PILOT STUDY
Definition of Pilot Study
Definition of Pilot Study
• ▸ A pilot study is research study
conducted before the actual study.
It is usually executed as planned as
the actual study but on a small
scale.
Definition of Pilot Study
• It conducted in order to – Evaluate feasibility
- Evaluate time, cost, etc.
- Evaluate errors
- To avoid type-1 & type -2
errors.
- Evaluate problems in
sampling.
Definition of Pilot Study
Type-1 Error :- The probability that you will reject a null
hypothesis that should not be rejected (The Null
hypothesis is rejected when it is true)
Type -2 errors. :- The probability that you will NOT
reject a null hypothesis that should have been rejected
(The Null hypothesis is NOT rejected when it is false)
Definition of Pilot Study
• ▸ A small scale study conducted to
test the plan & method of a
research study
• ▸ A trial study carried out before a
research design is finalized to assist
in defining the research question or
to test the feasibility, reliability &
validity of the proposed study
design and Research tool.
Definition of Pilot Study
• ▸ a pilot study is an experimental exploratory, test,
preliminary, trial or try out investigation.
Definition of Pilot Study
• ▸ Pilot test is a trial
collection of data to
detect weaknesses in
design and instrument
and provide
proxy/similar data for
selection of a
probability sample.
Definition of Pilot Study
• ▸ Pre-testing or pilot study
is intended to reveal
errors in the research
design.
• ▸ Pretesting or pilot study
permits refinement before
the final test.
Definition of Pilot Study
• ▸ A pilot study is a
miniature trail of the
planned study. It is
small scale rehearsal
of the main study.
Needs for Pilot Study
• ▸ It should be carried out with
as much care as of the main
study.
• ▸ Usually 10% subject of sample
size are included in pilot study.
Refinement
research topic.
Evaluate
time, cost
Evaluate
problems in
sampling
Pilot Study
Evaluate
errors Reduces
Test Reliability & efforts
validity of tool
PURPOSE of conducting Pilot study
• 1. Process : This assesses the feasibility of the process that are
key to the success of the main study
• 2. Resources: This deals with assessing time & resource
problems that can occur during the main study.
• 3. Management: This covers potential human & data
management problems.
• 4. Scientific : This deals with the assessment of the response,
effect & variance of the effect
PURPOSE of conducting Pilot study
4. Developing & testing adequacy of research
instrument
5. Assessing the feasibility of a full scale study
/survey
6. Establishing whether the sampling frame &
technique are effective collecting preliminary
data.
PURPOSE of conducting Pilot study
7. Determining what resources are needed for a
planned study
8. Assessing the proposed data analysis techniques to
uncover potential problems.
9. Developing a research question & research plan.
10. Convincing funding bodies & other stakeholders
that the main study is worth supporting.
PURPOSE of conducting Pilot study
• 11. A pilot study is a small study designed to gather
information prior to a larger study, in order to improve
the quality of final study.
• 12. A pilot study can reveal deficiencies in the design
of a proposed research proposal.
• 13. A good research strategy requires careful planning
& a pilot study often is a part of this strategy.
Advantages : Pilot Study
• Testing of hypothesis :- It permits preliminary testing of hypothesis that leads
to testing more precise hypotheses in the main study. It may lead to changing
some hypotheses, dropping some or developing new hypotheses.
• ▸ It often provides the researcher with ideas, approaches & clues the
researcher may not have foreseen before conducting the pilot study. Such
ideas & clues increase the chances of getting clearer findings in the main
study.
• ▸ It permits a thorough check of the planned statistical & analytical procedures,
giving a researcher a chance to evaluate their usefulness to the data. The
researcher may then be able to make needed alterations in the data collecting
methods & therefore analyze data in the main Study more efficiently.
Advantages : Pilot Study
• ▸ It can greatly reduce the number of unanticipated problems
because the researcher have all opportunity to redesign parts
of his/her study to overcome difficulties that the pilot study
reveals.
• ▸ It may save lot of time & money. The pilot study almost
always provides enough data for the researcher to decide
whether to go ahead with the main study.
• ▸ In the pilot study, the researcher may try out a number of
alternative measures & then select those that produce the
clearest results for the cleanest results for the main study.
Advantages : Pilot Study
• ▸ The less research experience the student has, the
more she/he is likely to benefit from a pilot study.
• ▸ Because of that possibility, the student should
attempt a pilot study whenever possible.
Disadvantages : Pilot Study
• Time consuming process- delay actual study.
• Possibility of making inaccurate predictions or
assumptions on the basis of pilot data.
• Completing a pilot study successfully is not a
guarantee of the success of the full scale survey.
Disadvantages : Pilot Study
• ▸ A further concern is that of contamination. This may arise in
two ways:
(a) Where data from pilot study are included in the main
results
(b) Where pilot study are included in the main study, but new
data are collected from these people.
• ▸ Unable to include pilot study participants in the main study.