The Importance of Pilot Studies: Beginning the Hermeneutic Circle

This article suggests the importance of experiential knowledge and/or engagement of the researcher for developing understanding. One way to ground researchers' theoretical derived understanding is to conduct a pilot study. The hermeneutic circle, as described by Heidegger, provides a framework for understanding the importance of pilot studies; it suggests that a person must have a practical sense of the domain within which a phenomenon is situated in order to develop understanding. In this article, I present the many meaningful revisions to the theoretical framework and methodology that a pilot study allowed me to make within the research project. Two important implications that contribute to higher education research and practice are offered: (1) it illustrates the importance of grounding the research process in practical activity, and (2) it highlights how reflection can help to improve our research practice.