<p>Sample-size determination is often an important step in planning statistical study and item analysis and it is usually a difficult one. Among the important hurdles to surpassed, one must obtain an estimate of one or more error variances, and specify an effects size of importance. There is the temptation to take some shortcuts. This paper offers some suggestions for successful and meaningful sample-size determination. Also discussed is the possibility that sample-size may not be the main issue, that the real goal is to design a high-quality study. Finnaly, criticism is made of some ill-advised shortcuts relating to power and sample-size. <br /><br /></p>