Research Plan
Outline a plan defining research objectives, timeline, participants, and methods.
There are different types of research methodologies. There are qualitative and quantitative methods. Either can be used for generative or evaluative purposes. Before conducting any research, begin with a plan. Research plan will help you organize what the business and research objectives are, how you’ll get answers to questions, and how the learnings will contribute back to the team’s project and the business’s objectives.
1-2 people
2 hoursPREPARATION
Speak to key stakeholders
Before drafting a formal research plan, you’ll need to know the objective of the research and how the outcomes will be used. Schedule time to have a discovery conversation with stakeholders. You want to leave the discussion with a clear understanding of their goals and expectations, as well as any constraints. This information will inform you as you design a research study.
Use these questions as a starting point for your conversation:
- What is driving the need for this research? Is there a problem you’re trying to solve? What is it? What are the research goals? Are there existing supporting documents?
- Was there previous research related to this before? Are there existing supporting documents?
- What do you want to learn from the research? What are your hypotheses? What are you unsure of, and what to know more about? Who do you want to learn more about?
- What are the business goals?
- Where does this fit into the larger context of the strategy?
- What are the expected outcomes of this research? Are there any type of deliverables you expect to see at the end?
- What will you do with the research results? Who is the target audience receiving the research results?
- How much time do we have for this? What is driving this timing?
- How much money do we have for this?
- Who will help with this research?
- Is there anything else I should know?
INSTRUCTIONS
Draft the research plan
Use the information you gathered from the discovery conversation to inform your research plan. Draft the plan using the word document as a template. Your plan will be 2-3 pages long.
It will include these sections:
- Project background
- Business goals
- Research goals and focus areas
- Research methodology (reference specific method)
- Timing and budget
- Deliverables
Tip
If you need to do multiple studies, create a research plan for each study. Make a primary plan and a plan for each specific study.
Project background
Write down any background information related to this project. Add details to provide context. Include prior research studies or findings, hypotheses, and any considerations or related details.
Business goals
Describe the purpose of the research. What will the research findings help to inform? Research activities should align with the goals of a business and its strategy. Understanding the business goals will inform how to present the research findings in a way to guide others to take action.
Research goals and focus areas
Describe the research goals. Business goals and research goals aren’t the same. Research goals are based on things you want to learn more about. What research questions will this study answer? Understanding research goals will inform which methods to select to gather insights.
List a few focus areas. Based on the research goals, add details to what topics or areas you’ll like to explore in your research.
Research methodology
List the research methodologies you’ll use to gather insights. Describe why a particular method was chosen.
Add details to your research plan.
- Methods: What method will you use to get information? Refer to these activities: Interviews, Contextual Inquiry, and Guerilla Testing.
- Participant profile criteria: Who would you need to recruit? Identify participants who know the topic/area best.
- Roles: Who else is involved? Who will be participants, observers, and moderators?
- Date & Location: When and where is the research taking place?
- Materials: What materials do you need to support the research?
- Data collection method: How will you collect data? Will the session be recorded?
- Legal: What agreement forms need to be created or provided?
Timing and budget
How long will the research take? What are the key milestones and deadlines for the research? Add any additional milestones or key information sharing dates based on the project.
Key milestones are:
- Discovery conversation
- Research plan
- Agreements, Logistics, and legal
- Screening and scheduling
- Research in the field
- Synthesis, analysis, and reporting
Deliverables
How will you communicate and share the information to others? What artifacts are you expected to have by the end? Add any additional deliverables based on the project.
Typical deliverables:
- Research findings and recommendations report
- Personas and Journey Maps
Review and refine
Share your research plan with your stakeholders for review. Refine accordingly. It is important to have alignment early and often.
Design the research study
After approval, begin working on the materials for the research. Reference the different research methodologies (Interviews, Contextual Inquiry, and Guerilla Testing) for detail information.