PILOT STUDY
Pilot study is a small scale preliminary study
conducted in order to evaluate feasibility, time, cost,
adverse events, and effect size (Statistical variability)
in an attempt to predict an appropriate sample size
and improve upon the study design prior to
performance of a full scale research project.
1.Pilot study is a small experiment designed to test logistics
2. Gather information prior to a large study
3. Improve the actual study’s quality and efficiency
4.Reveal deficiencies in the design of a proposed
experiment or procedure and these can then be addressed
before time
5. A good research strategy requires careful planning and a
pilot study will often be a part of this strategy
A smaller version of a larger study that is conducted to prepare
for that study. A pilot study can involve pretesting a research tool,
like a new data collection method. It can also be used to test an
idea or hypothesis.
Pilot studies are used as ‘feasibility studies’, to ensure that the
ideas or methods behind a research idea are sound, as well as to
“work out the kinks” in a study protocol before launching a larger
study.
1.Carried out before large scale quantitative research in an attempt
to avoid time and money being wasted on an inadequately
designed project.
2.It is a potentially valuable insight and should anything be missing
in the pilot study, it can be added to the full scale (and more
expensive) experiment to improve the chances of a clear outcome.
3.Pilot experiments are used to sell a product and provide
quantitative proof that the system has potential to succeed on a full
scale basis.
4.In social science, pilot studies can be referred to as small
scale studies that will help identify design issues before the
main research is done.
5.It permits preliminary testing of the hypothesis that leads to
testing more precise hypothesis in the main study. It may lead
to changing some hypothesis, dropping some or developing
new hypothesis.
6.It often provides the researcher with ideas, approaches, and
clues you may not have foreseen before conducting the pilot
study
7. It permits a thorough check of the planned statistical and
analytical procedures, giving you a chance to evaluate their
usefulness for the data. You may then be able to make needed
alterations in the data collecting methods, and therefore, analyze
data in the main study more efficiently
8. It can greatly reduce the number of unanticipated problems
because you have an opportunity to redesign parts of your study to
overcome difficulties that pilot study reveals.
9. In the pilot study, the researcher may try out a number of
alternative measures and then select those that produce the
clearest results for the main study.
1.Pilot study is done on a smaller scale. Thus, actual results of the
study may vary from the results of pilot study.
2. Pilot studies, therefore, may not be appropriate for case studies
3. A pilot study is usually carried out on members of the relevant
population, but not on those who will form part of the final sample
4. A pilot study is normally small in comparison with the main
experiment and therefore, can provide only limited information on
the sources and magnitude of variation of response measures