Sample size: How many is enough?

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Author(s)
Burmeister, Elizabeth
Aitken, Leanne M
Year published
2012
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Sample size is an element of research design that significantly affects the validity and clinical relevance of the findings identified in research studies. Factors that influence sample size include the effect size, or difference expected between groups or time points, the homogeneity of the study participants, the risk of error that investigators consider acceptable and the rate of participant attrition expected during the study. Appropriate planning in regard to each of these elements optimises the likelihood of finding an important result that is both clinically and statistically meaningful.Sample size is an element of research design that significantly affects the validity and clinical relevance of the findings identified in research studies. Factors that influence sample size include the effect size, or difference expected between groups or time points, the homogeneity of the study participants, the risk of error that investigators consider acceptable and the rate of participant attrition expected during the study. Appropriate planning in regard to each of these elements optimises the likelihood of finding an important result that is both clinically and statistically meaningful.
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Journal Title
Australian Critical Care
Volume
25
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2012 ACCCN. Published by Elsevier. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Clinical sciences
Nursing
Acute care