Subscriptions for the hardcopy version are free to researchers with addresses in the uk. Van teijlingen and vanora hundley dr edwin van teijlingen is a medical sociologist and senior lecturer in public health at the department of public health, university of aberdeen. His research interests include the organisation of maternity care at home and abroad, substance misuse, and psychosocial aspects of genetics. Dr vanora hundley is a midwife and lecturer at the centre for advanced studies in nursing, university of aberdeen.

Her research interests include midwifery care, consumer satisfaction and preferences, and research utilisation. The term 'pilot studies' refers to mini versions of a full scale study also called 'feasibility' studies , as well as the specific pre testing of a particular research instrument such as a questionnaire or interview schedule. Conducting a pilot study does not guarantee success in the main study, but it does increase the likelihood.

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Pilot studies fulfil a range of important functions and can provide valuable insights for other researchers. There is a need for more discussion amongst researchers of both the process and outcomes of pilot studies. The term pilot study is used in two different ways in social science research. It can refer to so called feasibility studies which are small scale version s , or trial run s , done in preparation for the major study polit et al. However, a pilot study can also be the pre testing or 'trying out' of a particular research instrument baker 1994: 182 3. One of the advantages of conducting a pilot study is that it might give advance warning about where the main research project could fail, where research protocols may not be followed, or whether proposed methods or instruments are inappropriate or too complicated. These are important reasons for undertaking a pilot study, but there are additional reasons, for example convincing funding bodies that your research proposal for the main study is worth funding.

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Thus researchers may start with qualitative data collection and analysis on a relatively unexplored topic, using the results to design a subsequent quantitative phase of the study tashakkori teddlie 1998: 47. The first phase of a pilot might involve using in depth interviews or focus groups to establish the issues to be addressed in a large scale questionnaire survey. The wording and the order of the questions, or the range of answers on multiple choice questions, might be piloted. For example, a recent study exploring nurses' and midwives' attitudes to research followed this pattern.

In this study focus groups were used to identify key issues from which a questionnaire could be developed, and this was then piloted prior to the study proper hundley et al. On a much larger scale, the largest decennial survey in the uk, the census of 29th april 2001 , tested methodological and other changes to the 1991 census questionnaire on over 100,0 households in 1997. This 1997 census test provided essential information on public reaction to new questions and form style as well as assessing the success of collection and processing methods office for national statistics, general register office for scotland, northern ireland statistical research agency 19: 15. Pilot studies may also try to identify potential practical problems in following the research procedure. For example, in a recent scottish study of maternity care the pilot phase demonstrated that the proposed means of distributing the questionnaires would not be adhered to van teijlingen et al.

Without consulting the research team, the person responsible for distributing the questionnaires from the hospital records department decided that it was better to distribute them through the community midwives. This was despite the fact that the hospital itself had suggested the records department as a means of distribution. Other problems such as poor recording and response rates can also be identified and precautionary procedures or safety nets can be devised. The steps used to pilot a questionnaire on a small group of volunteers, who are as similar as possible to the target population, are listed in table 2.

Pilot studies can also uncover local politics or problems that may affect the research process. In the study described above, the managers of maternity services had different perceptions of what the forthcoming changes in the data protection act 1998 allowed them to do about the involvement of their clients in research. In the above mentioned recent scottish study of maternity care one head of midwifery voiced ethical concerns about the use of follow up or reminder letters due to a previous local incident, where parents of an ill baby had been sent a questionnaire which was felt to be inappropriate, and as a result of changes to the uk data protection act. Consequently reminders were sent out via the head of midwifery in case there were any problems with the newborn baby. 2002: 123

problems of pilot studies

it should be recognised pilot studies may also have a number of limitations. These include the possibility of making inaccurate predictions or assumptions on the basis of pilot data problems arising from contamination and problems related to funding. Completing a pilot study successfully is not a guarantee of the success of the full scale survey.

Although pilot study findings may offer some indication of the likely size of the response rate in the main survey, they cannot guarantee this because they do not have a statistical foundation and are nearly always based on small numbers. Furthermore, other problems or headaches may not become obvious until the larger scale study is conducted. This may arise in two ways:

where data from the pilot study are included in the main results where pilot participants are included in the main study, but new data are collected from these people. social scientists engaged in predominantly quantitative research are likely to argue that: an essential feature of a pilot study is that the data are not used to test a hypothesis or included with data from the actual study when the results are reported peat et al. The obvious concern is that if there were problems with the research tool and modifications had to be made in the light of the findings from the pilot study, data could be flawed or inaccurate. However, where an established and validated tool is being used and the pilot study is determining other methodological aspects such as recruitment rates, it could be argued that such data may be of value.