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What are some common pitfalls and best practices for designing and conducting pilot tests and pretests?

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Pilot tests and pretests are essential steps in survey research, as they help you refine your questions, identify potential problems, and improve the validity and reliability of your data. However, designing and conducting these tests can also pose some challenges and pitfalls that you need to avoid or overcome. In this article, we will discuss some common issues and best practices for pilot testing and pretesting your surveys, based on the purpose, scope, and methods of your research project.

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1 Purpose of pilot tests and pretests

Before conducting pilot tests and pretests, it is important to clarify the purpose of the tests. This can depend on the research objectives and questions. Pilot tests and pretests can be used to test the feasibility and logistics of a survey, such as the sampling frame, mode of administration, response rate, and duration. They can also be used to evaluate the content and format of a survey, such as the wording, order, clarity, relevance of questions, layout, design, and instructions of a questionnaire. Finally, they can assess the validity and reliability of a survey, such as accuracy, completeness, consistency of data, potential sources of bias, error and variation. When defining the goals and criteria for pilot tests and pretests be sure to use them to guide your analysis and revisions.

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Ankesh Saxena

Co-Founder and CBO - Acutus AI Insights | Podcaster @ The Collaborative Canvas | TRP Magazine | Learn and Grow | Market Research | Personal Branding | Consumer Insights | Sales | ESOMAR member | MRSI Member |
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Common pitfalls in designing and conducting pilot tests and pretests include inadequate sample size, unclear objectives, and overlooking feedback. Best practices involve defining clear goals, selecting a representative sample, and ensuring realistic test conditions. Gathering detailed feedback and analyzing it thoroughly helps identify issues. Iterating the test based on findings and maintaining flexibility to make necessary adjustments ensure the pilot or pretest effectively informs the final implementation.

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Andrew Edwards

Research/survey expert for Marketing, PR & Brand campaigns - internal and external | Results appear in top tier media (WSJ, Forbes) & prominent trade shows (CES, AWS re:INVENT)
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The purpose of a pilot is to make sure the survey is 100% perfect prior to sharing with a larger group of respondents. In short, you can test your questions, format, & structure of the survey questionnaire and the survey instrument. This is a great opportunity to make sure the respondents understand the questions and the flow of the survey works. I always like to think of it like you are taking a respondent on a journey where a story will unfold. Test the study on 5-10% of your total target audience and adjust accordingly. This is a great way to develop a great survey questionnaire.

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2 Scope of pilot tests and pretests

When designing your research, you should consider the scope of your pilot tests and pretests. Generally, pilot tests are smaller and more informal than pretests and involve a few colleagues or experts to provide feedback on your survey. Pretests are larger and more representative of your target population, involving a random or stratified sample of your intended respondents. You should conduct pilot tests early in the survey development process, and pretests after you have finalized your survey content and format. Furthermore, pilot tests and pretests should be conducted under similar conditions as the main survey, with the same mode of administration, instructions, and incentives. The optimal scope of these tests should be determined based on research context and constraints, with documentation of sampling procedures and results.

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Andrew Edwards

Research/survey expert for Marketing, PR & Brand campaigns - internal and external | Results appear in top tier media (WSJ, Forbes) & prominent trade shows (CES, AWS re:INVENT)
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A quick pilot test can resolve any issues that might occur. Often all you need is about 5-10% of your target audience to take the survey. This allows researchers to monitor two key components: 1. The survey instrument: is it working? Is it slow? Is the timeframe just right? 2.Respondent answers: are the respondents having issues understanding the survey? Is the questionnaire to complex? Is it too simple? Both areas can be fixed and adjusted after the pilot test which leads to a much stronger survey. This will also allow the survey respondents to have a much better experience.

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3 Methods of pilot tests and pretests

The final step in the process is deciding on the methods of your pilot tests and pretests. Depending on the research purpose and scope, different techniques and tools can be used to collect and analyze data. Cognitive interviews involve asking participants to think aloud or explain their responses, while usability tests involve observing participants as they complete the survey and recording their behavior. Statistical analysis, on the other hand, can be used to examine the distribution, variability, and correlation of data. It is important to choose the most appropriate and feasible methods for your pilot tests and pretests. This will help you generate actionable insights and recommendations for survey improvement.

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4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Andrew Edwards

Research/survey expert for Marketing, PR & Brand campaigns - internal and external | Results appear in top tier media (WSJ, Forbes) & prominent trade shows (CES, AWS re:INVENT)
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In my opinion, pitfalls associated with pilot tests are numerous but can be reduced. Often I can tell which studies did a legitimate pilot test or not while reviewing their press release. On those occasions the press releases typically state 90-99% agree on a topic. To me, I see a poor pilot test.

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What are some common pitfalls and best practices for designing and conducting pilot tests and pretests?

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1 Purpose of pilot tests and pretests

2 Scope of pilot tests and pretests

3 Methods of pilot tests and pretests

4 Here’s what else to consider

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