PREMIER Feasibility Study

← Planning of Experiments

A feasibility study checks the practicality of possible solutions for a project. Within the framework of a feasibility study:

• the approaches are analyzed
• the risks identified
• the prospects of success assessed.

It is checked whether the planned project results can be achieved under the given conditions with the respective solution approach.

This requires preliminary tests or re-tests in which the handling with the equipment, materials and methods is tested. In addition, an assessment of the risks that the model/method and the execution of the experiments entail should be carried out. With the final validation it is possible to identify a suitable solution approach.

With the help of the feasibility study an overview is obtained whether a method works and whether the hypothesis can be tested.

Questions to be answered when conducting a feasibility study include:

• Which options are available?
• Is there a need for the research question or the Project?
• Are there already studies/publications on the subject?
• Which are the challenges of the project and the possible risks?
• Which are the qualifications needed or are cooperation partners foreseen?
• Is there an existing method or a new method must be established?
• Are all equipment and materials available?
• Are all approvals (ethics committee, animal welfare, genetic, etc.) available?
• Where are the critical points/risks?
• Are the available resources sufficient (personnel, financial, infrastructure)?
• What are possible milestones?
• Is a plausibility check planned and done?

References

• Whitehead AL, Sully BG, Campbell MJ. Pilot and feasibility studies: is there a difference from each other and from a randomized controlled trial? Contemp Clin Trials. 2014 May;38(1):130-3. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2014.04.001. Epub 2014 Apr 13. PubMed PMID: 24735841.
• Billingham SA, Whitehead AL, Julious SA. An audit of sample sizes for pilot and feasibility trials being undertaken in the United Kingdom registered in the United Kingdom Clinical Research Network database. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2013 Aug 20;13:104. doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-13-104. PubMed PMID: 23961782;