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In both of the studies reported in this issue, authors clearly identified their research as a pilot study. We will examine the nature of pilot studies because they are important to the development of the science of nursing (Perry, 2001).
A pilot study is a small-sample, quantitative study conducted as a prelude to a larger scale study or clinical trial (Polit & Hungler, 2003). Typically, a pilot study has similar methods and procedures to the larger future study which yields data to help justify the larger study (Jairath, Hogerney, & Parsons, 2000) or test procedures for it. A pilot study is not just a small exploratory study, but is designed to guide the future study. The lessons learned in the pilot study can prevent major problems that could not be anticipated before collecting patient data in the clinical setting.
Reasons for Conducting a Pilot
A pilot study has numerous purposes, such as developing and testing the adequacy of research instruments, assessing the feasibility of a full study, designing and testing the protocols for the larger study, establishing and testing the sampling and recruitment strategies, collecting preliminary data, obtaining effect size information, and training research assistants. In addition, pilot study results can convince funding agencies that the team can conduct the research and the larger study in fact is worthwhile (van Teijlingen, Rennie, Hundley, & Graham, 2001).
In particular, a pilot study is important in clinical settings because an intervention being tested in a busy nursing unit is not always a perfectly preplanned operation; it may require ongoing decision making and the management of unexpected events before a useful version is developed (Morgan & Stewart, 2002). In addition, a pilot can help the researcher determine how easy or difficult it will be to accrue subjects in a clinical setting. For example, the purpose of the Humphries (2008) study was to collect sleep data after the third and fourth nights of hospitalization. However,...