A Doctorate in Education in the UK generally involves four modules prior to the thesis phase. Two of the modules are focussed on the pilot study, the first on the methodological rationale, and the last on the analysis of the data collected. Although this process can be seen by post graduate researchers as a delay to the actual data collection, it can be highly informative and make a substantial contribution to the thesis. In this example, the efficacy of a questionnaire, developed from the Abbreviated Maths Anxiety Scale (AMAS) (Hopko, Mahadevan, Bare, & Hunt, 2019), was tested with adults studying GCSE mathematics, whilst developing an understanding of action research, insider research and thematic analysis.