Pilot study

A pilot study as on experimental exploratory, test , preliminary , trial or try out investigation.
A trial study carried out before a research design is finalized to assist in defining the research questions or to test the feasibility, reliability and validity of proposed study design.
A small scale study conducted to test the plan and method of a research study.

1. Presented by –Pushpa jaisal M.Sc. (N) Ist year college of nursing K.G.M.U.

2. INTRODUCTION A pilot study as on experimental exploratory, test , preliminary , trial or try out investigation. A trial study carried out before a research design is finalized to assist in defining the research questions or to test the feasibility, reliability and validity of proposed study design. A small scale study conducted to test the plan and method of a research study.

3. DEFINITION   A pilot study is a small scale trial run of the actual research project. It is the rehearsal of the main study. It covers the entire process of the research”:- preperation of a broad plan of the study. Constuction of a tool Collecting of data Processing and analysis of data Report writing

4. Purpose of the pilot study Assessing study feasibility and practibility of research study. Assessing the availability of the study subject. Establishing validity and reliability of the research tools. Ensuring the appropriate research methods and procedures of data collection Preliminary data collection. Determining the resources required for the planned study

5. Cont.. Developing research plan and research team is knowledgeable and component Developing research plan and research questions. Estimating the actual time and potential problems research study. Planning for data analysis and interpretation of the final larger research. Refining research methodology. Pilot study result can guide in the designing and implementation of larger scale efficacy studies.

6. Reasons for conducting pilot study Process :This assess the feasibility of the process that are key to the success of the main study. Resourses :The deals with assessing time and resources problem that can occurs during the main study. Management :This covers potential human and data Management problems. Scientific : This deals with the assessment of the response , effect and variance of the effect

7. Other reasons Developing and testing adequacy of research instrument. Assessing the feasibility of a full scale study / survey. Establishing whether the sampling frame and technique are effcetive collecting preliminary data. Determine what resource are needed for a planned study. Assessing the proposal data analysis technique to uncover potential problems. Developing a research question and research plan.

8.   Advantages of pilot study It permits preliminary testing of 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 . It often provides the researcher with ideas , approach and clues the researcher may not have for seen before conducting the pilot study. Such ideas and clues increase the chance of getting clearer finding in the main study. Importance in determining the size of the sample.

9. Cont... It permits a through check of the planned stastical and analytic procedures , giving a researcher a chance to evaluate their usefullness to the data . 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 and money. In the pilot study, the researcher may try out a number of alternative measures and then select those that produce the clearest result for the main study.

10. Disadvantages of pilot study Pilot study is done on a smaller scale. Thus actual results of the study may vary from the result of pilot study. Pilot studies , therefore may not be appropiate for case studies. Pilot study is normally small in comparison with the main experiment and therefore ,can provide only limited information on the resources an magnitude of variation of response measures. Pilot study research design is the structured study introduceds biases into the result of the study to prove exactly what the researcher wanted to show.

11. Sumary

12. Assignment Write short notes on pilot study and adavantages and disadvantages .