pilotprøver

Pilotprøver are small-scale preliminary tests used to assess feasibility, practicality, and design choices before committing to a full-scale project. The term is used in Norwegian and Danish-speaking contexts, and corresponds to the English "pilot study" or "pilot test." The aim is not to establish definitive outcomes but to identify potential problems, refine methods, and inform resource planning.

In research, a pilotprøve may evaluate recruitment strategies, data collection procedures, measurement instruments, and the appropriateness of the study design. It helps estimate sample size, test randomization and blinding procedures, and assess data management and ethics approvals. In manufacturing, software, and program implementation, a pilotprøve involves a limited production run or a staged deployment to test processes, infrastructure, feasibility, and user acceptance before a full rollout.

The results of pilotprøver are typically used to decide whether to proceed to a full-scale study or implementation, modify the plan, or abandon the project. They are not generally powered to test efficacy or effectiveness and may not be generalizable beyond the context studied. Good practice includes preregistration of objectives, clear progression criteria (go/no-go), and transparent reporting of limitations.

Examples include a pilotprøve of a community health intervention in a single municipality, a small-scale verification of a new manufacturing process, or a limited deployment of software in a controlled environment.