Pilot weighted sampling — Weighted sampling in a pilot study phase

Pilot weighted sampling applies weighted (unequal-probability) sampling within a small-scale preliminary study to estimate key design parameters — variance components, design effects, and optimal stratum weights — before committing resources to the full survey. By using differential inclusion probabilities in the pilot, researchers obtain more precise parameter estimates for rarer or more variable subgroups while keeping total pilot cost low. The results directly inform the weighting scheme and sample-size allocation for the main survey.