Piloting a Doctoral Project on Vocabulary Learning: Procedure and Reflection

Although pilot studies are important in vocabulary research, there is limited practical guidance on how to carry one out. It becomes more difficult when the pilot must be conducted outside the classroom in an unfamiliar location, involves face-to-face meetings with participants, and when the researcher has limited prior knowledge of the target group. This article addresses this gap by offering a researcher’s perspective on the practical implementation of a pilot study on vocabulary learning, including methodological decisions, emergent challenges, and subsequent adaptations to the main study. This article first introduces the background and aims of the pilot study. Then, it describes the procedure of the pilot study, followed by reflections on its benefits and challenges. Finally, it highlights the significance of pilot studies for similar doctoral projects.