How to write a research plan
Title of research plan
Include the name of the effort, the method of research, and the target user participants. For example, a GSA.gov redesign effort using readability interviews with senior citizens would be titled:
GSA.gov redesign readability interviews with senior citizens
Authors and stakeholders
List the names and any other relevant information (such as organization, titles, and contact information) for people designing your research.
If you are getting stakeholders' buy-in for the research plan, add their details as well.
Remember, an interdisciplinary research team leads to better research outcomes.
Context
Include a short description of relevant helpful context and background, such as:
- What led to the study
- The history of the project
- Any details about the partner or stakeholders
Past research
Provide a summary and links to any available assets from past related research.
Research goals and questions
Document why you are doing research and the questions the research will answer.
Research methods
Note the method or methods of research you will be using, such as contextual inquiry or usability testing.
Roles and responsibilities
Outline team roles and responsibilities for the research effort. An activity can be assigned to an individual, or led by an individual with team participation.
An example from a moderated usability test is below.
Activities | Description | Who |
|---|---|---|
Before sessions | ||
| Formulating an overall research plan and plans for individual sessions, including interview guides | |
| Determining who we want to learn from, and inviting them to participate | |
| Managing research logistics (such as times, places, tools, and people) | |
| Determining who we want to learn from, and inviting them to participate | |
During sessions | ||
| Facilitating the interview or activity, generally use pre-prepared guides | |
| Documenting what happens during the research | |
| Listening to interviews and observing usability tests, among other tasks | |
| Listening to interviews and observing usability tests, among other tasks | |
After sessions | ||
| Identify what went well and what could go better next time | All team members |
| Analyzing, finding patterns and themes across research activities | |
| Making sure that notes reflect anonymity standards, remove personally identifiable information, and can be understood by people who did not join the interview | |
| Communicating progress and findings from research to teammates, partners, and stakeholders | |
Timeline
Provide a rough estimate for your timeline to help manage expectations around the study execution. Remember to give more time than you think you need for analysis and synthesis (a safe estimate is twice as long as you give to data collection).
An example of six tasks that might be detailed in your timeline is below.
Activity | Estimated time to complete | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| [# days] | [A reasonable date range] |
| [# days] | [A reasonable date range] |
| [# days] | [A reasonable date range] |
| [# days] | [A reasonable date range] |
| [# days] | [A reasonable date range] |
| [specific date] |
Participants and recruiting
Document who you are hoping to talk to during the research. This can include information about the participants, how you are planning to recruit, and logistical considerations.
Issues for awareness
Note any legal, ethical, accessibility, bias, or power concerns raised by the research plan and how the team will mitigate them.
Important links
Keep a running list of links to key research documents, including shared folders or assets.
Best practices
For more best practices on how to conduct research and encourage collaboration, see the User research and collaboration guide series.
