Preparing for research

Tips and tricks to approach and plan new research initiatives

Whenever kicking off a new research study or programme I like to start at the end by working out what I aim to learn and what’s the overall question(s) I'd like to be able to answer once the study is completed. Once I know that, I use that insight to define research question(s) and from there, work out what method(s)to use to get the insight we need. Please note that a research question is not a question you ask to participants, it's (generally) 1-3 overarching questions that you should be able to answer with the insights you get from your study or programme.

Once you know what you need to learn and what approach to use you can get into the details of the study, like what questions to ask, target audience, setup etc.

I know that kicking off a new research study or programme can feel daunting and it is a big task. However, remember that no matter how well you plan your research it doesn’t provide any value until it gets done 😧. Quick and dirty research leads to great insights too - don't get caught in striving for perfection. Instead, strive to get started and learn as you go because remember, no matter how well you plan your research it doesn’t provide any value until it gets done. Here is a brief checklist you can use to start planning your research 👇

• What do I want to learn?

  Map out what you want to learn from the study and from there formulate 1-3 research questions. A research question is an overall question that you should be able to answer from the insights of your study, it is not the actual questions that are asked to the participants.

• Methodology

  What methods can you use to answer your research questions? Should you combine research methods to figure it out?

• Participants

  Are there any particular participants, customers, users, or clients that you should target? How many responses do you need?

• What do you need to ask?

  Create a plan for the research where you map what questions you should ask - this takes time and some back and forth to get it right. If you want you can add these to a research plan that also includes your research questions, segmentation, background etc. 👉 Learn more about research plans.

• Research!

  Perform the research, if you’re doing a moderated interview or usability test make sure to brief the participant with what they need to know, have them sign NDAs (if necessary) and make sure to make them feel welcome and comfortable. 🔗 Learn more about how to structure moderated usability testing sessions.