I guess that by the word "participants" you mean "sample size". So, it depends on the research question, if it considers the population of a whole country, or one town or one university. In each case the sample size for generalizing the results, is different.
Sample size calculations depend upon the statistical design, the size of the effect you are seeking to find and the level of confidence at which you wish to detect it. The best tool is called G* Power. It is freely available and has a manual which explains things in more detail.