TY - JOUR T1 - Methods matter: pilot and feasibility studies in sports medicine JF - British Journal of Sports Medicine JO - Br J Sports Med SP - 1309 LP - 1310 DO - 10.1136/bjsports-2020-102631 VL - 54 IS - 22 AU - Michael J Campbell AU - Mohammad Ali Mansournia AU - Gillian Lancaster Y1 - 2020/11/01 UR - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/22/1309.abstract N2 - Do you have an idea for a large-scale, publicly funded randomised controlled trial (RCT)? Virtually all large public funding bodies now expect substantial work to have been done prior to them funding a large trial. Preliminary research suggests greater study feasibility and pilot data point to the potential for the investigators’ hypotheses to have merit. There is a new journal, Pilot and Feasibility Studies, which publishes the results of such studies. The purpose of this editorial is to encourage researchers to think about a pilot or feasibility study before the main trial and to publish the results.Similar to a RCT, a pilot trial should have clear objectives, but in this case pertaining to feasibility and uncertainties in the main trial design, and a priori criteria for successful progression. It should be designed, conducted and reported using the same standards as any high-quality RCT. Pilot and feasibility studies are important in that they can ensure that scarce research money and researcher efforts are being invested in efficient trials that can provide definitive answers to important research questions. Guidelines for reporting pilot trials as part of an extension of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement have been published.1 2 A recent review of physical activity trials comments on some of the feasibility issues that are more common in this area.3 These include the challenge of blinding of group allocation, retaining interest of the comparison group, participant and instructor fidelity, and being able to recruit people who are not already … ER -