A pilot study is not required but highly recommended. Here is where the students spend time trying out the design they developed and identify problems and room for improvement.

Each group member should spend 1-2 hours collecting data, strictly following the design (or sometimes called the protocol), and note down any problems or difficulty he/she encounters. Also, the group can use the amount of data collected during the pilot study period to calculate how much time it needs to achieve the sample size planned. This is very important since no one wants to rush everything in the end and only finds out there is not enough time left to finish. Students often initial underestimate the amount of time it takes to collect their data.

A little upfront work can save a lot of headaches later!