- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Biography
- Chapter 1 Scope of epidemiological enquiry and overview of main problem areas
- Chapter 2 Which measure of disease occurrence?
- Chapter 3 Comparing rates between and within populations
- Chapter 4 Studies of disease occurrence
- Chapter 5 Studies of disease occurrence
- Chapter 6 Which type of epidemiological study?
- Chapter 7 Quantifying the association between exposures and diseases
- Chapter 8 Studies of disease causation
- Chapter 9 Use of secondary data
- Chapter 10 Collecting information
- Chapter 11 Obtaining valid information
- Chapter 12 Repeatability
- Chapter 13 Participation in epidemiology studies
- Chapter 14 Feasibility and pilot studies
- Chapter 15 Preparation of collected primary data for statistical analysis
- Chapter 16 Introductory data analysis
- Chapter 17 Introductory data analysis
- Chapter 18 Confounding
- Chapter 19 Bias
- Chapter 20 Association or causation
- Chapter 21 Reviews of evidence
- Chapter 22 Meta-analysis
- Chapter 23 Ethical issues in epidemiology
- Chapter 24 The costs of an epidemiological study
- Index
(p. 136) Feasibility and pilot studies
- Chapter:
- (p. 136) Feasibility and pilot studies
- Author(s):
Alan J. Silman
, Gary J. Macfarlane
, and Tatiana Macfarlane
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780198814726.003.0014
Designing a study ‘on paper’ is no guarantee it will work; for example, individuals agree to be recruited or the method of data acquisition is acceptable and provides the data in the format and quality required. For this reason it is, especially when planning large/expensive studies, to test the feasibility of the different components in separate small-scale studies. Alternatively, or in addition it may be useful to do a pilot study, which reproduces the planned methods for the proposed full study, to test ‘the whole system’. A successful pilot study enhances the likelihood of grant success; indeed, grant-awarding bodies will often expect to see evidence that they have been conducted.
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- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- List of Abbreviations
- Biography
- Chapter 1 Scope of epidemiological enquiry and overview of main problem areas
- Chapter 2 Which measure of disease occurrence?
- Chapter 3 Comparing rates between and within populations
- Chapter 4 Studies of disease occurrence
- Chapter 5 Studies of disease occurrence
- Chapter 6 Which type of epidemiological study?
- Chapter 7 Quantifying the association between exposures and diseases
- Chapter 8 Studies of disease causation
- Chapter 9 Use of secondary data
- Chapter 10 Collecting information
- Chapter 11 Obtaining valid information
- Chapter 12 Repeatability
- Chapter 13 Participation in epidemiology studies
- Chapter 14 Feasibility and pilot studies
- Chapter 15 Preparation of collected primary data for statistical analysis
- Chapter 16 Introductory data analysis
- Chapter 17 Introductory data analysis
- Chapter 18 Confounding
- Chapter 19 Bias
- Chapter 20 Association or causation
- Chapter 21 Reviews of evidence
- Chapter 22 Meta-analysis
- Chapter 23 Ethical issues in epidemiology
- Chapter 24 The costs of an epidemiological study
- Index