What is the advantages and disadvantages of a pilot survey?

Answer 1

1. It permits preliminary testing of the hypotheses that leads to testing more

precise hypotheses in the main study. It may lead to changing some

hypotheses, dropping some, or developing new hypotheses.

2. It often provides the researcher with ideas, approaches, and clues you may

not have foreseen before conducting the pilot study. Such ideas and clues

increase the chances of getting clearer findings in the main study.

3. It permits a thorough check of the planned statistical and analytical

procedures, giving you a chance to evaluate their usefulness for the data.

You may then be able to make needed alterations in the data collecting

methods, and therefore, analyze data in the main study more efficiently.

4. It can greatly reduce the number of unanticipated problems because you

have an opportunity to redesign parts of your study to overcome difficulties

that the pilot study reveals.

5. It may save a lot of time and money. Unfortunately, many research ideas

that seem to show great promise are unproductive when actually carried out.

The pilot study almost always provides enough data for the researcher to

decide whether to go ahead with the main study.

6. In the pilot study, the researcher may try out a number of alternative

measures and then select those that produce the clearest results for the main

study.