This document outlines a pilot study prepared by Mrs. Deva Pon Pushpam.I on the topic of pilot studies. It defines a pilot study as a small preliminary version of a larger study used to test feasibility and refine methods and procedures. The purposes of a pilot study are to determine feasibility, identify weaknesses, test instruments and data collection, obtain preliminary outcome data to calculate sample size, and refine the methodology. A pilot study uses similar design and methods to the main study, including control groups, blinding, and outcome measures. Data collection and analysis in a pilot study aim to test instruments and address study objectives through descriptive statistics. The conclusion is that pilot studies avoid costly failures in main studies by testing procedures beforehand.

1. PILOT STUDY
PREPARED BY:
Mrs. DEVA PON PUSHPAM.I,
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR.

2. INTRODUCTION
• A pilot study is referred to a small scale
preliminary tryout of the method to be used in
an actually large study, which acquaints the
researcher with problems that can be corrected
in proportion for the research study or is done
to provide researcher with an opportunity to
try out the procedure, methods and tools of
data collection.

3. DEFINITION
• A pilot study is designed to test the feasibility of,
and to support refinements of, the protocols,
methods and procedures to be used in large scale
trial of an intervention.
- Thabane and colleagues, 2010
• Pilot study is a small scale rehearsal of main
study to test the feasibility of proposed research
process / protocol.
- Kumar.R, 2018

4. PURPOSES OF PILOT STUDY
• To determine the feasibility of main study.
• To identify the weakness in each section.
• To determine appropriateness, comprehensiveness
and relevancy of the research instruments.
• To test appropriateness of the data collection
techniques.
• To study the data collection process in terms of
time duration, willingness of the subjects and
availability of the subject, etc.

5. Contd.,
• To obtain preliminary data for primary outcome
measures, in order to calculate the adequate
sample size.
• To determine adequacy of data analysis process
and use of statistical tests.
• To determine the psychometric properties of
research instrument (validity, reliability).
• To refine methodology.
• To understand the study variables and
confounding variables.

6. DESIGN AND METHODS OF PILOT
STUDY
• A randomized design is used for a pilot trial if the
plan is to used the pilot as the basis for requesting
funding for a full scale trial.
• To the extent possible, all of the design features
for the full trial should be tested, including the
control group strategy, procedures for blinding,
outcome measures and the schedule of data
collection.

7. DATA COLLECTION IN PILOT STUDY
• The data collection plan is complex because it
serves two purposes: to test the viability of the
instruments that would be used in the main trial
and to address the various objectives of the pilot
itself.
• Detailed documentation about the trial and its
progress should be maintained to help illuminate
what went wrong and what went right.
• It is useful to keep a diary or journal to record
impressions and observations about the pilot
experience.

8. DATA ANALYSIS IN PILOT STUDY
• This tends to involve mainly descriptive statistics.
• The analysis of the quantitative data from pilot studies
can be used to guide decisions about how to proceed
based on a comparison of the results to the pre
established criteria.
• Thematic analysis of the qualitative can confirm the
wisdom of that decision and can also help researchers
make adjustments to improve the likelihood that a full
trial will be successful in giving the intervention a fair
test.
• Researchers should pay more attention to individual
results in pilot studies than to group averages.

9. CONCLUSION
• The overall purpose of pilot work, is to avoid a
costly failure.
• The purpose of pilot work should not be to test
hypotheses because sample sizes in pilot work are
too small to yield reliable estimates of effects.
• A feasibility study tests specific and discrete aspects
of an emerging intervention, often using a fairly
simple design.
• A pilot study is a small scale version of a full trial,
designed to assess an entire set of procedures for
implementing and evaluating intervention, and
ideally involves a randomized design.