M. C., & Leonard, J. P. (2018) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gny045 · Cited by 21
Njie-Carr, V. P. S., Jones-Parker, H., Massey, C., Baker, D., & Nganga-Good, C. (2018) · Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.jogn.2018.08.005 · Cited by 20
Workplace violence and the meaning of work in healthcare workers: A phenomenological study
Lamothe, J., & Guay, S. (2017) · Work · doi:10.3233/wor-172486 · Cited by 20
“…saturation’ and ‘theoretical saturation’ have been hugely influ-ential in the field of qualitative research, the authors agree with their critics [36-38] especially since the notion of ‘saturation’ contradicts the very premise of phenomenology which places value on the lived experiences of…”
Improving healthcare access for older adults with intellectual disability: What are the needs?
Navas, P., Llorente, S., García-Domínguez, L., Tassé, M. J., & Havercamp, S. M. (2019) · Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities · doi:10.1111/jar.12639 · Cited by 21
Ares, G., Antúnez, L., Alcaire, F., Vidal, L., & Bove, I. (2021) · Public Health Nutrition · doi:10.1017/s1368980021002548 · Cited by 20
Sustainable Tourism, Social and Institutional Innovation—The Paradox of Dark Sky in Astrotourism
Escario-Sierra, F., Alonso, C. Á., Fierro, J. A. M., & Fons, M. V. S. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su14116419 · Cited by 20
Factors shaping Bangladeshi students’ migration decision using push–pull theory: a focus group study
Zaman, N. T., Sohel, M., Obaidullah, M., Hossen, M. S., Rahman, M. T., Sifullah, M. K., & Sarker, M. F. H. (2023) · SN Social Sciences · doi:10.1007/s43545-023-00797-2 · Cited by 22
“This state of saturation is attained through the process of iterative data collection and interpretation (Carlsen and Glenton 2011).”
Going virtual: adapting in-person interactive focus groups to the online environment
Menary, J., Stetkiewicz, S., Nair, A., Jorasch, P., Nanda, A. K., Guichaoua, A., Rufino, M. C., Fischer, A. R. H., & Davies, J. A. C. (2021) · Emerald Open Research · doi:10.1108/eor-06-2023-0008 · Cited by 20
Younas, A., Masih, Y., & Sundus, A. (2025) · Evidence-Based Nursing · doi:10.1136/ebnurs-2025-104292 · Cited by 27
Kaufman, J., Ryan, R. E., Glenton, C., Lewin, S. A., Bosch‐Capblanch, X., Cartier, Y., Cliff, J., Oyo-Ita, A. E., Ames, H., Muloliwa, A. M., et al. (2017) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.02.007 · Cited by 20
Self-citationFarm animal practitioners' views on their use and expectations of veterinary diagnostic laboratories
Robinson, P. A., & Epperson, W. B. (2013) · Veterinary Record · doi:10.1136/vr.101366 · Cited by 20
“University, Starkville, MS, USA E-mail for correspondence: p.a.robinson@durham.ac.uk Provenance: not commissioned; externally peer reviewed Accepted March 21, 2013 Veterinary Record | May 11, 2013 professional development (CPD) open to all veterinarians in the province.”
ResultInfluentialAly, H., Liu, Y., Anaraky, R. G., Khan, S., Namara, M., Byrne, K. A., & Knijnenburg, B. P. (2023) · Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies · doi:10.56553/popets-2024-0036 · Cited by 20
“Prior research [9, 10, 49, 55], along with saturation considerations, influenced the determination of our sample size.”
BackgroundClaessens, F., Castro, E. M., Jans, A., Jacobs, L., Seys, D., Wilder, A. V., Brouwers, J., der Auwera, C. V., Ridder, D. D., & Vanhaecht, K. (2022) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2022.07.007 · Cited by 19
Can salespersons help firms overcome brand image crisis? Role of facial appearance
Agnihotri, A., Bhattacharya, S., & Vrontis, D. (2024) · Journal of Business Research · doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114612 · Cited by 20
Perceptions of time spent on safety tasks in surgical operations: A focus group study
Høyland, S. A., Haugen, A. S., & Thomassen, Ø. (2014) · Safety Science · doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2014.05.009 · Cited by 19
Frederiksen, P., Karsten, M. M. V., Indahl, A., & Bendix, T. (2015) · Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation · doi:10.1007/s10926-015-9578-1 · Cited by 19
“3) and minimum 6–8 participants in each group [18].”
BackgroundKulkarni, B., Leighton, P. A., & King, A. J. (2019) · British Journal of Ophthalmology · doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2018-313401 · Cited by 19
Zevin, B., Dalgarno, N., Martin, M. C., Grady, C. M., Matusinec, J., Houlden, R. L., Birtwhistle, R., Smith, K., Morkem, R., & Barber, D. (2019) · CMAJ Open · doi:10.9778/cmajo.20190072 · Cited by 22
“Family Health Team 6 (35) 3 (38) 7 (100)”
Durosini, I., Janssens, R., Arnou, R., Veldwijk, J., Smith, M. Y., Monzani, D., Smith, I. P., Galli, G., Garassino, M. C., Katz, E. G., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.622154 · Cited by 20
Developing sugar-sweetened beverage warning labels for young adults
Falbe, J., Montuclard, A., Engelman, A., Adler, S. S., & Roesler, A. (2021) · Public Health Nutrition · doi:10.1017/s1368980021002287 · Cited by 19
“Following pragmatic recommendations on sample size for focus groups(31), we aimed to conduct at least three focus groups per university with 8–12 participants per focus group to adequately capture the range of perspectives across sites.”
MethodMarkotić, F., Vrdoljak, D., Puljiz, M., & Puljak, L. (2017) · Journal of Pain Research · doi:10.2147/jpr.s123554 · Cited by 23
“The sixth focus group was included to reach a point of saturation.(15)”
BackgroundSundareswaran, M., Martignetti, L., & Purkey, E. (2024) · BMC Family Practice · doi:10.1186/s12875-024-02453-x · Cited by 18
“The literature is sparse regarding the ideal number of participants in a focus group which can range anywhere from 1-20 participants [23, 24].”
BackgroundExamining the Role of Demographics in Campus Crime Alerts
Pelfrey, W. V., Keener, S., & Perkins, M. L. (2016) · Race and Justice · doi:10.1177/2153368716675475 · Cited by 18
“Carlsen and Glenton (2011), in a review of health-care focus group research, found sample sizes as high as 96, although that number was standard deviations from the median of 8.”
BackgroundSemakula, D., Nsangi, A., Oxman, A. D., Glenton, C., Lewin, S. A., Rosenbaum, S., Oxman, M., Kaseje, M., Dahlgren, A., Rose, C. J., et al. (2019) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031510 · Cited by 18
Self-citationFamily perceptions and experiences of living with patients with fibromyalgia syndrome
Montesó‐Curto, P., Guillén, M.-T. C., Navarro, A. N. L., Llobet, M. P., & Toussaint, L. L. (2021) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2021.1948620 · Cited by 22
Carr, E., Babione, J., & Marshall, D. A. (2017) · International Journal of Medical Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.05.007 · Cited by 18
“Although the number of participants was less than anticipated, we observed rich and meaningful discussions which might be seen as a trade-off for the (limited) numbers [32].”
Buhagiar, M. A., Naylor, J., Simpson, G. K., Harris, I. A., & Köhler, F. (2017) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/s12913-017-2379-9 · Cited by 18
“The quality of the information collected was assessed after each interview, with consideration of newly emerging themes [20].”
Boulton, M. G., & Beer, S. (2018) · Nursing Open · doi:10.1002/nop2.167 · Cited by 18
Herbeć, A., Tombor, I., Shahab, L., & West, R. (2018) · International Journal of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/s12529-018-9735-y · Cited by 18
Metadata
- Authors
- Carlsen, B., & Glenton, C.
- Affiliations
- SINTEF (NO)
- Corresponding author
- Carlsen, Benedicte
- ORCID
- Glenton, Claire
- Venue
- BMC Medical Research Methodology
- Published
- 2011-03-11
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 26-26
- ISSN
- 1471-2288 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3061958
- OpenAlex
- W2013335946
- Cited by
- 670
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2026: 29 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 53 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 68 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 66 · 2019: 56 · 2018: 50 · 2017: 52 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 80.06
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Medical Research Methodology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Bergen Open Research Archive (BORA) (University of Bergen) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Universitetet i Bergen
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Delphi Technique in Research
- Keywords
- focus groups, sample size reporting, data saturation, grounded theory, qualitative research methodology, reporting guidelines, health journals, methodological quality
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Research Design, Focus Groups, Sample Size, PubMed
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
