In my mixed-method research, I have already collected quantitative data via questionnaires. Now, I am conducting interviews to collect qualitative data. My query is:
1- How many people from my research population should I interview?
2- Should I interview participants who filled out the questionnaire or seek different ones? And what is the difference?
Aa lot depends on whether you are using a sequential explanatory design where your goal is to understand the results from the quanitiative portion of the study. If so, then your first choice should be to re-interviewer your original participants, but there is nothing wrong with using an equivalent sample if that is not workable.
In terms of sample size, I would recommend the classic criterion of saturation for qualitative sampling. That means you keep adding to your sample until further interviews are not increasing the information that you are seeking.
Thank you, David L Morgan, PhD.
Mayhaps four participants would provide exactly the data I am seeking; would four be enough? In general, could you please give me a common/minimum number of participants I should interview?
Qualitative interview samples do not have precise numbers the way that quantitative ones do. Most qualitative sample sizes range from 10 to 20 but there Is no way to know in advance.
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