Template
Research plan
Agree what you need to learn, from whom and how, before you start talking to anyone.
Research plan
Project: Researcher(s): Date:
1. Background
What do we already know? What prompted this research? Link to any data, support tickets or previous research.
2. Research goals
What decisions will this research inform? Keep it to two or three goals.
1. 2. 3.
3. Research questions
Questions we want answered (not the questions we will ask participants).
- What do [users] currently do when they [task]?
- What makes [task] slow, confusing or risky for them?
- What do they use instead, and why?
4. Assumptions to test
| Assumption | Risk if wrong (high / medium / low) | How we will test it |
|---|---|---|
5. Method
- Desk research and competitive review
- Interviews (moderated, about 30 to 45 minutes)
- Observation or contextual inquiry
- Survey
- Usability test of the current product
- Analytics or support ticket review
Why this method fits our questions:
6. Participants
- Who: describe behaviours and context, not just demographics.
- How many: for interviews, 5 to 8 per distinct group is a common starting point.
- Screening criteria:
- Recruiting from:
- Incentive (if any):
7. Ethics and consent
- Participants know the purpose, what we record and how we store it
- Written or recorded consent before any recording
- Participants can stop at any time without giving a reason
- Personal data stored securely and deleted by: (date)
- No vulnerable participants without appropriate safeguards and approval
8. Schedule
| Activity | Date | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Recruit participants | ||
| Pilot session | ||
| Sessions | ||
| Synthesis | ||
| Share findings |
9. Outputs
How will findings be shared, and with whom?
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# Research plan **Project:** **Researcher(s):** **Date:** ## 1. Background What do we already know? What prompted this research? Link to any data, support tickets or previous research. ## 2. Research goals What decisions will this research inform? Keep it to two or three goals. 1. 2. 3. ## 3. Research questions Questions we want answered (not the questions we will ask participants). - What do [users] currently do when they [task]? - What makes [task] slow, confusing or risky for them? - What do they use instead, and why? ## 4. Assumptions to test | Assumption | Risk if wrong (high / medium / low) | How we will test it | |---|---|---| | | | | | | | | ## 5. Method - [ ] Desk research and competitive review - [ ] Interviews (moderated, about 30 to 45 minutes) - [ ] Observation or contextual inquiry - [ ] Survey - [ ] Usability test of the current product - [ ] Analytics or support ticket review **Why this method fits our questions:** ## 6. Participants - **Who:** describe behaviours and context, not just demographics. - **How many:** for interviews, 5 to 8 per distinct group is a common starting point. - **Screening criteria:** - **Recruiting from:** - **Incentive (if any):** ## 7. Ethics and consent - [ ] Participants know the purpose, what we record and how we store it - [ ] Written or recorded consent before any recording - [ ] Participants can stop at any time without giving a reason - [ ] Personal data stored securely and deleted by: (date) - [ ] No vulnerable participants without appropriate safeguards and approval ## 8. Schedule | Activity | Date | Owner | |---|---|---| | Recruit participants | | | | Pilot session | | | | Sessions | | | | Synthesis | | | | Share findings | | | ## 9. Outputs How will findings be shared, and with whom?