Sample Size Reporting in Focus Group Studies
Author Information
Author(s): Benedicte Carlsen, Claire Glenton
Primary Institution: Uni Rokkan Centre, Norway
Hypothesis
How do researchers determine the number of focus groups to conduct in health-related studies?
Conclusion
The study found that many focus group studies report insufficient sample sizes and lack clear explanations for their choices.
Supporting Evidence
- 220 papers were identified, published in 117 journals.
- Mean number of focus groups was 8.4, with a median of 5.
- Only 17% of studies attempted to explain their number of focus groups.
Takeaway
This study looked at how many focus groups researchers use in health studies and found that many don't explain why they chose that number.
Methodology
The authors searched PubMed for focus group studies published in 2008 and analyzed the sample sizes and explanations provided by the authors.
Potential Biases
Poor reporting may reflect a lack of clear guidance on sample size determination.
Limitations
The study only included open-access journals, which may not represent all focus group studies.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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