{"id":21137,"date":"2019-02-13T10:00:11","date_gmt":"2019-02-13T04:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=21137"},"modified":"2024-02-28T17:57:35","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T11:57:35","slug":"pilot-study-defines-a-good-research-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/pilot-study-defines-a-good-research-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is a Pilot Study Important in Research?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you working on a new research project<\/a>? We know that you are excited to start, but before you dive in, make sure your study is feasible. You don\u2019t want to end up having to process too many samples at once or realize you forgot to add an essential question to your questionnaire.<\/p>\n

What is a Pilot Study?<\/h2>\n

You can determine the feasibility of your research design, with a pilot study before you start. This is a preliminary, small-scale \u201crehearsal\u201d in which you test the methods you plan to use for your research project. You will use the results to guide the methodology of your large-scale investigation. Pilot studies should be performed for both qualitative and quantitative studies. Here, we discuss the importance of the pilot study and how it will save you time, frustration\u00a0and resources.<\/p>\n

“You never test the depth of a river with both feet<\/em>”<\/p>\n

– African proverb<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Components of a Pilot Study<\/h2>\n

Whether your research is a clinical trial of a medical treatment or a survey in the form of a questionnaire, you want your study to be informative and add value to your research field. Things to consider in your pilot study<\/a> include:<\/p>\n