ABSTRACT
Piloting is the term for trying out a questionnaire on typical respondents. Before sending out hundreds of copies of a questionnaire, a pilot run of 20 or 30 might be advisable, but in the case of student projects piloting usually means giving a presentable copy of the first draft individually to two or three typical respondents to complete while you sit alongside them. Distribution within an organisation can sometimes be done through supervisors, and the replies may be collected the same way provided you can ensure confidentiality, for example by providing a blank envelope in which to seal the completed questionnaire. Respondents should not have to bear postage costs of getting their replies back to you. Indeed, they are unlikely to reply at all if it is going to cost them money as well as time. Using the Royal Mail's Business Reply Service, with reply-paid envelopes, encourages a response.
