In: Physics
How is a panel study different from a pilot study? (8-10 sentences)
Both are the types of survey methods. However, their working
principle and criterion are entirely different.
Panel Study:
A panel study, also known as cohort study, is a type of
observational and longitudinal study that is utilized in various
scientific fields and marketing areas. With a clinical study
design, the cohort study is utilized in order to determine risk
factors, life histories and other aspects related to a group of
people being studied. The focus of a panel study is a group of
people who have a common attribute, experience or characteristic in
a particular time period. This group is called the cohort. People
that share the fact of being born on the same day, month, year or
era may belong to a birth cohort.
Pilot Study:
A pilot survey is a strategy used to test the questionnaire using a
smaller sample compared to the planned sample size. A pilot survey
is performed prior to the actual, large-scale survey and presents
many benefits and advantages for the researcher. Practically
speaking, pilot surveys save financial resources because if errors
are found in the questionnaire or interview early on, there would
be a lesser chance of unreliable results or worse, that you would
need to start over again after conducting the survey.
Overall, the main objective of a pilot study is to determine
whether conducting a large-scale survey is worth the effort.