Do Pilot Studies Have Any Value in Research?

When pilot studies are conducted as part of a research process, they can be useful in many ways. For example, improving the internal validity of a questionnaire or scale, assessing the feasibility of the main study, establishing whether the sampling frame and technique are effective and giving feedback on the logistics of data collection. However, there are limitations, particularly when the researcher makes inaccurate assumptions based on the pilot data. The fact that a pilot was conducted does not mean success in the main study and, in some cases, pilot data gets included in the main study, thereby, creating contamination.