assets/research_plan_template.md

UX Research Plan

Study Info

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Research Questions

What do we need to learn? List 3-5 specific, answerable questions.

1. [Primary question - the most important thing to learn]
2. [Secondary question]
3. [Secondary question]
4. [Exploratory question - nice to know]
5. [Exploratory question - nice to know]

What We Already Know

[Summarize existing knowledge, past research, analytics data, assumptions to validate.]

What We Do Not Know

[List specific knowledge gaps this study will address.]

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Methodology

Method: [Usability Testing / User Interviews / Survey / Diary Study / Card Sorting / A/B Test / Contextual Inquiry]

Justification: [Why this method is appropriate for the research questions.]

Approach: [Moderated / Unmoderated / Remote / In-Person]

Duration: [Session length per participant]

Tools: [Platform/tools used - e.g., Lookback, Maze, UserTesting, Zoom]

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Participant Criteria

Target Participants

Screening Questions

1. [Question to verify participant meets criteria]
2. [Question to verify participant meets criteria]
3. [Question to ensure diversity of perspectives]

Exclusion Criteria

• [e.g., Current employees or family of employees]
• [e.g., Participants in a study within the last 6 months]

Sample Size

• Target: [Number] participants
• Justification: [e.g., "5 participants identify ~80% of usability issues" or "Statistical significance requires N=200 for survey"]

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Recruitment Plan

Incentive

• Amount: [$X per session or equivalent]
• Form: [Gift card, account credit, donation to charity]
• Distribution: [Immediately after session / within 5 business days]

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Interview / Test Guide

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Welcome and thank participant
• Explain purpose (learning, not testing them)
• Confirm consent and recording permission
• Set expectations for session duration

Warm-Up Questions (5 minutes)

1. [Background question about their role/context]
2. [Question about current workflow/tools]

Core Tasks / Questions (30-40 minutes)

Task 1: [Description of task or topic area]

• [Specific prompt or scenario]
• [Follow-up probes]

Task 2: [Description of task or topic area]

• [Specific prompt or scenario]
• [Follow-up probes]

Task 3: [Description of task or topic area]

• [Specific prompt or scenario]
• [Follow-up probes]

Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

• Overall impressions
• Anything we did not ask about that they want to share
• Thank participant and explain next steps

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Analysis Framework

Data Collection

• Session recordings stored securely
• Notes taken during each session
• Observations tagged by research question

Analysis Method

• Affinity mapping: Group observations into themes
• Task success rate: [For usability tests] Completion rate per task
• Severity rating: [For issues] Critical / Major / Minor / Cosmetic
• Quantitative analysis: [For surveys] Statistical analysis plan

Synthesis Approach

1. Review all session notes and recordings
2. Identify patterns and themes across participants
3. Map findings to research questions
4. Prioritize findings by impact and frequency
5. Develop actionable recommendations

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Timeline

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Deliverables

• Research findings report (key insights, evidence, recommendations)
• Presentation deck for stakeholders
• Highlight reel of key moments (if recorded)
• Actionable recommendations prioritized by impact
• Raw data archive (notes, recordings) stored per data policy