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Pilot Studies -- I tried it and here's how it works!

Locke et al. (1999) on pilot studies:
When it comes to convincing the scholarly skeptic (sometimes your own advisor), no argument can be so effective as to write, "I tried it and here is how it worked" (page 74).
It is difficult to imagine any proposal that could not be improved by the reporting of actual preliminary work. Whether it is to demonstrate the reliability..., the practicality of procedures, ...the modest pilot study is the best possible basis for making wise decisions in designing research (page 74).


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