research plan for personal project

How to write a research plan: Step-by-step guide

Last updated

30 January 2024

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Today’s businesses and institutions rely on data and analytics to inform their product and service decisions. These metrics influence how organizations stay competitive and inspire innovation. However, gathering data and insights requires carefully constructed research, and every research project needs a roadmap. This is where a research plan comes into play.

There’s general research planning; then there’s an official, well-executed research plan. Whatever data-driven research project you’re gearing up for, the research plan will be your framework for execution. The plan should also be detailed and thorough, with a diligent set of criteria to formulate your research efforts. Not including these key elements in your plan can be just as harmful as having no plan at all.

Read this step-by-step guide for writing a detailed research plan that can apply to any project, whether it’s scientific, educational, or business-related.

• What is a research plan?

A research plan is a documented overview of a project in its entirety, from end to end. It details the research efforts, participants, and methods needed, along with any anticipated results. It also outlines the project’s goals and mission, creating layers of steps to achieve those goals within a specified timeline.

Without a research plan, you and your team are flying blind, potentially wasting time and resources to pursue research without structured guidance.

The principal investigator, or PI, is responsible for facilitating the research oversight. They will create the research plan and inform team members and stakeholders of every detail relating to the project. The PI will also use the research plan to inform decision-making throughout the project.

• Why do you need a research plan?

Create a research plan before starting any official research to maximize every effort in pursuing and collecting the research data. Crucially, the plan will model the activities needed at each phase of the research project.

Like any roadmap, a research plan serves as a valuable tool providing direction for those involved in the project—both internally and externally. It will keep you and your immediate team organized and task-focused while also providing necessary definitions and timelines so you can execute your project initiatives with full understanding and transparency.

External stakeholders appreciate a working research plan because it’s a great communication tool, documenting progress and changing dynamics as they arise. Any participants of your planned research sessions will be informed about the purpose of your study, while the exercises will be based on the key messaging outlined in the official plan.

Here are some of the benefits of creating a research plan document for every project:

Project organization and structure

Well-informed participants

All stakeholders and teams align in support of the project

Clearly defined project definitions and purposes

Distractions are eliminated, prioritizing task focus

Timely management of individual task schedules and roles

Costly reworks are avoided

• What should a research plan include?

The different aspects of your research plan will depend on the nature of the project. However, most official research plan documents will include the core elements below. Each aims to define the problem statement, devising an official plan for seeking a solution.

Specific project goals and individual objectives

Ideal strategies or methods for reaching those goals

Required resources

Descriptions of the target audience, sample sizes, demographics, and scopes

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

Project background

Research and testing support

Preliminary studies and progress reporting mechanisms

Cost estimates and change order processes

Depending on the research project’s size and scope, your research plan could be brief—perhaps only a few pages of documented plans. Alternatively, it could be a fully comprehensive report. Either way, it’s an essential first step in dictating your project’s facilitation in the most efficient and effective way.

• How to write a research plan for your project

When you start writing your research plan, aim to be detailed about each step, requirement, and idea. The more time you spend curating your research plan, the more precise your research execution efforts will be.

Account for every potential scenario, and be sure to address each and every aspect of the research.

Consider following this flow to develop a great research plan for your project:

Define your project’s purpose

Start by defining your project’s purpose. Identify what your project aims to accomplish and what you are researching. Remember to use clear language.

Thinking about the project’s purpose will help you set realistic goals and inform how you divide tasks and assign responsibilities. These individual tasks will be your stepping stones to reach your overarching goal.

Additionally, you’ll want to identify the specific problem, the usability metrics needed, and the intended solutions.

Know the following three things about your project’s purpose before you outline anything else:

What you’re doing

Why you’re doing it

What you expect from it

Identify individual objectives

With your overarching project objectives in place, you can identify any individual goals or steps needed to reach those objectives. Break them down into phases or steps. You can work backward from the project goal and identify every process required to facilitate it.

Be mindful to identify each unique task so that you can assign responsibilities to various team members. At this point in your research plan development, you’ll also want to assign priority to those smaller, more manageable steps and phases that require more immediate or dedicated attention.

Select research methods

Research methods might include any of the following:

User interviews: this is a qualitative research method where researchers engage with participants in one-on-one or group conversations. The aim is to gather insights into their experiences, preferences, and opinions to uncover patterns, trends, and data.

Field studies: this approach allows for a contextual understanding of behaviors, interactions, and processes in real-world settings. It involves the researcher immersing themselves in the field, conducting observations, interviews, or experiments to gather in-depth insights.

Card sorting: participants categorize information by sorting content cards into groups based on their perceived similarities. You might use this process to gain insights into participants’ mental models and preferences when navigating or organizing information on websites, apps, or other systems.

Focus groups: use organized discussions among select groups of participants to provide relevant views and experiences about a particular topic.

Diary studies: ask participants to record their experiences, thoughts, and activities in a diary over a specified period. This method provides a deeper understanding of user experiences, uncovers patterns, and identifies areas for improvement.

Five-second testing: participants are shown a design, such as a web page or interface, for just five seconds. They then answer questions about their initial impressions and recall, allowing you to evaluate the design’s effectiveness.

Surveys: get feedback from participant groups with structured surveys. You can use online forms, telephone interviews, or paper questionnaires to reveal trends, patterns, and correlations.

Tree testing: tree testing involves researching web assets through the lens of findability and navigability. Participants are given a textual representation of the site’s hierarchy (the “tree”) and asked to locate specific information or complete tasks by selecting paths.

Usability testing: ask participants to interact with a product, website, or application to evaluate its ease of use. This method enables you to uncover areas for improvement in digital key feature functionality by observing participants using the product.

Live website testing: research and collect analytics that outlines the design, usability, and performance efficiencies of a website in real time.

There are no limits to the number of research methods you could use within your project. Just make sure your research methods help you determine the following:

What do you plan to do with the research findings?

What decisions will this research inform? How can your stakeholders leverage the research data and results?

Recruit participants and allocate tasks

Next, identify the participants needed to complete the research and the resources required to complete the tasks. Different people will be proficient at different tasks, and having a task allocation plan will allow everything to run smoothly.

Prepare a thorough project summary

Every well-designed research plan will feature a project summary. This official summary will guide your research alongside its communications or messaging. You’ll use the summary while recruiting participants and during stakeholder meetings. It can also be useful when conducting field studies.

Ensure this summary includes all the elements of your research project. Separate the steps into an easily explainable piece of text that includes the following:

An introduction: the message you’ll deliver to participants about the interview, pre-planned questioning, and testing tasks.

Interview questions: prepare questions you intend to ask participants as part of your research study, guiding the sessions from start to finish.

An exit message: draft messaging your teams will use to conclude testing or survey sessions. These should include the next steps and express gratitude for the participant’s time.

Create a realistic timeline

While your project might already have a deadline or a results timeline in place, you’ll need to consider the time needed to execute it effectively.

Realistically outline the time needed to properly execute each supporting phase of research and implementation. And, as you evaluate the necessary schedules, be sure to include additional time for achieving each milestone in case any changes or unexpected delays arise.

For this part of your research plan, you might find it helpful to create visuals to ensure your research team and stakeholders fully understand the information.

Determine how to present your results

A research plan must also describe how you intend to present your results. Depending on the nature of your project and its goals, you might dedicate one team member (the PI) or assume responsibility for communicating the findings yourself.

In this part of the research plan, you’ll articulate how you’ll share the results. Detail any materials you’ll use, such as:

Presentations and slides

A project report booklet

A project findings pamphlet

Documents with key takeaways and statistics

Graphic visuals to support your findings

• Format your research plan

As you create your research plan, you can enjoy a little creative freedom. A plan can assume many forms, so format it how you see fit. Determine the best layout based on your specific project, intended communications, and the preferences of your teams and stakeholders.

Find format inspiration among the following layouts:

Written outlines

Narrative storytelling

Visual mapping

Graphic timelines

Remember, the research plan format you choose will be subject to change and adaptation as your research and findings unfold. However, your final format should ideally outline questions, problems, opportunities, and expectations.

• Research plan example

Imagine you’ve been tasked with finding out how to get more customers to order takeout from an online food delivery platform. The goal is to improve satisfaction and retain existing customers. You set out to discover why more people aren’t ordering and what it is they do want to order or experience. 

You identify the need for a research project that helps you understand what drives customer loyalty. But before you jump in and start calling past customers, you need to develop a research plan—the roadmap that provides focus, clarity, and realistic details to the project.

Here’s an example outline of a research plan you might put together:

Project title

Project members involved in the research plan

Purpose of the project (provide a summary of the research plan’s intent)

Objective 1 (provide a short description for each objective)

Objective 2

Objective 3

Proposed timeline

Audience (detail the group you want to research, such as customers or non-customers)

Budget (how much you think it might cost to do the research)

Risk factors/contingencies (any potential risk factors that may impact the project’s success)

Remember, your research plan doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel—it just needs to fit your project’s unique needs and aims.

Customizing a research plan template

Some companies offer research plan templates to help get you started. However, it may make more sense to develop your own customized plan template. Be sure to include the core elements of a great research plan with your template layout, including the following:

Introductions to participants and stakeholders

Background problems and needs statement

Significance, ethics, and purpose

Research methods, questions, and designs

Preliminary beliefs and expectations

Implications and intended outcomes

Realistic timelines for each phase

Conclusion and presentations

How many pages should a research plan be?

Generally, a research plan can vary in length between 500 to 1,500 words. This is roughly three pages of content. More substantial projects will be 2,000 to 3,500 words, taking up four to seven pages of planning documents.

What is the difference between a research plan and a research proposal?

A research plan is a roadmap to success for research teams. A research proposal, on the other hand, is a dissertation aimed at convincing or earning the support of others. Both are relevant in creating a guide to follow to complete a project goal.

What are the seven steps to developing a research plan?

While each research project is different, it’s best to follow these seven general steps to create your research plan:

Defining the problem

Identifying goals

Choosing research methods

Recruiting participants

Preparing the brief or summary

Establishing task timelines

Defining how you will present the findings

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FLEET LIBRARY | Research Guides

Rhode island school of design, create a research plan: research plan.

• Research Plan
• Literature Review
• Ulrich's Global Serials Directory
• Related Guides

A research plan is a framework that shows how you intend to approach your topic. The plan can take many forms: a written outline, a narrative, a visual/concept map or timeline. It's a document that will change and develop as you conduct your research. Components of a research plan

1. Research conceptualization - introduces your research question

2. Research methodology - describes your approach to the research question

3. Literature review, critical evaluation and synthesis - systematic approach to locating,

    reviewing and evaluating the work (text, exhibitions, critiques, etc) relating to your topic

4. Communication - geared toward an intended audience, shows evidence of your inquiry

Research conceptualization refers to the ability to identify specific research questions, problems or opportunities that are worthy of inquiry. Research conceptualization also includes the skills and discipline that go beyond the initial moment of conception, and which enable the researcher to formulate and develop an idea into something researchable ( Newbury 373).

Research methodology refers to the knowledge and skills required to select and apply appropriate methods to carry through the research project ( Newbury 374) .

Method describes a single mode of proceeding; methodology describes the overall process.

Method - a way of doing anything especially according to a defined and regular plan; a mode of procedure in any activity

Methodology - the study of the direction and implications of empirical research, or the sustainability of techniques employed in it; a method or body of methods used in a particular field of study or activity *Browse a list of research methodology books  or this guide on Art & Design Research

Literature Review, critical evaluation & synthesis

A literature review is a systematic approach to locating, reviewing, and evaluating the published work and work in progress of scholars, researchers, and practitioners on a given topic.

Critical evaluation and synthesis is the ability to handle (or process) existing sources. It includes knowledge of the sources of literature and contextual research field within which the person is working ( Newbury 373).

Literature reviews are done for many reasons and situations. Here's a short list:

Sources to consult while conducting a literature review:

Online catalogs of local, regional, national, and special libraries

meta-catalogs such as worldcat , Art Discovery Group , europeana , world digital library or RIBA

subject-specific online article databases (such as the Avery Index, JSTOR, Project Muse)

digital institutional repositories such as Digital Commons @RISD ; see Registry of Open Access Repositories

Open Access Resources recommended by RISD Research LIbrarians

works cited in scholarly books and articles

print bibliographies

the internet-locate major nonprofit, research institutes, museum, university, and government websites

search google scholar to locate grey literature & referenced citations

trade and scholarly publishers

fellow scholars and peers

Communication                              

Communication refers to the ability to

• structure a coherent line of inquiry
• communicate your findings to your intended audience
• make skilled use of visual material to express ideas for presentations, writing, and the creation of exhibitions ( Newbury 374)

Research plan framework: Newbury, Darren. "Research Training in the Creative Arts and Design." The Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts . Ed. Michael Biggs and Henrik Karlsson. New York: Routledge, 2010. 368-87. Print.

About the author

Except where otherwise noted, this guide is subject to a Creative Commons Attribution license

source document

  Routledge Companion to Research in the Arts

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• A Research Guide
• Research Paper Guide

How to Write a Research Plan

• Research plan definition
• Purpose of a research plan
• Research plan structure
• Step-by-step writing guide

Tips for creating a research plan

• Research plan examples

Research plan: definition and significance

What is the purpose of a research plan.

• Bridging gaps in the existing knowledge related to their subject.
• Reinforcing established research about their subject.
• Introducing insights that contribute to subject understanding.

Research plan structure & template

Introduction.

• What is the existing knowledge about the subject?
• What gaps remain unanswered?
• How will your research enrich understanding, practice, and policy?

Literature review

Expected results.

• Express how your research can challenge established theories in your field.
• Highlight how your work lays the groundwork for future research endeavors.
• Emphasize how your work can potentially address real-world problems.

5 Steps to crafting an effective research plan

Step 1: define the project purpose, step 2: select the research method, step 3: manage the task and timeline, step 4: write a summary, step 5: plan the result presentation.

• Brainstorm Collaboratively: Initiate a collective brainstorming session with peers or experts. Outline the essential questions that warrant exploration and answers within your research.
• Prioritize and Feasibility: Evaluate the list of questions and prioritize those that are achievable and important. Focus on questions that can realistically be addressed.
• Define Key Terminology: Define technical terms pertinent to your research, fostering a shared understanding. Ensure that terms like “church” or “unreached people group” are well-defined to prevent ambiguity.
• Organize your approach: Once well-acquainted with your institution’s regulations, organize each aspect of your research by these guidelines. Allocate appropriate word counts for different sections and components of your research paper.

Research plan example

• Writing a Research Paper
• Research Paper Title
• Research Paper Sources
• Research Paper Problem Statement
• Research Paper Thesis Statement
• Hypothesis for a Research Paper
• Research Question
• Research Paper Outline
• Research Paper Summary
• Research Paper Prospectus
• Research Paper Proposal
• Research Paper Format
• Research Paper Styles
• AMA Style Research Paper
• MLA Style Research Paper
• Chicago Style Research Paper
• APA Style Research Paper
• Research Paper Structure
• Research Paper Cover Page
• Research Paper Abstract
• Research Paper Introduction
• Research Paper Body Paragraph
• Research Paper Literature Review
• Research Paper Background
• Research Paper Methods Section
• Research Paper Results Section
• Research Paper Discussion Section
• Research Paper Conclusion
• Research Paper Appendix
• Research Paper Bibliography
• APA Reference Page
• Annotated Bibliography
• Bibliography vs Works Cited vs References Page
• Research Paper Types
• What is Qualitative Research

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How to plan a research project

Whether for a paper or a thesis, define your question, review the work of others – and leave yourself open to discovery.

by Brooke Harrington   + BIO

is professor of sociology at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Her research has won international awards both for scholarly quality and impact on public life. She has published dozens of articles and three books, most recently the bestseller Capital without Borders (2016), now translated into five languages.

Edited by Sam Haselby

Need to know

‘When curiosity turns to serious matters, it’s called research.’ – From Aphorisms (1880-1905) by Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Planning research projects is a time-honoured intellectual exercise: one that requires both creativity and sharp analytical skills. The purpose of this Guide is to make the process systematic and easy to understand. While there is a great deal of freedom and discovery involved – from the topics you choose, to the data and methods you apply – there are also some norms and constraints that obtain, no matter what your academic level or field of study. For those in high school through to doctoral students, and from art history to archaeology, research planning involves broadly similar steps, including: formulating a question, developing an argument or predictions based on previous research, then selecting the information needed to answer your question.

Some of this might sound self-evident but, as you’ll find, research requires a different way of approaching and using information than most of us are accustomed to in everyday life. That is why I include orienting yourself to knowledge-creation as an initial step in the process. This is a crucial and underappreciated phase in education, akin to making the transition from salaried employment to entrepreneurship: suddenly, you’re on your own, and that requires a new way of thinking about your work.

What follows is a distillation of what I’ve learned about this process over 27 years as a professional social scientist. It reflects the skills that my own professors imparted in the sociology doctoral programme at Harvard, as well as what I learned later on as a research supervisor for Ivy League PhD and MA students, and then as the author of award-winning scholarly books and articles. It can be adapted to the demands of both short projects (such as course term papers) and long ones, such as a thesis.

At its simplest, research planning involves the four distinct steps outlined below: orienting yourself to knowledge-creation; defining your research question; reviewing previous research on your question; and then choosing relevant data to formulate your own answers. Because the focus of this Guide is on planning a research project, as opposed to conducting a research project, this section won’t delve into the details of data-collection or analysis; those steps happen after you plan the project. In addition, the topic is vast: year-long doctoral courses are devoted to data and analysis. Instead, the fourth part of this section will outline some basic strategies you could use in planning a data-selection and analysis process appropriate to your research question.

Step 1: Orient yourself

Planning and conducting research requires you to make a transition, from thinking like a consumer of information to thinking like a producer of information. That sounds simple, but it’s actually a complex task. As a practical matter, this means putting aside the mindset of a student, which treats knowledge as something created by other people. As students, we are often passive receivers of knowledge: asked to do a specified set of readings, then graded on how well we reproduce what we’ve read.

Researchers, however, must take on an active role as knowledge producers . Doing research requires more of you than reading and absorbing what other people have written: you have to engage in a dialogue with it. That includes arguing with previous knowledge and perhaps trying to show that ideas we have accepted as given are actually wrong or incomplete. For example, rather than simply taking in the claims of an author you read, you’ll need to draw out the implications of those claims: if what the author is saying is true, what else does that suggest must be true? What predictions could you make based on the author’s claims?

In other words, rather than treating a reading as a source of truth – even if it comes from a revered source, such as Plato or Marie Curie – this orientation step asks you to treat the claims you read as provisional and subject to interrogation. That is one of the great pieces of wisdom that science and philosophy can teach us: that the biggest advances in human understanding have been made not by being correct about trivial things, but by being wrong in an interesting way . For example, Albert Einstein was wrong about quantum mechanics, but his arguments about it with his fellow physicist Niels Bohr have led to some of the biggest breakthroughs in science, even a century later.

Step 2: Define your research question

Students often give this step cursory attention, but experienced researchers know that formulating a good question is sometimes the most difficult part of the research planning process. That is because the precise language of the question frames the rest of the project. It’s therefore important to pose the question carefully, in a way that’s both possible to answer and likely to yield interesting results. Of course, you must choose a question that interests you, but that’s only the beginning of what’s likely to be an iterative process: most researchers come back to this step repeatedly, modifying their questions in light of previous research, resource limitations and other considerations.

Researchers face limits in terms of time and money. They, like everyone else, have to pose research questions that they can plausibly answer given the constraints they face. For example, it would be inadvisable to frame a project around the question ‘What are the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict?’ if you have only a week to develop an answer and no background on that topic. That’s not to limit your imagination: you can come up with any question you’d like. But it typically does require some creativity to frame a question that you can answer well – that is, by investigating thoroughly and providing new insights – within the limits you face.

In addition to being interesting to you, and feasible within your resource constraints, the third and most important characteristic of a ‘good’ research topic is whether it allows you to create new knowledge. It might turn out that your question has already been asked and answered to your satisfaction: if so, you’ll find out in the next step of this process. On the other hand, you might come up with a research question that hasn’t been addressed previously. Before you get too excited about breaking uncharted ground, consider this: a lot of potentially researchable questions haven’t been studied for good reason ; they might have answers that are trivial or of very limited interest. This could include questions such as ‘Why does the area of a circle equal π r²?’ or ‘Did winter conditions affect Napoleon’s plans to invade Russia?’ Of course, you might be able to make the argument that a seemingly trivial question is actually vitally important, but you must be prepared to back that up with convincing evidence. The exercise in the ‘Learn More’ section below will help you think through some of these issues.

Finally, scholarly research questions must in some way lead to new and distinctive insights. For example, lots of people have studied gender roles in sports teams; what can you ask that hasn’t been asked before? Reinventing the wheel is the number-one no-no in this endeavour. That’s why the next step is so important: reviewing previous research on your topic. Depending on what you find in that step, you might need to revise your research question; iterating between your question and the existing literature is a normal process. But don’t worry: it doesn’t go on forever. In fact, the iterations taper off – and your research question stabilises – as you develop a firm grasp of the current state of knowledge on your topic.

Step 3: Review previous research

In academic research, from articles to books, it’s common to find a section called a ‘literature review’. The purpose of that section is to describe the state of the art in knowledge on the research question that a project has posed. It demonstrates that researchers have thoroughly and systematically reviewed the relevant findings of previous studies on their topic, and that they have something novel to contribute.

Your own research project should include something like this, even if it’s a high-school term paper. In the research planning process, you’ll want to list at least half a dozen bullet points stating the major findings on your topic by other people. In relation to those findings, you should be able to specify where your project could provide new and necessary insights. There are two basic rhetorical positions one can take in framing the novelty-plus-importance argument required of academic research:

• Position 1 requires you to build on or extend a set of existing ideas; that means saying something like: ‘Person A has argued that X is true about gender; this implies Y, which has not yet been tested. My project will test Y, and if I find evidence to support it, that will change the way we understand gender.’
• Position 2 is to argue that there is a gap in existing knowledge, either because previous research has reached conflicting conclusions or has failed to consider something important. For example, one could say that research on middle schoolers and gender has been limited by being conducted primarily in coeducational environments, and that findings might differ dramatically if research were conducted in more schools where the student body was all-male or all-female.

Your overall goal in this step of the process is to show that your research will be part of a larger conversation: that is, how your project flows from what’s already known, and how it advances, extends or challenges that existing body of knowledge. That will be the contribution of your project, and it constitutes the motivation for your research.

Two things are worth mentioning about your search for sources of relevant previous research. First, you needn’t look only at studies on your precise topic. For example, if you want to study gender-identity formation in schools, you shouldn’t restrict yourself to studies of schools; the empirical setting (schools) is secondary to the larger social process that interests you (how people form gender identity). That process occurs in many different settings, so cast a wide net. Second, be sure to use legitimate sources – meaning publications that have been through some sort of vetting process, whether that involves peer review (as with academic journal articles you might find via Google Scholar) or editorial review (as you’d find in well-known mass media publications, such as The Economist or The Washington Post ). What you’ll want to avoid is using unvetted sources such as personal blogs or Wikipedia. Why? Because anybody can write anything in those forums, and there is no way to know – unless you’re already an expert – if the claims you find there are accurate. Often, they’re not.

Step 4: Choose your data and methods

Whatever your research question is, eventually you’ll need to consider which data source and analytical strategy are most likely to provide the answers you’re seeking. One starting point is to consider whether your question would be best addressed by qualitative data (such as interviews, observations or historical records), quantitative data (such as surveys or census records) or some combination of both. Your ideas about data sources will, in turn, suggest options for analytical methods.

You might need to collect your own data, or you might find everything you need readily available in an existing dataset someone else has created. A great place to start is with a research librarian: university libraries always have them and, at public universities, those librarians can work with the public, including people who aren’t affiliated with the university. If you don’t happen to have a public university and its library close at hand, an ordinary public library can still be a good place to start: the librarians are often well versed in accessing data sources that might be relevant to your study, such as the census, or historical archives, or the Survey of Consumer Finances.

Because your task at this point is to plan research, rather than conduct it, the purpose of this step is not to commit you irrevocably to a course of action. Instead, your goal here is to think through a feasible approach to answering your research question. You’ll need to find out, for example, whether the data you want exist; if not, do you have a realistic chance of gathering the data yourself, or would it be better to modify your research question? In terms of analysis, would your strategy require you to apply statistical methods? If so, do you have those skills? If not, do you have time to learn them, or money to hire a research assistant to run the analysis for you?

Please be aware that qualitative methods in particular are not the casual undertaking they might appear to be. Many people make the mistake of thinking that only quantitative data and methods are scientific and systematic, while qualitative methods are just a fancy way of saying: ‘I talked to some people, read some old newspapers, and drew my own conclusions.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. In the final section of this guide, you’ll find some links to resources that will provide more insight on standards and procedures governing qualitative research, but suffice it to say: there are rules about what constitutes legitimate evidence and valid analytical procedure for qualitative data, just as there are for quantitative data.

Circle back and consider revising your initial plans

As you work through these four steps in planning your project, it’s perfectly normal to circle back and revise. Research planning is rarely a linear process. It’s also common for new and unexpected avenues to suggest themselves. As the sociologist Thorstein Veblen wrote in 1908 : ‘The outcome of any serious research can only be to make two questions grow where only one grew before.’ That’s as true of research planning as it is of a completed project. Try to enjoy the horizons that open up for you in this process, rather than becoming overwhelmed; the four steps, along with the two exercises that follow, will help you focus your plan and make it manageable.

Key points – How to plan a research project

• Planning a research project is essential no matter your academic level or field of study. There is no one ‘best’ way to design research, but there are certain guidelines that can be helpfully applied across disciplines.
• Orient yourself to knowledge-creation. Make the shift from being a consumer of information to being a producer of information.
• Define your research question. Your question frames the rest of your project, sets the scope, and determines the kinds of answers you can find.
• Review previous research on your question. Survey the existing body of relevant knowledge to ensure that your research will be part of a larger conversation.
• Choose your data and methods. For instance, will you be collecting qualitative data, via interviews, or numerical data, via surveys?
• Circle back and consider revising your initial plans. Expect your research question in particular to undergo multiple rounds of refinement as you learn more about your topic.

Good research questions tend to beget more questions. This can be frustrating for those who want to get down to business right away. Try to make room for the unexpected: this is usually how knowledge advances. Many of the most significant discoveries in human history have been made by people who were looking for something else entirely. There are ways to structure your research planning process without over-constraining yourself; the two exercises below are a start, and you can find further methods in the Links and Books section.

The following exercise provides a structured process for advancing your research project planning. After completing it, you’ll be able to do the following:

• describe clearly and concisely the question you’ve chosen to study
• summarise the state of the art in knowledge about the question, and where your project could contribute new insight
• identify the best strategy for gathering and analysing relevant data

In other words, the following provides a systematic means to establish the building blocks of your research project.

Exercise 1: Definition of research question and sources

This exercise prompts you to select and clarify your general interest area, develop a research question, and investigate sources of information. The annotated bibliography will also help you refine your research question so that you can begin the second assignment, a description of the phenomenon you wish to study.

Jot down a few bullet points in response to these two questions, with the understanding that you’ll probably go back and modify your answers as you begin reading other studies relevant to your topic:

• What will be the general topic of your paper?
• What will be the specific topic of your paper?

b) Research question(s)

Use the following guidelines to frame a research question – or questions – that will drive your analysis. As with Part 1 above, you’ll probably find it necessary to change or refine your research question(s) as you complete future assignments.

• Your question should be phrased so that it can’t be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
• Your question should have more than one plausible answer.
• Your question should draw relationships between two or more concepts; framing the question in terms of How? or What? often works better than asking Why ?

c) Annotated bibliography

Most or all of your background information should come from two sources: scholarly books and journals, or reputable mass media sources. You might be able to access journal articles electronically through your library, using search engines such as JSTOR and Google Scholar. This can save you a great deal of time compared with going to the library in person to search periodicals. General news sources, such as those accessible through LexisNexis, are acceptable, but should be cited sparingly, since they don’t carry the same level of credibility as scholarly sources. As discussed above, unvetted sources such as blogs and Wikipedia should be avoided, because the quality of the information they provide is unreliable and often misleading.

To create an annotated bibliography, provide the following information for at least 10 sources relevant to your specific topic, using the format suggested below.

Name of author(s):

Publication date:

Title of book, chapter, or article:

If a chapter or article, title of journal or book where they appear:

Brief description of this work, including main findings and methods ( c 75 words):

Summary of how this work contributes to your project ( c 75 words):

Brief description of the implications of this work ( c 25 words):

Identify any gap or controversy in knowledge this work points up, and how your project could address those problems ( c 50 words):

Exercise 2: Towards an analysis

Develop a short statement ( c 250 words) about the kind of data that would be useful to address your research question, and how you’d analyse it. Some questions to consider in writing this statement include:

• What are the central concepts or variables in your project? Offer a brief definition of each.
• Do any data sources exist on those concepts or variables, or would you need to collect data?
• Of the analytical strategies you could apply to that data, which would be the most appropriate to answer your question? Which would be the most feasible for you? Consider at least two methods, noting their advantages or disadvantages for your project.

Links & books

One of the best texts ever written about planning and executing research comes from a source that might be unexpected: a 60-year-old work on urban planning by a self-trained scholar. The classic book The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961) by Jane Jacobs (available complete and free of charge via this link ) is worth reading in its entirety just for the pleasure of it. But the final 20 pages – a concluding chapter titled ‘The Kind of Problem a City Is’ – are really about the process of thinking through and investigating a problem. Highly recommended as a window into the craft of research.

Jacobs’s text references an essay on advancing human knowledge by the mathematician Warren Weaver. At the time, Weaver was director of the Rockefeller Foundation, in charge of funding basic research in the natural and medical sciences. Although the essay is titled ‘A Quarter Century in the Natural Sciences’ (1960) and appears at first blush to be merely a summation of one man’s career, it turns out to be something much bigger and more interesting: a meditation on the history of human beings seeking answers to big questions about the world. Weaver goes back to the 17th century to trace the origins of systematic research thinking, with enthusiasm and vivid anecdotes that make the process come alive. The essay is worth reading in its entirety, and is available free of charge via this link .

For those seeking a more in-depth, professional-level discussion of the logic of research design, the political scientist Harvey Starr provides insight in a compact format in the article ‘Cumulation from Proper Specification: Theory, Logic, Research Design, and “Nice” Laws’ (2005). Starr reviews the ‘research triad’, consisting of the interlinked considerations of formulating a question, selecting relevant theories and applying appropriate methods. The full text of the article, published in the scholarly journal Conflict Management and Peace Science , is available, free of charge, via this link .

Finally, the book Getting What You Came For (1992) by Robert Peters is not only an outstanding guide for anyone contemplating graduate school – from the application process onward – but it also includes several excellent chapters on planning and executing research, applicable across a wide variety of subject areas. It was an invaluable resource for me 25 years ago, and it remains in print with good reason; I recommend it to all my students, particularly Chapter 16 (‘The Thesis Topic: Finding It’), Chapter 17 (‘The Thesis Proposal’) and Chapter 18 (‘The Thesis: Writing It’).

How to use ‘possibility thinking’

Have you hit an impasse in your personal or professional life? Answer these questions to open your mind to what’s possible

by Constance de Saint Laurent & Vlad Glăveanu

The nature of reality

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This philosopher’s introduction to the nature of time could radically alter how you see your past and imagine your future

by Graeme A Forbes

Cognitive and behavioural therapies

How to stop living on auto-pilot

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by Kiki Fehling

How to Write a Research Plan

Your answers to these questions form your research strategy. Most likely, you’ve addressed some of these issues in your proposal. But you are further along now, and you can flesh out your answers. With your instructor’s help, you should make some basic decisions about what information to collect and what methods to use in analyzing it. You will probably develop this research strategy gradually and, if you are like the rest of us, you will make some changes, large and small, along the way. Still, it is useful to devise a general plan early, even though you will modify it as you progress. Develop a tentative research plan early in the project. Write it down and share it with your instructor. The more concrete and detailed the plan, the better the feedback you’ll get.

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This research plan does not need to be elaborate or time-consuming. Like your working bibliography, it is provisional, a work in progress. Still, it is helpful to write it down since it will clarify a number of issues for you and your professor.

Writing a Research Plan

To write out your research plan, begin by restating your main thesis question and any secondary ones. They may have changed a bit since your original proposal. If these questions bear on a particular theory or analytic perspective, state that briefly. In the social sciences, for example, two or three prominent theories might offer different predictions about your subject. If so, then you might want to explore these differences in your thesis and explain why some theories work better (or worse) in this particular case. Likewise, in the humanities, you might consider how different theories offer different insights and contrasting perspectives on the particular novel or film you are studying. If you intend to explore these differences, state your goal clearly in the research plan so you can discuss it later with your professor. Next, turn to the heart of this exercise, your proposed research strategy. Try to explain your basic approach, the materials you will use, and your method of analysis. You may not know all of these elements yet, but do the best you can. Briefly say how and why you think they will help answer your main questions.

Be concrete. What data will you collect? Which poems will you read? Which paintings will you compare? Which historical cases will you examine? If you plan to use case studies, say whether you have already selected them or settled on the criteria for choosing them. Have you decided which documents and secondary sources are most important? Do you have easy access to the data, documents, or other materials you need? Are they reliable sources—the best information you can get on the subject? Give the answers if you have them, or say plainly that you don’t know so your instructor can help. You should also discuss whether your research requires any special skills and, of course, whether you have them. You can—and should—tailor your work to fit your skills.

If you expect to challenge other approaches—an important element of some theses—which ones will you take on, and why? This last point can be put another way: Your project will be informed by some theoretical traditions and research perspectives and not others. Your research will be stronger if you clarify your own perspective and show how it usefully informs your work. Later, you may also enter the jousts and explain why your approach is superior to the alternatives, in this particular study and perhaps more generally. Your research plan should state these issues clearly so you can discuss them candidly and think them through.

If you plan to conduct tests, experiments, or surveys, discuss them, too. They are common research tools in many fields, from psychology and education to public health. Now is the time to spell out the details—the ones you have nailed down tight and the ones that are still rattling around, unresolved. It’s important to bring up the right questions here, even if you don’t have all the answers yet. Raising these questions directly is the best way to get the answers. What kinds of tests or experiments do you plan, and how will you measure the results? How will you recruit your test subjects, and how many will be included in your sample? What test instruments or observational techniques will you use? How reliable and valid are they? Your instructor can be a great source of feedback here.

Your research plan should say:

• What materials you will use
• What methods you will use to investigate them
• Whether your work follow a particular approach or theory

There are also ethical issues to consider. They crop up in any research involving humans or animals. You need to think carefully about them, underscore potential problems, and discuss them with your professor. You also need to clear this research in advance with the appropriate authorities at your school, such as the committee that reviews proposals for research on human subjects.

Not all these issues and questions will bear on your particular project. But some do, and you should wrestle with them as you begin research. Even if your answers are tentative, you will still gain from writing them down and sharing them with your instructor. That’s how you will get the most comprehensive advice, the most pointed recommendations. If some of these issues puzzle you, or if you have already encountered some obstacles, share them, too, so you can either resolve the problems or find ways to work around them.

Remember, your research plan is simply a working product, designed to guide your ongoing inquiry. It’s not a final paper for a grade; it’s a step toward your final paper. Your goal in sketching it out now is to understand these issues better and get feedback from faculty early in the project. It may be a pain to write it out, but it’s a minor sting compared to major surgery later.

Checklist for Conducting Research

• Familiarize yourself with major questions and debates about your topic.
• Is appropriate to your topic;
• Addresses the main questions you propose in your thesis;
• Relies on materials to which you have access;
• Can be accomplished within the time available;
• Uses skills you have or can acquire.
• Divide your topic into smaller projects and do research on each in turn.
• Write informally as you do research; do not postpone this prewriting until all your research is complete.

Back to How To Write A Research Paper .

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Developing a Five-Year Research Plan

Cathy binger and lizbeth finestack, doi: 10.1044/cred-pvd-path006.

The following is a transcript of the presentation videos, edited for clarity.

What Is a Research Plan, and Why Do You Need One?

Presented by Cathy Binger

First we’re going to talk about what a research plan is, why it’s important to write one, and why five years—why not one year, why not ten years. So we’ll do some of those basic things, then Liza is going to get down and dirty into the nitty-gritty of “now what” how do I go about writing that research plan.

First of all, what is a research plan? I’m sure some of you have taken a stab at these already. In case you haven’t, this is a real personalized map that relates your projects to goals. It’s exactly what it sounds like, it’s a plan of how you’re going to go about doing your research. It doesn’t necessarily just include research.

It’s something that you need to put a little time and effort into in the beginning. And then, if you don’t revisit it, it’s really a useless document. It’s something that you need to come back to repeatedly, at least annually, and you need to make it visible. So it’s not a document that sits around and once a year you pull it out and look at it.

It can and should be designed, especially initially, with the help of a mentor or colleague. And it does serve multiple purposes, with different lengths and different amounts of detail.

I forgot to say, too, getting started, the slides for this talk were started using as a jumping off point Ray Kent’s talk from last year. So some of the slides we’ve borrowed from him, so many thanks to him for that.

But why do we want to do a research plan? Well, to me the big thing is the vision. Dr. Barlow talked this morning about your line of research and really knowing where you want to go, and this is where that shows up with all the nuts and bolts in place.

What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to contribute? Most of you are at the stage in your career where maybe you have started out with that you want to change the world scenario and realized that whatever you wanted your first research project to be, really, is your entire career. You need to get that down to the point where it is manageable projects that you can do—this is where you map out what those projects are and set reasonable timelines for that.

You want to really demonstrate your independent thinking and your own creativity, whatever that is that you then establish as a PhD student, postdoc, and beyond—this is where you come back to, okay, here’s how I’m going to go about achieving all of that.

This next point, learning to realistically gauge how long it takes to achieve each goal, this for most of us is a phenomenally challenging thing to do. Most of us really overestimate what we can do in a certain amount of time, and we learn the hard way that you can’t, and that’s another reason why you keep coming back to these plans repeatedly and learning over time what’s really manageable, what’s really doable, so we can still reach our goals and be very strategic about how we do that.

When you’re not strategic, you just don’t meet the goals. Your time gets sucked into so many different things. We need to be really practical and strategic.

Everything we do is going to take longer than we think.

I think this last one is something that maybe we don’t talk about enough. Really being honest with ourselves about the role of research in our lives. Not all of you are at very high-level research universities. Some of you have chosen to go elsewhere, where research maybe isn’t going to be playing the same role as it is for other people. The research plan for someone at an R One research intensive university is going to look quite different from someone who is at a primary teaching university. We need to be open and practical about that.

Getting sidetracked. I love this picture, I just found this picture the other day. This feels like my life. You can get pulled in so many different directions once you are a professor. You will get asked to do a thousand different things. There are lots of great opportunities that are out there. Especially initially, it’s tempting to say yes to all of them. But if you’re going to be productive, you have to be very strategic. I’m going to be a little bit sexist against my own sex here for a minute, but my observation has been that women tend to fall into this a little bit more than men do in wanting to say yes and be people pleasers for everything that comes down the pike.

It is a professional skill to learn how to say no. And to do that in such a way that you are not burning bridges as you go down the path. That is a critical skill if you are going to be a successful researcher. I can’t tell you how many countless people I’ve seen who are very bright, very dedicated, have the skills that it takes in terms of doing the work—but then they are not successful because they’ve gotten sidetracked and they try to be too much of a good citizen, give too much service to the department, too much “sure I’ll take on that extra class” or whatever else comes down the line.

I just spoke with a professor recently who had something like five hours a week of office hours scheduled every single week for one class. Margaret is shaking her head like “are you kidding?” That’s crazy stuff. But he wanted to really support his students. His students loved him, but he was not going to get tenure. That’s the story.

So we have to be very thoughtful and strategic, and what can help you with this, and ASHA very firmly recognizes which is why we’re here—is that your mentors in your life should be there to help you learn these skills and learn what to say yes to, and learn what to say no to. I’ve learned to say things like, “Let me check with my mentor before I agree to that.” And it gives you a way out of that. The line that I use a lot is, “Let me check with my department head” or, I just said this to somebody last week, “I just promised my department head two weeks ago that I would only do X number of external workshops this year, so I’m going to have to turn this one down.” Those are really important skills to develop.

And having that research plan in place that you can go back to and say, know what, it’s not on my plan I can’t do it. If I do it—I have to go back to my research plan and figure out what I’m going to kick off in order to review this extra paper, in order to take on this extra task. The plan also helps me to know exactly what to say no to. And to be very direct and have a very strong visual.

I actually have my research plan up on a giant whiteboard in my office, so I can always go back to that and see where I am, and I can say, “Okay, what am I going to kick off of here? Nothing. Okay, I have to say no to whatever comes up.” Just be strategic. This is where I see most beginning professors really end up taking that wrong fork in the road—taking that right instead of that left, and ending up not being the successful researcher that they wanted to be.

What evidence supports research planning? This was something Ray Kent had found. That a recent analysis had found that postdoc scholars who developed a written plan with their postdoc advisers were much more productive than those who didn’t. And your performance during a postdoc—and I know many of you have either finished your postdoc or decided not to—so more simply, just during those first six years, the decisions you make really do establish the foundation for the rest of your professional life. It’s very important to get started and get off on the right foot.

I love this quote, I just found it the other day: “Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”

What we see with productivity is that postdoc scholars who developed written productivity expectations with their advisers were more productive than those who didn’t. You see 23% more papers submitted, 30% more first-author papers, and more grant proposals as well.

So why five years? I’m going to start with number 5. It’s long enough to build a program of research, but short enough to deal with changing circumstances. That’s really the long and the short of the matter. As well as these other things as well that I won’t take the time to go through point by point.

What Should a Five-Year Plan Include?

Presented by Lizbeth Finestack

So, thinking about a five-year research plan, I like to think about it like your major “To Do List.” It’s what you’re going to accomplish in five years. Start thinking: What is going to be on my to do list?

You can also think about it like: Okay, I have research. I’ve got to do research. Maybe think about this as one big bucket, or maybe one humongous silo. I have some farm themes going on. Cathy was just on a farm, so I thought I’d tie that in.

So here’s your big silo. You can call that your research silo.

But more realistically, you need to think about it like separate buckets, separate silos, where research is just one of those. Just like Cathy indicated, there’s going to be lots of other things coming up that you’re going to have to manage. They are going to have to be on your to do list, you need to figure out how to fit everything in.

What all those other buckets or silos are, are really going to depend on your job. And maybe the size of the silos, and the size of the buckets are going to vary depending on where you are, what the expectations are at your institution.

That’s important to keep in mind, and Cathy said this too, it’s not going to be the same for everyone. The five-year plan has to be your plan, your to do list.

Here are some buckets or some silos that I have on my list and the way that I break it up, this is just one example, take it or leave it.

The first three are all very closely related, right? Thinking about grants, thinking about research, thinking about publications. I’m going to define grants as actual writing, getting the grant, getting the money.

Research is what you’re going to do once you get that money. Steps you need to take before you are getting the money. Any sorts of projects, the lab work, that’s why I have the lab picture there. Of course, publications are part of the product—what’s coming out of the research—but it also cycles in because you need publications to support that you are a researcher to apply for funding and show you have this line of research that you’ve established and you’ll be able to continue. So, those first three are really closely related. And that’s where I’ll go next. And then have teaching and service you see here at the bottom.

So thinking about research, in that broad sense. As you’re writing your five-year plan you’re going to want to think of, “What’s my long-term goal?” There’s lots of ways to think of long-term goals. You could think, before I die, this is what I want to accomplish. For me I kind of have that. My long-term goal is that I’m going to find the most effective and efficient interventions for kids with language impairment. Huge broad goal. But within that I can start narrowing it down.

Where am I within that? Within the next five years or maybe the next ten years, what is it I want to accomplish towards that goal. Then start thinking about: In order to accomplish that goal, what are the steps I need to take? Starting to break it down a little bit. Then it’s also going to be really important to think: where are you going to start? Where are you now? What do you need to have happen? And is it reasonable to accomplish this goal within five years? Is it going to take longer? Maybe you could do it in a couple years? Start thinking about the timeline that’s going to work for you.

Then thinking about your goals—and everyone’s program is going to be different, like I said, there’s going to be a lot of individual needs, preferences. So it might be the case that you have this one long-term goal that you’re aiming for. Long-term goal in the sense of, maybe, what you want to study in your R01, perhaps something like that. But in order to get to that point, you’re going to have several short-term goals that need to be accomplished.

Or maybe it’s the case that you have two long-term goals. And with each of those you’re going to have multiple short-term goals that you’re working on. Maybe the scope of each of these long-term goals is a little bit less than in that first scenario.

Start thinking about my research, what I want to do, and how it might fit into these different circumstances.

Also thinking about your goals, this is a slide from Ray Kent from last year, was thinking about the different types of projects you might want to pursue, and thinking about ones that are definitely well on your way. They are safe bets. You have some funding. They are going to lead directly into your longer-term plan.

Those are going to be your front burner—things you can easily focus on. That said, don’t put everything there.

You can also have things on the back burner. Things that really excite you, might have huge benefits, big pay. But you don’t want to spend all of your time there because they could be pretty risky.

Start thinking about where you’re putting your time. Are you putting it all on this high-risk thing that if it doesn’t pan out you’re going to be in big trouble? Or balancing that somewhat with your front burner. Making that steady progress that will lead directly to help fund an R01 or whatever the mechanism that you’re looking for.

Then, thinking about your goals—if you have multiple long-term goals, or thinking about your short-term goals, you could think about your process. Is it something where you need to do study 1 then study 2, then study 3—each of those building on each other, that’s leading to that long-term goal. In many cases, that is the case, where you have to get information from the first study which is going to lead directly to the second study and so forth.

Or is it the case that you can be working on these three short-term goals simultaneously? Spreading your resources at the same time. Maybe it will take longer for any one study, but across a longer period of time you’ll get the information that you need to reach that long-term goal.

Lots and lots of different ways to go about it. The important thing is to think about what your needs are and what makes the most sense for you.

Here’s my own little personal example. Starting over here, I have my dissertation study. My dissertation study was this early efficacy study looking at one treatment approach using novel forms that really can’t generalize to anything too useful, but it was important.

Then I did a follow up study, where I was taking that same paradigm, looking to see where kids with typical development perform on the task. So I have these two studies, and they served as my preliminary studies for an R03. So I just finished an R03 where I was looking at different treatment approaching for kids with primary language impairment. At the same time, while conducting my R03, I’m also looking at some different approaches that might help with language development. Also conducting surveys to see what current practices are.

I have these three projects going on simultaneously, that are going to lead to a bigger pilot study that are going to feed directly into my R01. All of this will serve as preliminary data to go into an R01.

Start thinking about your projects, what you have. Maybe starting with your dissertation project or work that you’re doing as a postdoc as seeing how that can feed into your long-term goal. And really utilizing it, building on it, to your benefit.

That’s all fine and dandy. You can draw these great pictures. But you still have to break it down some more. It’s not like, “Oh, I’m just going to do this project.” There are other steps involved, and lots of the time these steps are going to be just as time consuming.

Starting to think about: well, if you have the funding. Saying, “I want to do this study, but I have no money to do it.” What are the steps in order to get the money to do it? Do you have a pilot study? What do you need?

Start thinking about the resources? Do you need to develop stimuli, protocols, procedures? Start working on that. All of these can be very time consuming, and if you don’t jump on that immediately, it’s going to delay when you can start that project.

Thinking about IRB. Relationships for recruitment, if you’re working with special populations especially? Do you have necessary personnel, grad students, people to help you with the project? Do you need to train them? What’s the timeline of the study?

Start thinking about all these pieces, and how they are going to fit in that timeline.

This is one way that might help you start thinking about the resources that you need. This is online—Ray Kent had it in his talk, and when I was doing my searches I came across it too and I have the website at the end. Just different ways to think about the resources you might need.

Let’s talk about mapping it out. You have your long-term goal. You have your short-term goals. You’re breaking it down thinking about all those little steps that you need to accomplish. We gotta put it on a calendar. When is it going to happen?

This is an example—you might have your five years. Each month plugging in what are you going to accomplish by that time. Maybe it’s when are grant applications due? It’s going to be important to put those on there to go what do I need to do to make that deadline. Maybe it’s putting when you’re going to get publications out. Things like that.

Honestly, looking at this drives me a little bit crazy, it seems a bit overwhelming. But it’s important to get to these details.

This is an example from, I did Lessons for Success a few years ago and they had their format for doing your plan. I wrote out all my projects, started thinking about all the different aspects. So if something like this works for you, by all means you could use that type of procedure.

Here’s a grid that Ray Kent showed last year. We’re breaking it down by semester. Thinking about each of your semesters, what manuscripts you’re going to be working on, what data collection, your grant applications. Starting to get into some of those other buckets: course preparation, conference submissions.

We also need to include teaching and service.

You probably can’t see this very well. This is similar to that last slide Ray Kent had used last year.

I have my five year plan: what studies I want to accomplish, start thinking about breaking it down.

Then at the beginning of each semester, I fill in a grid like this. Where at the top, I have each of my buckets. I have my grant bucket, my writing bucket which is going to include publications. I also include doing article reviews in my writing bucket, because that’s my writing time. My teaching bucket, my research bucket. Then at the end, my service bucket.

At the beginning of the semester, I think about the big things I want to accomplish. I list those at the top. Then at the beginning of each month, I say, okay what are the things I’m going to accomplish this month, write those in. Then at the beginning of each week, I start looking at whether I’m dedicating any time to the things I said I was going to do that month. I start listing those out saying, this is the amount of time I’m going to spend on that. Of course, I have to take data on what I actually do, so I plug in how much time I’m spending on each of the tasks. Then I graph it, because that’s rewarding to see how much time you’re spending on things, and I get a little side-tracked sometimes.

Think about a system that will help you keep on track, to make sure you’re meeting the goals that you want to meet in terms of your research. But also getting the other things done that you need to get done in terms of teaching and service.

Discussion and Questions

Compiled from comments made during the Pathways 2014 and 2015 conferences. (Video unavailable.)

Building Flexibility into Your Five-Year Plan Comments by Ray Kent, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The five-year plan is not a contract. It’s a map or a compass. A general set of directions to help you plan ahead. It’s not even a contract with yourself, because it will inevitably be revised in some ways.

Sometimes cool things land in your lap. Very often it turns out that through serendipity or whatever else, you find opportunities that are very enticing. Some of those can be path to an entirely new line of research. Some of them can be a huge distraction and a waste of time. It’s a really cool part of science that new things come along. If we put on blinders and say, “I’m committed to my research plan,” and we don’t look to the left or the right, we’re really robbing ourselves of much of the richness of the scientific life. Science is full of surprises, and sometimes those surprises are going to appear as research projects. The problem is you don’t want to redirect all your time and resources to those until you’re really sure they are going to pay off. I personally believe, some of those high risk but really appealing projects are things you can nurse along. You can devote some time and build some collaborations – far enough to determine how realistic and viable they are. That’s important because those things can be the core of your next research program.

It’s very easy to get overcommitted. We all know people who always say “yes”—and we know those people, and they are often disappointing because they can’t get things done. It’s important to have new directions, but limit them. Don’t say, “I’m going to have 12 new directions this year.” Maybe one or two. Weigh them carefully. Talk about them with other people to get a judgment about how difficult it might be to implement them. It enriches science: not only our knowledge, but the way we acquire new knowledge. A psychologist, George Miller—this is the guy with the magic number 7 +- 2—when we interviewed him years ago at Boystown, he said, “My conviction is that everybody should be able to learn a new area of study within three months.” That’s what he thought for a scientist was a goal.

The idea is that you can learn new things. And that’s very important because when you think of it in terms of a 30-year career, how likely is it that the project that you’re undertaking at age 28 is the same project you’ll be working on at age 68? Not very likely. You’re going to be reinventing yourself as a scientist. And reinventing yourself is one of the most important things you can do, because otherwise you’re going to be dead wood. Some projects aren’t worth carrying beyond five or ten years. They have an expiration date.

Building Risk into Your Five-Year Plan Comments by Ray Kent, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Your doctoral study should generally be low-risk research. As you move into a postdoctoral fellowship, think about having two studies—one low-risk, one high-risk with a potential for high impact. At this time you can begin to play the risk factor a little bit differently.

When you are tenure-track you can have a mix of significance with low-risk and high-risk studies. And when you are tenured, then you can go for high risk, clinical trials, and collaborations. Because you have established your independence, so you do not need to worry about losing your visibility. You can be recognized as a legitimate member of the team.

As you plan your career, you should take risk into account. Just as you manage your money taking risk into account, we should manage our careers taking risk into account. I have met people who did not really think about that, and they embarked on some very risky procedures and wasted a lot of time and resources with very little to show for it. For example, don’t put everything into an untested technology basket. You want to be using state of the art technology, but you want to be sure it is going to give you what you need.

Other Formats and Uses of Your Research Plan Audience Comments

• If you do your job right with your job talk, there’s a lot of cross-pollination between your job talk and your research plan. Ideally your job talk tells your colleagues that this is the long-term plan that you have. And they shouldn’t be surprised when you submit a more detailed research plan. They should say, “okay this is very consistent with the job talk.” In my view, the job talk should be a crystal summary of the major aspects of that research program. Of course, much of the talk will be about a specific project or two—but it should always be embedded within the larger program. That helps the audience keep sight of the fact that you are looking at the program. You can say that this is one project that I’ve done, and I plan to do more of these, and this is how they are conceptually related. That’s a good example of why the research plan has multiple purposes – it can be a research statement, it can be the core of your job talk, it can be the nature of your elevator message, and it can be a version of your research plan for a K award application or R01 application or anything else of that nature.
• I think what’s useful is to actually draft your NIH biosketch. The new biosketch has a section called “contributions to science.” It’s really helpful to think about all your projects. It’s hard to start with a blank sheet of paper. But to have it in the format of a biosketch can be really helpful.

Avoiding Overcommitment Audience Comments

• One of the things that is amazing about planning is that if you put an estimate on the level of effort for each part of your plan, you’ll quickly find that you are living three or four lives. Some 300% of your time is spent. It’s helpful for those of us who might share my lack of ability to see constraints or limitations to reel it back and say, “I have a lot on my plate.” Which allows you to say no—which is not something we all do very well when it comes to those nice colleagues and those people you want to impress nationally and connect with. But it allows you to look at what’s planned and go, “I don’t know where I’d find the time to do that.” Which will hopefully help you stay on track.
• I keep a to do list, but I also keep a “to not do” list. One of the things I will keep on my plan is the maximum number of papers I will review in a year. If I hit that number in March, that’s it. I say no to every other paper that comes down the pike. That’s something to work out with your mentor as far as what’s realistic and what’s okay for you. Every time I get a request, I think, “That’s my reading and writing time, so what am I willing to give up. If it means I won’t be able to write on my own paper this week, am I willing to do this?”

Staying on Schedule with Reading, Writing, and Reviewing Audience Comments

• You have to do what works for you. Some people do wait for big blocks of time for writing—which are hard to come by. But the most important thing is to block off your time. Put it on your schedule, or it is the first thing that will get pushed aside.
• Another thing I’ve done with some of my colleagues is writing retreats. So maybe once a year, twice a year, we’ll get together. Usually we’ll go to a hotel or somewhere, and we’re just writing. It’s a great way to get a jumpstart on a project. Like, I need to sit down and start this manuscript, and you can keep going once you’ve got that momentum.
• My input would be that you really have to write all the time, every day. It’s a skill. I’ve found that if I take time off, my writing deteriorates. It’s something you need to keep up with.
• I would look at it like a savings account that you put money into on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. The flip side of writing is reading. I would read constantly, widely, and not just in the discipline. That will give you not only a breadth in terms of your understanding of your field and the world around you, but it will also give you an incentive to make your own contributions. I think we don’t talk enough about the comprehensive side to this, and being receptive to the reading. I have a book, or something, by my bedside every night. And I read that until I fall asleep every night. And it’s done me in good stead over the years.
• Reviewing articles can help advance your career, but it is something you need to weigh carefully as a draw on your time. You get a lot from it. You get to see what’s out there. You get to see what’s coming down the pipe before publication. To me that’s a huge benefit. You get to learn from other people’s writing, and that’s part of your reading you get to do. But it is time consuming. And it depends on the kinds of papers you get. Sometimes you’re lucky and sometimes you’re not.
• If someone else is reviewing your grants and your articles, at some point you owe it back. You should at least be in break-even mode. Now, pre-tenure or postdoc your mentor should be doing that or senior faculty in the department. But there are so many articles to review. I review so many articles, but I am also at the tail end of my career. The bottom line is, if you don’t put on your schedule that if you don’t put time on your schedule for reading, reviewing articles forces you to look at and think about the literature, so you can be accomplishing what you owe back to the field—and at the same time, staying one step ahead knowledge wise. It forces you to do what you should be doing all along, which is keeping up with the literature.

Further Reading: Web Resources

Golash-Boza, T. (2014). In Response to Popular Demand, More on the 5-Year Plan. The Professor Is In . Available at http://theprofessorisin.com/2014/05/09/in-response-to-popular-demand-more-on-the-5-year-plan

Kelsky, K. (2010). The Five-Year Plan for Tenure-Track Professors. Get a life, PhD . Available at http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2010/07/five-year-plan-for-tenure-track.html

National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT). (2012). Planning Worksheets . Planning your Research Program (Available from the Science Education Resource Center at Carelton College Website at http://serc.carleton.edu/).

Pfirman, S., Bell, R., Culligan, P., Balsam, P. & Laird, J. (2008) . Maximizing Productivity and Recognition , Part 3: Developing a Research Plan. Science Careers. Available at http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2008_10_10/caredit.a0800148

Cathy Binger University of New Mexico

Lizbeth Finestack University of Minnesota

Based on a presentation and slides originally developed by Ray Kent, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Presented at Pathways (2015). Hosted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Research Mentoring Network.

Pathways is sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through a U24 grant awarded to ASHA.

Copyrighted Material. Reproduced by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in the Clinical Research Education Library with permission from the author or presenter.

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10 Free Research Plan Templates for Teams and Professionals

February 13, 2024

Starting a new research project from scratch can feel overwhelming. Without the right tools and templates, you’re left with a blank page and no direction. With them, starting a new project or organizing an existing one feels like a breeze.

That’s why you need to build a library of the best research plan templates. And we’re here to help you do it.

Stick with us as we run through the benefits of using a research plan template and share some of our favorites—all designed to help make your research projects run like magic.

What is a Research Plan Template?

What makes a good research plan template, 1. clickup user research plan template, 2. clickup market research template, 3. clickup research whiteboard template, 4. clickup equity research report template, 5. clickup seo research & management template, 6. clickup research report template, 7. clickup data analysis findings template, 8. clickup personal swot analysis template, 9. clickup case study template, 10. clickup investigation report template, how to write a research plan.

A research plan template is a document that’s designed to help you build the best research management plan possible. Instead of starting from scratch with a blank screen, a research plan document gives you the building blocks to fill in—so you won’t miss anything important.

There are a lot of solid research plan documents out there—covering everything from UX research (user experience) to case study templates . These templates can be helpful for any team, whether you’re working on product development prototypes or research objectives for a marketing project. They’re especially helpful for product design , UX research, and project management teams.

Some of the most popular research plan templates include:

• UX research plan templates
• Usability testing research templates
• Data analysis findings templates
• Project proposal templates
• Case study templates
• Research process templates
• Market research templates
• Competitive analysis templates
• Request for proposal templates

Each is there to guide you towards collecting, reviewing, and reporting on your research in a more strategic and organized way. Think of the research plan as your helpful research buddy—there to make things easier, provide guidance, and help you ace your project execution .

We’re all looking for something different when it comes to project templates. You might favor simplicity and order, while another team might prefer a more creative approach with lots of color and prompts.

Even though your needs are unique, there are some elements that almost always make a research plan template stand out above all the rest.

The best research plan templates:

• Keep you and your product team organized
• Help you standardize the research process and research method you use 
• Keep you focused on the key project goals and deliverables
• Give you suggestions for metrics to record and analyze
• Help you keep your research questions in one place
• Help you stay on target with your project timeline
• Give you a defined place to store your thoughts and research findings

There’s no one perfect template for any individual or team. Consider what your purpose or goal is, what your project management workstreams look like, and which areas you need the most support or guidance in. This will help you choose which templates to feature and how you can use wiki software to build a collection of your go-to templates.

10 Research Plan Templates to Use in 2024

There are hundreds of research plan templates out there, but they’re not all alike. Some of them bring out the best of your project management skills , while others hinder them.

We’ve brought together the best of the best, to share with you the ultimate list of research plan templates to add to your workflow this year. Want to know what’s even better? You don’t need to get buy-in for an expensive pricing plan—these templates are all free!

One of the first things that comes to mind when you say “research plan template” is user research. For development and project teams, this is one step of the process where strategy and staying organized is essential.

The User Research Plan Template by ClickUp makes it easy for you to achieve that and more. There’s space to share your project overview and research goals, research objectives, hypotheses, and more—plus a bonus Interview Research Debrief doc.

This template acts as a central resource for all the stakeholders. Use it to bring your team together, reaffirm your goals and objectives, and stay on track as you execute your qualitative research project.

Bonus: UX design tools !

Planning your market research is a must-have if you want to get the best possible data. Give your team everything they need in one place and it helps your process run smoothly.

To help keep your team informed and ready to go, we developed the Market Research Template by ClickUp . It’s a Task template that brings you key information, all in one place.

Our Market Research Template features five custom fields—a research presentation link, market research type, report document link, data collection technique, and research stage. Add your clickable links, and use the dropdowns to assign the correct stage or type as you progress.

You can collect user research in so many ways. Questionnaires, user interviews, focus groups, user research sessions, or social media. Another super engaging way to do this is with a whiteboard.

Collaboration and user research feels interactive and fun with the Research Whiteboard Template by ClickUp . Encourage your team to share the insights they’ve collected in this highly visual template, with digital sticky notes instead of empty white boxes.

Use this ClickUp whiteboard template as a more engaging way to view your user research. You can also use this as a tool for internal research projects—invite your stakeholders by link and ask them to comment directly.

If you’re in the business of advising investors on what to do with their money, an equity report is a must-have. Instead of manually writing a new report every time, a research plan template can help you shortcut the process and get straight to the details.

Enter the Equity Research Report Template by ClickUp . It’s designed to help you share what you know in a more strategic way. Share an insight into the company overview, management team, performance, market valuation, and recommendations.

This research plan template has everything you need to present your findings to investors in an organized and effective way. Look like a pro to your investor clients and partners, and store all your data in a meaningful way to reflect on later.

Staying on top of your company’s SEO performance is no easy task. There are so many moving parts, tools, projects, goals, and team members that you need a way to stay organized and productive.

Luckily for you, the SEO Research & Management Template by ClickUp is here to help simplify the process—and make you look good to your boss. This Folder template gives you a dedicated place to work on your SEO goals, with SEO-related custom fields and plenty of custom task types to help your team communicate progress and see roadblocks in your research plan.

Use this template to see at a glance where your SEO projects are, so you can be more proactive about how your team is working. You can also dive in to details and understand time estimates, publish dates, and where your rankings are at.

Check out these AI SEO Tools !

There’s no need to start from scratch every time you’re asked to put a research report together—instead use a template to make all your research questions and study reports as impressive as the last one.

Shortcut your way to success with the Research Report Template by ClickUp . There are sections for your executive summary, introduction, research method and techniques, results & discussion, references, and appendices. Add a report author and contributors, so you can recognize everyone that contributed to the report.

Share your research methods, approach, and findings with stakeholders and clients with this impressive template. It’s a useful foundation to help your team get organized and find a better way to update stakeholders on progress.

The Data Analysis Findings Template by ClickUp helps you present your data to everyone in a more meaningful way. Instead of presenting numbers and graphs, this template can help you go deeper into the problem statement, scope, analysis and research method, findings, and conclusion.

Use this template to help you organize your thoughts and communicate the results of your study in a transparent and easy-to-read way. Explain the context and background information alongside your approach, so your stakeholders can fully understand what the data shows.

A personal SWOT analysis can help you understand your (or your team’s) strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This information can not only help you work better, but it means you can be more intentional about your impact on the wider company.

The Personal SWOT Analysis Template by ClickUp can help you remember to work on your SWOT analysis. Find your strengths, weaknesses or pain points, opportunities, and threats. This Task template features several custom fields designed to help you monitor your progress—including your objective, timeline, and completion rate.

This template can be a helpful reminder to focus on your personal SWOT analysis, so you can be more intentional and aware of how you contribute to your team and company’s goals and objectives. Use your personal SWOT to help you set professional goals for work and make a bigger impact.

Case studies give you a powerful insight into what your brands, clients, or competitors are doing. They’re an in-depth look into a specific area of the business, based on your personal research and findings.

Simplify the process of building your case studies with the Case Study Template by ClickUp . This template gives you a strong foundation for presenting clear, insightful case studies with your team, stakeholders, or clients. Introduce the company, your case study objective, solutions and statistics, and your insights.

Use this template to help you create case studies at scale. Present your data in a clear and concise way, with all the context your team or stakeholders need to extract the most value from the case study as possible.

Often our research helps us understand the market, our competitors, or what our own company is doing. Sometimes, it’s to help us understand incidents and challenges instead.

That’s where the Investigation Report Template by ClickUp comes in. This template is designed to help you report on accidents, complaints, incidents, and violations. Explain the case details including a summary and evidence, then move into cross-examination with space for interview questions and answers, and your conclusion.

This template is a must-have for teams and companies that want to demonstrate how they overcome challenges or handle incidents. It’s great for transparency and trust-building, and serves as a useful way to document a trail of evidence for when you need it.

Now that you have a template for your research plan, let’s dive into the details of how to write one. Follow these steps to create an effective research plan that will guide your research and help you achieve your goals.

Step 1: Identify Your Research Question

The first step in writing a research plan is to clearly define your research question or topic. This will serve as the foundation for all of your research and help guide your methods and analysis. Make sure your question is specific, relevant, and achievable within the scope of your project.

Step 2: Outline Your Objectives

Next, you should outline the specific objectives or goals of your research. These objectives should be aligned with your research question and provide a clear roadmap for your project. Be sure to make them measurable and achievable.

Step 3: Choose Your Research Methods

Based on your research question and objectives, you can now determine the appropriate methods for gathering data and conducting analysis. This may include surveys, experiments, interviews, or literature reviews. It’s important to choose methods that are suitable for your research topic and will provide reliable and accurate results.

Step 4: Create a Timeline

A research plan should include a detailed timeline for each stage of the project. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you have enough time to complete each task. Be realistic with your timeline and build in some buffer time for unexpected delays or challenges.

Step 5: Consider Ethical Implications

When conducting research, it’s important to consider any potential ethical implications. This may include obtaining consent from participants, ensuring privacy and confidentiality, or following ethical guidelines set by your institution or governing body.

Step 6: Anticipate Potential Outcomes

As with any research project, there are always potential outcomes that can arise. These could be both positive and negative, and it’s important to anticipate and plan for them. This will help you be prepared for any potential challenges or changes that may occur during your research.

Step 7: Revise and Refine Your Plan

Once you have completed the previous steps, it’s essential to review and revise your research plan as needed. It’s common for plans to change as the project progresses, so be open to making adjustments and tweaking your methods or timeline as needed.

Stay Organized with the Best Research Plan Templates

Nobody likes a disorganized project—especially a research project. Let your team breathe a sigh of relief and make your stakeholders smile when they realize you’ve got it all under control.

Use these free research plan templates to help you get organized, streamline your workflows, and keep everyone informed. Build a collection of templates that work for your projects, and make them a central part of the way you work as a team. Standardize, simplify, and get productive.

All of these research plan templates are available right now, for free, inside our template library . Get access to these user-friendly templates, 100MB of storage, 1,000+ integrations, and more with ClickUp—free now, and forever!

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

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Driving Discovery: How to Create an Effective Research Plan

September 23, 2023 - 10 min read

When embarking on a research project , having a well-thought-out research plan is crucial to driving discovery and achieving your objectives. In this article, we will explore the importance of a research plan, the key benefits it offers, the essential components of an effective research plan, the steps to create one, and tips for implementing it successfully.

Understanding the Importance of a Research Plan

A research plan serves as a roadmap that guides your investigation and ensures that you stay focused and on track. It outlines the objectives, questions, and methods that will shape your research and enable you to make meaningful discoveries.

Imagine embarking on a research journey without a plan. You would be wandering aimlessly, unsure of where to focus your attention and resources. A research plan acts as a compass, guiding you towards the most promising avenues of exploration. It helps you formulate research questions that are relevant and meaningful, so that your study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in a significant way.

Key Benefits

A well-structured research plan offers several benefits besides guiding your investigation.

• Clarify your research goals and align them with your overarching research objectives. You want your study to remain focused and avoid unnecessary detours.
• Organize your research process, so that you cover all the necessary steps and avoid potential pitfalls. Break down your research into manageable tasks, allowing you to allocate your time and resources effectively. 
• Secure funding and gain the support of stakeholders. When applying for grants or seeking approval for your research project, a comprehensive and compelling research plan can make all the difference. It provides a clear overview of your study's objectives, methods, and expected outcomes, demonstrating the potential impact of your research.

Essential Components 

When creating a research plan, certain components should be included to ensure its effectiveness. These components serve as building blocks that shape the overall structure and content of your plan.

Defining Your Research Objectives

The first step in creating an effective research plan is to clearly define your research objectives. These objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). By setting SMART research objectives, you provide a clear purpose for your investigation and establish criteria by which you can evaluate its success.

Defining research objectives is crucial because it helps researchers stay focused and avoid getting lost in the vast sea of information. It provides a sense of direction and purpose, so that every step taken during the research process contributes to achieving the desired outcomes. Without well-defined objectives, researchers may find themselves overwhelmed and unable to make meaningful progress.

Identifying Your Research Questions

In addition to defining your research objectives, it is crucial to identify the research questions that will guide your investigation. These should be focused and address the specific aspects you aim to explore. By formulating precise research questions, you narrow down your research scope and provide a framework for gathering and analyzing data.

Remember that research questions serve as a compass, guiding researchers through the vast landscape of information. They help researchers stay on track and ensure that their efforts are aligned with the overall objectives of the study. Well-crafted research questions also enable them to delve deeper into specific areas of interest, uncovering valuable insights that contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

Choosing the Right Research Methodology

The selection of an appropriate research methodology is another vital component of an effective research plan. The methodology you choose should be aligned with your research objectives and questions, enabling you to gather and analyze data effectively. Whether quantitative or qualitative, your chosen methodology should provide reliable and valid results that contribute to driving your research forward.

Choosing the right research methodology is like selecting the right tools for a construction project. Each methodology has its strengths and limitations, and understanding these nuances is crucial for conducting a successful study. The decision that researchers make will impact the data collection techniques, analysis methods, and overall validity of the study.

Steps to Create a Comprehensive Research Plan

Now that we understand the essential components of a research plan, let's dive into the steps to create a comprehensive one.

Setting Your Research Goals

The first step in creating a research plan is to set clear and concise research goals. These goals serve as the guiding principles of the research and provide a framework for the investigation. When setting research goals, align them with the research objectives, so that the plan remains focused and purposeful. 

Don't forget that research goals can vary depending on the nature of the study. They can be broad, encompassing the overall aims of the research, or specific, focusing on particular aspects or variables. Regardless of their scope, research goals play a vital role in shaping the research plan and determining the path to be followed.

Conducting a Literature Review

A comprehensive literature review is crucial for building a solid foundation for your research plan. During this process, researchers explore various sources such as academic journals, books, conference proceedings, and online databases to gather relevant information. They critically analyze and synthesize the findings from previous studies, to identify gaps, inconsistencies, and areas that require further investigation. This process helps researchers refine their research questions, develop hypotheses, and select appropriate research methods.

Moreover, a literature review allows researchers to identify key theories, concepts, and methodologies that are relevant to their research. It helps them establish the theoretical framework for their study, providing a solid basis for data collection and analysis. By conducting a thorough literature review, researchers guarantee that their research plan is grounded in existing knowledge and contributes meaningfully to the field.

Designing Your Research Strategy

Once you have set your research goals and conducted a thorough literature review, it's time to design your research strategy. This step involves making important decisions regarding research questions, research methods, and data collection and analysis procedures.

• Carefully consider various factors, such as the research goals, the nature of the research problem, the available resources, and ethical considerations. Determine the most appropriate research questions that align with the research goals and can be effectively addressed through the chosen research methods.
• Select the most suitable research methods to collect and analyze data. This can involve qualitative methods such as interviews, observations, or focus groups, or quantitative methods such as surveys or experiments. The choice of research methods depends on the research objectives, the nature of the research problem, and the available resources.
• Outline the data collection and analysis procedures. This means determining the sample size, developing data collection instruments, and devising data analysis techniques. A well-designed research strategy ensures that researchers gather the necessary data to address their research questions effectively and draw meaningful conclusions.

Tips for Implementing Your Research Plan

Creating a research plan is just the first step; successful implementation is equally important. Here are some tips to help you implement your research plan effectively.

Ensuring Flexibility 

While a research plan provides a structured roadmap, it is essential to remain flexible throughout the research process. Unexpected challenges and discoveries may require adjustments to your plan. By maintaining flexibility, you can adapt to changing circumstances and make the most of unforeseen opportunities.

Imagine you are conducting a research study on the impact of climate change on coral reefs. Your initial plan may involve collecting data from a specific location over a six-month period. However, during the course of your research, you may discover a new coral species that is particularly vulnerable to climate change. In such a scenario, being flexible allows you to modify your research plan to include a more in-depth investigation of this new species, potentially leading to groundbreaking findings.

Tracking Your Research Progress

Regularly tracking your research progress is crucial to ensuring that you stay on schedule and achieve your research objectives. Establish milestones and set aside dedicated time for progress evaluation. This will help you identify any deviations from the plan and take corrective measures promptly.

Suppose you are conducting a longitudinal study on the effects of a new teaching method on student performance. By tracking your research progress, you can analyze the data collected at various intervals and assess whether the teaching method is consistently improving student outcomes. If you notice any inconsistencies or unexpected trends, you can adjust your research plan accordingly, such as modifying the teaching method or expanding the sample size.

Evaluating and Refining Your Research Plan

Periodically evaluating and refining your research plan is vital for its effectiveness. Reflect on the progress of your research and assess whether your objectives and questions are still relevant. Take feedback from colleagues and stakeholders into account and make necessary adjustments to improve your research plan.

Let's say you are conducting a survey-based research study on consumer preferences for sustainable packaging. After analyzing the initial survey responses, you may realize that the questions you asked did not capture all the relevant factors influencing consumer choices. By evaluating and refining your research plan, you can modify the survey questions to include additional variables, such as price sensitivity or brand perception, thus enhancing the validity and comprehensiveness of your study.

Drive Your Discovery with Wrike

Creating an effective research plan to drive discovery is like having a detailed itinerary for an exploration journey. It guides your research efforts and ensures that you uncover valuable insights. However, managing these research plans across multiple projects can be challenging.

This is where Wrike steps in. Within Wrike, you can easily create folders for each project or research plan. These folders can serve as a place where you can store research methods, data collection plans, and even your research findings. This structured approach brings direction and discovery to your research, much like a detailed itinerary guides an exploration journey.

And when it comes to the other documents and workflows your business needs — whether it's data analysis or report writing — Wrike has you covered with robust project management features and ready-to-use templates. Ready to drive your discovery process? Start your free trial of Wrike today.

Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Occasionally we write blog posts where multiple people contribute. Since our idea of having a gladiator arena where contributors would fight to the death to win total authorship wasn’t approved by HR, this was the compromise.

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In the world of manufacturing and production, efficiency is a key factor in achieving success. One essential aspect of efficient production is effective scheduling. By mastering production scheduling, businesses can streamline their operations, optimize resources, and meet customer demands in a timely manner. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the basics of production scheduling, the key elements involved, and the steps to master this vital process. Additionally, we will discuss the role of technology, specifically production scheduling software, in enhancing efficiency and maximizing productivity.  Understanding the Basics of Production Scheduling Production scheduling is the process of creating a detailed plan that determines the sequence and timing of tasks, resources, and materials required to fulfill production orders. It takes into account factors such as demand forecasts, resource availability, and time constraints. Importance of Efficient Production Scheduling Efficient production scheduling is vital for several reasons. Makes sure that customer orders are fulfilled in a timely manner, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. When production is well-scheduled, products are delivered on time, meeting customer expectations and building a positive reputation for the business. Enables businesses to make the most of their available resources, preventing over or underutilization. By carefully planning and optimizing the use of manpower, equipment, and materials, companies can maximize their productivity and minimize waste.  Minimizes production costs, optimizes inventory levels, and reduces lead times, resulting in improved profitability and competitiveness. By avoiding excessive inventory, companies can minimize storage costs and reduce the risk of obsolete or expired products. Moreover, shorter lead times enable businesses to respond quickly to changing market demands, gaining a competitive edge over their rivals.  Key Elements of Production Scheduling To effectively master production scheduling, several key elements must be taken into account. Let's explore these essential components: Demand Forecasting Accurate demand forecasting is crucial for production scheduling. By analyzing historical sales data, market trends, and customer feedback, businesses can estimate future demand levels. This information forms the basis for developing a production schedule that meets anticipated demand while avoiding overproduction or stockouts. For example, a clothing manufacturer may use data from previous years to predict the demand for different types of garments during different seasons. By considering factors such as changing fashion trends, consumer preferences, and economic conditions, they can make informed decisions about how much of each item to produce and when. Additionally, advancements in technology have made demand forecasting more accurate and efficient. Companies can now leverage sophisticated algorithms and machine learning techniques to analyze large volumes of data and identify patterns and trends. This enables them to make more precise predictions and adjust their production schedules accordingly. Resource Allocation Resource allocation involves assigning the necessary resources, such as labor, machinery, and raw materials, to each production task. This ensures that the right resources are available at the right time, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity. When allocating resources, companies must consider various factors, such as the availability and skill level of their workforce, the capacity of their machinery, and the availability of raw materials. They must also take into account any potential bottlenecks or constraints that may impact the production process. For instance, a car manufacturer may need to allocate specific workers with specialized skills to perform certain tasks, such as welding or painting. They must also confirm that the necessary machinery and equipment are in good working condition and properly maintained to avoid any disruptions in the production schedule. Time Management Efficient time management plays a vital role in production scheduling. Time estimates for each task are essential for creating a realistic and achievable schedule. This includes considering factors such as setup time, processing time, and lead times for procuring materials. To effectively manage time, companies often use various techniques and tools. They may employ project management methodologies, such as the Critical Path Method (CPM) or the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT), to analyze the sequence of tasks and identify the critical path that determines the project's overall duration. What's more, companies can leverage technology to streamline time management in production scheduling. They may use software systems that automate the scheduling process, allowing for real-time updates and adjustments. These systems can also provide visibility into the progress of each task, enabling managers to identify any potential delays or bottlenecks and take corrective actions. Steps to Master Production Scheduling Mastering production scheduling requires a systematic approach and adherence to certain steps. Let's explore each of these steps: Identifying the Production Needs The first step in production scheduling is to identify the production needs. This involves reviewing customer orders, sales forecasts, and inventory levels to determine the required production output. Remember to consider factors such as market demand, customer preferences, and production capacity. Additionally, involve key stakeholders such as sales teams, production managers, and supply chain experts in the process. This collaborative approach helps in gathering valuable insights and aligning production schedules with overall business objectives. Prioritizing Tasks Once the production needs are identified, it is essential to prioritize tasks based on various factors such as customer deadlines, order importance, and resource availability. This way, critical tasks will be completed on time and with the necessary resources. Prioritization plays a vital role in production scheduling as it helps in allocating resources effectively. By giving priority to high-value orders or time-sensitive projects, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction and maintain a competitive edge in the market. Moreover, effective task prioritization requires a deep understanding of the production process, resource capabilities, and potential bottlenecks. By considering these factors, businesses can make informed decisions and optimize their production schedules. Scheduling Resources After prioritizing tasks, the next step is to schedule the required resources. This includes assigning manpower, equipment, and materials to each task in a way that optimizes their utilization and minimizes idle time. Resource scheduling involves careful consideration of factors such as skill sets, availability, and capacity. By matching the right resources to each task, businesses can ensure efficient production processes and minimize the risk of delays or inefficiencies. In addition to human resources, technology also plays a crucial role in resource scheduling. Advanced production planning software and automation tools can help in optimizing resource allocation, reducing manual errors, and improving overall productivity. Monitoring and Adjusting the Schedule Production scheduling is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustment. It is crucial to regularly review the schedule, track progress, and make necessary adjustments to accommodate unforeseen events or changes in demand. Monitoring the production schedule involves tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as production output, cycle time, and resource utilization. By analyzing these KPIs, businesses can identify areas for improvement, address bottlenecks, and optimize their production schedules. Additionally, flexibility is essential in production scheduling. Businesses should be prepared to adapt their schedules based on market dynamics, customer demands, or unexpected disruptions. This adaptability allows businesses to maintain operational efficiency and meet customer expectations even in challenging circumstances. Implementing Technology in Production Scheduling Advancements in technology have revolutionized production scheduling. The introduction of production scheduling software has simplified and enhanced the efficiency of this critical process. Role of Production Scheduling Software Production scheduling software provides businesses with comprehensive tools and features to streamline and automate the scheduling process. It enables real-time visibility into production activities, resource availability, and order status, allowing for better decision-making and effective coordination. With production scheduling software, businesses can easily create and manage production schedules, assign tasks to specific resources, and track progress in real-time. The software also provides notifications and alerts so that production activities are completed on time and according to plan. This level of visibility and control helps businesses optimize their resources, reduce downtime, and improve overall productivity. Benefits of Automated Scheduling Automated scheduling offers numerous benefits, including increased accuracy, reduced manual errors, and improved overall efficiency. It eliminates the need for manual calculations, reduces scheduling conflicts, and enables quick adjustments to accommodate changing priorities or production requirements. Overall, mastering production scheduling is a crucial aspect of running an efficient and successful manufacturing operation. Understanding the basics of production scheduling, incorporating key elements, and following a structured approach can help businesses optimize resources, meet customer demands, and achieve higher levels of productivity. By embracing technology, such as production scheduling software, businesses can further enhance efficiency and stay ahead in today's competitive marketplace. Master the art of production scheduling with Wrike's advanced scheduling tools. Sign up for a free trial today, enhance efficiency, optimize resource utilization, and maximize output. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Key Sales Pipeline Metrics to Monitor for Business Success

Every business should strive to have a clear understanding of their sales pipeline metrics. These metrics provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the sales process, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and drive business success. By monitoring key sales pipeline metrics, you can make data-driven decisions that ultimately lead to increased revenue and sustainable growth. Understanding the Importance of Sales Pipeline Metrics Sales pipeline metrics are quantitative measurements that track your sales activities and their corresponding outcomes. They provide a snapshot of your sales process, from lead generation to closing deals. These metrics can be categorized into various stages of the sales process, which include lead generation, sales activity, sales conversion, and revenue. Why Monitor Sales Pipeline Metrics? Monitoring sales pipeline metrics provides numerous benefits to your business: Identify Bottlenecks and Inefficiencies: Pinpoint areas where deals often get stuck or take longer to close. This allows you to address these bottlenecks and optimize your sales process. Forecasting Accuracy: Predict future sales with greater precision and plan your resources accordingly. Spotting Trends and Patterns: Identify trends and patterns in your sales process to adapt your strategies, replicate successful approaches, and avoid repeating ineffective practices. Align Sales and Marketing Efforts: Line up your sales and marketing efforts by flagging which marketing initiatives generate the highest-quality leads and result in the most closed deals. Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement within your sales organization and motivate your sales team to do better every day. Now, let's delve deeper into each category of sales pipeline metrics to gain a more comprehensive understanding. Lead Generation Metrics Lead generation metrics provide insights into the effectiveness of your lead generation efforts. These metrics help you evaluate the quantity and quality of leads entering your pipeline, enabling you to assess the success of your marketing campaigns and lead nurturing strategies. Here are a few of them: Number of leads generated: Gauges the total number of leads generated within a specific time period. It helps you measure the effectiveness of your marketing initiatives and identify potential areas for improvement. Lead conversion rate: Measures the percentage of leads that convert into opportunities or move to the next stage of the sales process. It refers to the quality of your leads and the effectiveness of your lead nurturing efforts. Cost per lead: Calculates the average cost incurred to generate a single lead. It helps you evaluate the efficiency of your lead generation strategies and allocate resources effectively. Sales Activity Metrics Sales activity metrics focus on measuring the activities carried out by your sales team. These metrics provide insights into the productivity and effectiveness of your sales representatives, helping you identify areas for improvement and optimize their performance. Here are several of them: Number of calls made: Tracks the total number of calls made by your sales team. It assists you in assessing their level of activity and the effort put into prospecting and engaging with potential customers. Number of meetings scheduled: Measures the total number of meetings scheduled with prospects or existing customers. It indicates the level of engagement and the effectiveness of your sales team in moving leads through the pipeline. Number of presentations delivered: Calculates the total number of presentations delivered by your sales representatives. It aids you in evaluating their ability to effectively communicate your product or service value proposition. Sales Conversion Metrics Sales conversion metrics assess how well your leads progress through each stage of the sales process and ultimately convert into closed deals. These metrics provide insights into the effectiveness of your sales strategies, allowing you to identify areas for improvement and optimize your conversion rates. Here are some examples: Opportunity-to-win ratio: Measures the percentage of opportunities that convert into closed deals. It helps you evaluate the efficiency of your sales process and the ability of your sales team to successfully close deals. Time to close: Calculates the average time it takes for a lead to progress through the sales pipeline and convert into a closed deal. It assists you in flagging bottlenecks and optimizing your sales process to reduce the time-to-close. Win rate: Records the percentage of opportunities that result in closed deals. It aids you in assessing the effectiveness of your sales strategies and the ability of your sales team to win deals. Revenue Metrics Revenue metrics track the financial impact of your sales efforts. These metrics provide insights into the overall performance and profitability of your sales organization, helping you make data-driven decisions to maximize revenue. Here are a few key ones: Deal size: Measures the average value of closed deals. It helps you understand the revenue potential of each deal and optimize your pricing strategies. Average revenue per customer: Calculates the average revenue generated per customer. It lets you assess the profitability of your customer base and identify opportunities for upselling or cross-selling. Overall revenue generated: Tracks the total revenue generated by your sales team within a specific time period. It provides an overview of your sales performance so that you can evaluate the effectiveness of your sales strategies. Essential Sales Pipeline Metrics for Business Success Now that we understand the importance of sales pipeline metrics, let's explore some key metrics you should definitely monitor for business success: Lead Quantity and Quality The quantity of leads entering your pipeline is essential, but quality is equally important. Track the number of leads generated from various sources and assess their conversion rates. Identify patterns and characteristics that are common among your most valuable customers, as these can be useful in current and future marketing efforts. For example, you may find that leads generated from social media campaigns have a higher conversion rate compared to leads from email marketing. This insight allows you to invest more resources in social media campaigns and refine your email marketing strategy to improve its effectiveness. Sales Cycle Length The length of your sales cycle directly affects your revenue and cash flow. Measure the time it takes for a lead to move through each stage of the pipeline and convert into a paying customer. Identify areas where deals get delayed or stalled and take proactive measures to streamline the process. Remember to study the sales cycle length to predict revenue and manage your cash flow more effectively.  For instance, you may find that leads spend a significant amount of time in the negotiation stage, causing delays in closing deals. This insight prompts you to implement strategies to accelerate the negotiation process, such as providing clearer pricing options or offering additional incentives. Conversion Rates Conversion rates provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your sales efforts. Monitor the percentage of leads that successfully convert into customers at each stage of the pipeline. Track conversion rates to evaluate your sales team's performance. For example, you may notice that a significant number of leads drop off during the product demonstration stage. This observation prompts you to analyze the effectiveness of your demonstrations and make improvements, such as enhancing the presentation or addressing common objections more effectively. Deal Size and Revenue Monitor the average deal size and overall revenue generated from your sales efforts. Identify which types of deals have the greatest impact on your bottom line and focus your resources accordingly. Analyze the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing and sales activities. If you find that a particular marketing campaign consistently generates a high revenue, you can allocate more resources to scale that campaign and maximize its impact. For example, you may find that deals with larger companies tend to have a higher average deal size. Armed with this information, you can allocate more resources to target larger companies and tailor your sales approach to meet their specific needs. Tools and Techniques for Monitoring Sales Pipeline Metrics Now that you understand the essential metrics to monitor, let's explore some tools and techniques that can help you effectively track and analyze your sales pipeline: CRM Systems  A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a powerful tool that enables you to manage and track your sales pipeline metrics. CRM systems allow you to capture and analyze data related to leads, opportunities, and deals. They provide insights into each stage of the sales process and help you identify areas for improvement. By leveraging CRM systems, you can automate your sales workflow, streamline communication, and gain a holistic view of your sales pipeline. These systems provide real-time visibility into your sales performance, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and drive business success. Data Visualization Data visualization tools can help you transform complex data into intuitive visuals. By creating charts, graphs, and dashboards, you can easily interpret and communicate your sales pipeline metrics to stakeholders. Data visualization enables you to spot trends, identify patterns, and make informed decisions quickly and effectively. Regular Sales Pipeline Audits Conducting regular sales pipeline audits is crucial for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of your pipeline metrics. By thoroughly reviewing your pipeline, you can identify discrepancies, outdated information, and potential areas for improvement. Regular audits help verify that the data on which you base your decisions is reliable and up to date. How to Improve Your Sales Pipeline Metrics Monitoring your sales pipeline metrics is only the first step. To drive business success, you must continually improve these metrics and optimize your sales process. Here are some strategies to enhance your sales pipeline metrics: Enhancing Lead Generation Strategies Focusing on high-quality leads can significantly impact your sales pipeline metrics. Continuously review and refine your lead generation strategies to attract leads that are more likely to convert into customers. Consider leveraging data-driven marketing tactics, conducting thorough market research, and optimizing your website for lead generation. Streamlining the Sales Process Identify areas in your sales process that can be streamlined. Look for tasks that can be automated or eliminated to reduce the time it takes for leads to move through the pipeline. By removing unnecessary steps and improving efficiency, you can accelerate your sales cycle and increase conversion rates. Training and Development for Sales Teams Invest in training and development programs for your sales team to enhance their skills and knowledge. Provide them with the tools and resources they need to effectively engage with leads and close deals. By continually developing your sales team's capabilities, you can improve their performance and drive better sales pipeline metrics. Overall, monitoring key sales pipeline metrics is vital for your business's success. By understanding the importance of these metrics, utilizing the right tools and techniques, and implementing strategies to improve them, you can optimize your sales process, increase revenue, and achieve sustainable growth. Monitor key sales pipeline metrics using Wrike’s advanced analytical tools. Register for a free trial today and align your sales strategies with solid data for guaranteed business success. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Catalyzing Business Growth: Strategies for Expansion

Expanding a business is an exciting and challenging endeavor. It requires careful planning, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the market. In this article, we will explore the key strategies for business expansion and how to catalyze growth effectively. Whether you are a small startup or an established company, these strategies will provide valuable insights into achieving your growth goals. Understanding Business Expansion Business expansion offers numerous benefits, such as increased market share, higher revenues, and improved brand recognition. It allows businesses to tap into new markets, gain a competitive edge, and attract a larger customer base. However, expanding without a well-thought-out plan can be risky and may lead to financial instability. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider all aspects of expansion before embarking on this journey. The Importance of Business Growth Vital for long-term success and sustainability: Stay ahead of the competition, adapt to changing market trends, and take advantage of new opportunities. Attract potential investors and strategic partnerships.  Improves company culture: Boost employee morale and provide career advancement opportunities. Platform for innovation and creativity: With a larger customer base, you have the opportunity to gather valuable feedback and insights, enabling you to refine your products or services and meet the evolving needs of your target audience. Access to new markets and geographical locations: Diversify your customer base and reduce dependency on a single market. Establish a global presence and build a strong network of partners and suppliers, facilitating further growth and expansion. Key Factors in Business Expansion Several key factors play a crucial role in successful business expansion: Market Demand: Before expanding, assess the market demand for your products or services. Conduct market research and analyze customer preferences and buying patterns to confirm that there is a sustainable demand in the new market. Identify potential gaps in the market that your business can fill, offering unique value propositions to attract customers. Competitive Analysis: Understand the competitive landscape in the target market. Identify key competitors and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. This analysis will help you position your organization and differentiate it from the competition. Develop a compelling value proposition that highlights your unique selling points and conveys why customers should choose your business over others. Operational Capacity: Evaluate your operational capacity to handle expansion. Verify that you have the necessary infrastructure, resources, and systems in place to meet the increased demand without compromising product quality or customer service. Consider factors such as production capacity, supply chain management, and distribution channels. Implement scalable processes and invest in technology that can support your growth objectives. Financial Planning: Expansion requires significant financial resources. Develop a comprehensive financial plan that includes projected revenues, expenses, and cash flow forecasts. Assess your funding options, such as internal sources (retained earnings) or external sources (loans, investments). Consider the potential risks and uncertainties associated with expansion and have contingency plans in place to mitigate them. Talent Acquisition and Development: Expanding your business may require additional workforce. Evaluate your current talent pool and identify any skill gaps that need to be filled. Develop a recruitment strategy to attract and hire qualified individuals who align with your company's values and objectives. Additionally, invest in training and development programs to upskill existing employees and ensure they are equipped to handle new responsibilities and challenges. Formulating a Strategic Plan for Growth Expanding a business requires careful planning and consideration of various factors. In order to oversee a smooth and successful expansion, it is important to set clear business objectives and conduct a thorough analysis of the internal and external environment. Setting Clear Business Objectives Clearly define your business objectives for expansion. Are you aiming to penetrate a new market, launch new products, or expand geographically? Remember to consider the current market conditions, customer demands, and competitive landscape. Conducting a SWOT Analysis Identify internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. This analysis will help you capitalize on your strengths, address weaknesses, seize opportunities, and mitigate potential risks. Remember to involve key stakeholders from different departments within your organization, for a holistic view of your business and access to diverse perspectives.  During the analysis, consider your company's strengths, such as a strong brand reputation, talented workforce, or innovative products. These strengths can be leveraged to gain a competitive advantage in the new market or industry segment you are targeting. Identifying weaknesses is equally important, as it allows you to address any internal limitations that may hinder your expansion efforts. This could include areas such as outdated technology, lack of skilled personnel, or inefficient processes.  Opportunities and threats in the external environment should also be carefully evaluated. This could include emerging market trends, changes in consumer behavior, or new technological advancements. Similarly, by recognizing potential threats, such as increased competition or economic downturns, you can develop strategies to mitigate their impact. Financial Considerations for Business Expansion Expanding a business requires sound financial planning to guarantee long-term viability and success. Consider the following financial aspects when formulating your expansion strategy: Budgeting for Growth Develop a detailed budget that accounts for all expansion-related expenses, such as marketing campaigns, additional staff recruitment and training, infrastructure investments, and increased operational costs. Verify that your projected revenue growth aligns with your planned expenses. When creating your budget, consider both short-term and long-term financial goals. Short-term goals may include immediate expenses related to the expansion, while long-term goals may involve planning for future growth and sustainability. Additionally, factor in potential risks and uncertainties that may impact your financial projections. Conducting a thorough risk assessment can help you identify and mitigate potential financial challenges, so that your budget remains realistic and achievable. Exploring Financing Options Consider various financing options to fund your expansion. These may include bank loans, venture capital, crowdfunding, or seeking partnerships with strategic investors. Carefully evaluate the pros and cons of each option to determine the most suitable financing strategy for your business. When exploring financing options, assess your business's current financial health and creditworthiness. Lenders and investors will evaluate your financial statements, credit history, and cash flow to determine the level of risk associated with providing funds. Furthermore, seek professional advice from financial experts, such as accountants or financial advisors, who can guide you through the process and help you make informed decisions. They can assist in analyzing the financial implications of different financing options and provide recommendations based on your specific business needs. Remember that securing financing for expansion is not just about obtaining the necessary funds; it also involves understanding the terms and conditions associated with each financing option. Consider factors such as interest rates, repayment terms, collateral requirements, and potential impact on your business's ownership and control. Lastly, maintaining open communication with potential lenders or investors is crucial. Clearly articulate your expansion plans, demonstrate your business's growth potential, and provide a comprehensive financial proposal that highlights the expected return on investment. Building trust and credibility with financial stakeholders can increase your chances of securing the necessary funds for your business expansion. Human Resources and Business Growth Efficiently managing human resources is crucial during business expansion, as shown by the factors below. Staffing for Expansion Assessing the current workforce is not only about identifying the need for additional staff members, but also about evaluating the existing employees' potential for growth and development. By recognizing the talent within the organization, businesses can provide opportunities for internal promotions and career advancement. This not only motivates employees but also fosters loyalty and commitment to the company. When hiring new employees, take into account diversity and inclusion. By creating a diverse workforce, businesses can benefit from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and ideas. This can lead to increased innovation, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities, which are essential for business growth. Training and Development for Growth Investing in training and development programs is crucial to making sure that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to support the expanded operations. By providing continuous learning opportunities, businesses can enhance the capabilities of their workforce, leading to higher productivity and better customer service. Training programs can include a variety of methods, such as workshops, seminars, online courses, and on-the-job training. These initiatives can focus on developing technical skills, leadership abilities, communication skills, and other competencies that are essential for business growth. Moreover, businesses can also consider partnering with external training providers or educational institutions to offer specialized programs tailored to their specific industry or market. By providing employees with access to industry-leading training, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and see to it that their workforce remains up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices. Marketing Strategies for Business Expansion Effective marketing strategies are essential for creating brand awareness and driving customer acquisition during business expansion. Branding and Expansion Review and refine your brand strategy to align with the expanded market and target audience. Confirm that your brand positioning, messaging, and visual identity convey the unique value proposition of your business in a way that resonates with the new market. Digital Marketing for Growth Leverage the power of digital marketing channels to reach your target audience and generate leads. Invest in search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content marketing, and targeted online advertising to expand your reach and drive traffic to your website or physical location. Catalyze Your Business Growth with Wrike Business growth requires effective strategies and the right tools. With Wrike, you can easily manage your growth strategies. Wrike allows you to create individual folders for each growth initiative, serving as a central hub for all relevant information and updates, fostering effective growth management. Beyond just growth management, Wrike offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline your workflows, foster collaboration, and drive productivity. From real-time communication to intuitive task management features, Wrike provides everything you need to catalyze your business growth and drive expansion. Ready to catalyze your business growth and drive expansion? There's no better time to start than now. Get started with Wrike for free today. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

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Writing the Research Plan for Your Academic Job Application

By Jason G. Gillmore, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Hope College, Holland, MI

A research plan is more than a to-do list for this week in lab, or a manila folder full of ideas for maybe someday—at least if you are thinking of a tenure-track academic career in chemistry at virtually any bachelor’s or higher degree–granting institution in the country. A perusal of the academic job ads in C&EN every August–October will quickly reveal that most schools expect a cover letter (whether they say so or not), a CV, a teaching statement, and a research plan, along with reference letters and transcripts. So what is this document supposed to be, and why worry about it now when those job ads are still months away?

What Is a Research Plan?

A research plan is a thoughtful, compelling, well-written document that outlines your exciting, unique research ideas that you and your students will pursue over the next half decade or so to advance knowledge in your discipline and earn you grants, papers, speaking invitations, tenure, promotion, and a national reputation. It must be a document that people at the department you hope to join will (a) read, and (b) be suitably excited about to invite you for an interview.

That much I knew when I was asked to write this article. More specifics I only really knew for my own institution, Hope College (a research intensive undergraduate liberal arts college with no graduate program), and even there you might get a dozen nuanced opinions among my dozen colleagues. So I polled a broad cross-section of my network, spanning chemical subdisciplines at institutions ranging from small, teaching-centered liberal arts colleges to our nation’s elite research programs, such as Scripps and MIT. The responses certainly varied, but they did center on a few main themes, or illustrate a trend across institution types. In this article I’ll share those commonalities, while also encouraging you to be unafraid to contact a search committee chair with a few specific questions, especially for the institutions you are particularly excited about and feel might be the best fit for you.

How Many Projects Should You Have?

While more senior advisors and members of search committees may have gotten their jobs with a single research project, conventional wisdom these days is that you need two to three distinct but related projects. How closely related to one another they should be is a matter of debate, but almost everyone I asked felt that there should be some unifying technique, problem or theme to them. However, the projects should be sufficiently disparate that a failure of one key idea, strategy, or technique will not hamstring your other projects.

For this reason, many applicants wisely choose to identify:

• One project that is a safe bet—doable, fundable, publishable, good but not earthshaking science.
• A second project that is pie-in-the-sky with high risks and rewards.
• A third project that fits somewhere in the middle.

Having more than three projects is probably unrealistic. But even the safest project must be worth doing, and even the riskiest must appear to have a reasonable chance of working.

How Closely Connected Should Your Research Be with Your Past?

Your proposed research must do more than extend what you have already done. In most subdisciplines, you must be sufficiently removed from your postdoctoral or graduate work that you will not be lambasted for clinging to an advisor’s apron strings. After all, if it is such a good idea in their immediate area of interest, why aren’t they pursuing it?!?

But you also must be able to make the case for why your training makes this a good problem for you to study—how you bring a unique skill set as well as unique ideas to this research. The five years you will have to do, fund, and publish the research before crafting your tenure package will go by too fast for you to break into something entirely outside your realm of expertise.

Biochemistry is a partial exception to this advice—in this subdiscipline it is quite common to bring a project with you from a postdoc (or more rarely your Ph.D.) to start your independent career. However, you should still articulate your original contribution to, and unique angle on the work. It is also wise to be sure your advisor tells that same story in his or her letter and articulates support of your pursuing this research in your career as a genuinely independent scientist (and not merely someone who could be perceived as his or her latest "flunky" of a collaborator.)

Should You Discuss Potential Collaborators?

Regarding collaboration, tread lightly as a young scientist seeking or starting an independent career. Being someone with whom others can collaborate in the future is great. Relying on collaborators for the success of your projects is unwise. Be cautious about proposing to continue collaborations you already have (especially with past advisors) and about starting new ones where you might not be perceived as the lead PI. Also beware of presuming you can help advance the research of someone already in a department. Are they still there? Are they still doing that research? Do they actually want that help—or will they feel like you are criticizing or condescending to them, trying to scoop them, or seeking to ride their coattails? Some places will view collaboration very favorably, but the safest route is to cautiously float such ideas during interviews while presenting research plans that are exciting and achievable on your own.

How Do You Show Your Fit?

Some faculty advise tailoring every application packet document to every institution to which you apply, while others suggest tweaking only the cover letter. Certainly the cover letter is the document most suited to introducing yourself and making the case for how you are the perfect fit for the advertised position at that institution. So save your greatest degree of tailoring for your cover letter. It is nice if you can tweak a few sentences of other documents to highlight your fit to a specific school, so long as it is not contrived.

Now, if you are applying to widely different types of institutions, a few different sets of documents will certainly be necessary. The research plan that you target in the middle to get you a job at both Harvard University and Hope College will not get you an interview at either! There are different realities of resources, scope, scale, and timeline. Not that my colleagues and I at Hope cannot tackle research that is just as exciting as Harvard’s. However, we need to have enough of a niche or a unique angle both to endure the longer timeframe necessitated by smaller groups of undergraduate researchers and to ensure that we still stand out. Furthermore, we generally need to be able to do it with more limited resources. If you do not demonstrate that understanding, you will be dismissed out of hand. But at many large Ph.D. programs, any consideration of "niche" can be inferred as a lack of confidence or ambition.

Also, be aware that department Web pages (especially those several pages deep in the site, or maintained by individual faculty) can be woefully out-of-date. If something you are planning to say is contingent on something you read on their Web site, find a way to confirm it!

While the research plan is not the place to articulate start-up needs, you should consider instrumentation and other resources that will be necessary to get started, and where you will go for funding or resources down the road. This will come up in interviews, and hopefully you will eventually need these details to negotiate a start-up package.

Who Is Your Audience?

Your research plan should show the big picture clearly and excite a broad audience of chemists across your sub-discipline. At many educational institutions, everyone in the department will read the proposal critically, at least if you make the short list to interview. Even at departments that leave it all to a committee of the subdiscipline, subdisciplines can be broad and might even still have an outside member on the committee. And the committee needs to justify their actions to the department at large, as well as to deans, provosts, and others. So having at least the introduction and executive summaries of your projects comprehensible and compelling to those outside your discipline is highly advantageous.

Good science, written well, makes a good research plan. As you craft and refine your research plan, keep the following strategies, as well as your audience in mind:

• Begin the document with an abstract or executive summary that engages a broad audience and shows synergies among your projects. This should be one page or less, and you should probably write it last. This page is something you could manageably consider tailoring to each institution.
• Provide sufficient details and references to convince the experts you know your stuff and actually have a plan for what your group will be doing in the lab. Give details of first and key experiments, and backup plans or fallback positions for their riskiest aspects.
• Hook your readers with your own ideas fairly early in the document, then strike a balance between your own new ideas and the necessary well referenced background, precedents, and justification throughout. Propose a reasonable tentative timeline, if you can do so in no more than a paragraph or two, which shows how you envision spacing out the experiments within and among your projects. This may fit well into your executive summary
• Show how you will involve students (whether undergraduates, graduate students, an eventual postdoc or two, possibly even high schoolers if the school has that sort of outreach, depending on the institutions to which you are applying) and divide the projects among students.
• Highlight how your work will contribute to the education of these students. While this is especially important at schools with greater teaching missions, it can help set you apart even at research intensive institutions. After all, we all have to demonstrate “broader impacts” to our funding agencies!
• Include where you will pursue funding, as well as publication, if you can smoothly work it in. This is especially true if there is doubt about how you plan to target or "market" your research. Otherwise, it is appropriate to hold off until the interview to discuss this strategy.

So, How Long Should Your Research Plan Be?

Learn more on the Blog

Here is where the answers diverged the most and without a unifying trend across institutions. Bottom line, you need space to make your case, but even more, you need people to read what you write.

A single page abstract or executive summary of all your projects together provides you an opportunity to make the case for unifying themes yet distinct projects. It may also provide space to articulate a timeline. Indeed, many readers will only read this single page in each application, at least until winnowing down to a more manageable list of potential candidates. At the most elite institutions, there may be literally hundreds of applicants, scores of them entirely well-suited to the job.

While three to five pages per proposal was a common response (single spaced, in 11-point Arial or 12-point Times with one inch margins), including references (which should be accurate, appropriate, and current!), some of my busiest colleagues have said they will not read more than about three pages total. Only a few actually indicated they would read up to 12-15 pages for three projects. In my opinion, ten pages total for your research plans should be a fairly firm upper limit unless you are specifically told otherwise by a search committee, and then only if you have two to three distinct proposals.

Why Start Now?

Hopefully, this question has answered itself already! Your research plan needs to be a well thought out document that is an integrated part of applications tailored to each institution to which you apply. It must represent mature ideas that you have had time to refine through multiple revisions and a great deal of critical review from everyone you can get to read them. Moreover, you may need a few different sets of these, especially if you will be applying to a broad range of institutions. So add “write research plans” to this week’s to do list (and every week’s for the next few months) and start writing up the ideas in that manila folder into some genuine research plans. See which ones survive the process and rise to the top and you should be well prepared when the job ads begin to appear in C&EN in August!

Jason G. Gillmore , Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at Hope College in Holland, MI. A native of New Jersey, he earned his B.S. (’96) and M.S. (’98) degrees in chemistry from Virginia Tech, and his Ph.D. (’03) in organic chemistry from the University of Rochester. After a short postdoctoral traineeship at Vanderbilt University, he joined the faculty at Hope in 2004. He has received the Dreyfus Start-up Award, Research Corporation Cottrell College Science Award, and NSF CAREER Award, and is currently on sabbatical as a Visiting Research Professor at Arizona State University. Professor Gillmore is the organizer of the Biennial Midwest Postdoc to PUI Professor (P3) Workshop co-sponsored by ACS, and a frequent panelist at the annual ACS Postdoc to Faculty (P2F) Workshops.

Other tips to help engage (or at least not turn off) your readers include:

• Avoid two-column formats.
• Avoid too-small fonts that hinder readability, especially as many will view the documents online rather than in print!
• Use good figures that are readable and broadly understandable!
• Use color as necessary but not gratuitously.

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Research Plan Templates

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Personal project

MYP students in their final year explore an area of personal interest over an extended period. It provides them the opportunity to consolidate their learning and develop important skills they’ll need in both further education and life beyond the classroom. It also helps them develop confidence to become principled, lifelong learners.

Elements of the personal project

The personal project formally assesses students’ approaches to learning (ATL) skills for self-management, research, communication, critical and creative thinking, and collaboration.

The project is made up of a process, a product and a reflective report.

• process —ideas, criteria, developments, challenges, plans, research, possible solutions and progress reports
• product or outcome —evidence of tangible or intangible results: what the student was aiming to achieve or create
• report —an account of the project and its impact, to a structure that follows the assessment criteria. The report describes both the process of creating the project and an evaluation of the impact of the process on the student or their learning.

The report is assessed by the supervisor and externally moderated by the IB to ensure a globally consistent standard of excellence. Each project is awarded a final achievement grade.

Further information

IB World Schools can learn more about the MYP personal project in the MYP personal project nano PD , or find a workshop for MYP teachers.

Starting with the personal project? IB World Schools can find hints and tips about the personal project in the blog post ' From hair vitamins to a go-kart: one school's perspective of the MYP personal project '.

Other must-reads for IB World Schools include the following documents on the programme resource centre:

• Teacher Support Material
• Making a project plan
• Recording research.

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The Heart, Head, and Hands of Learning

A step-by-step guide to the MYP Personal Project

(This blog post and the resources attached have been updated and can be found in the following location: Caring Practitioners )

Welcome to the Personal Project!

• To effectively complete your personal project you need to follow each step listed on this webpage. To help you understand each section of the personal project Inquiry cycle there are five 10-minute videos to watch that will provide extra guidance. We recommend you read the steps under each heading and then watch the videos to reinforce what you have read.
• At each step of the personal project, there is a .pdf exemplar for you from a previous Good Shepherd Lutheran College student that can help you structure your own process journal. See the hyperlink at the beginning of each objective. (Disclaimer: this is not an example of an excellent personal project, but rather a simple guide for you to follow as you complete your own personal project.)
• Before you embark on the personal project journey ensure you have a process journal that suits your preferred journaling style, e.g., notebook, visual art diary, blog, pages document, etc.
• Your process journal is where you document your progress throughout your Personal Project – it is extremely important that you back this up as you travel along your personal project journey.
• Enjoy the process of engaging in your personal project and ensure you make regular contact with your supervisor; they will be your greatest support throughout the personal project.

We wish you all the best as you embark on this journey that will consolidate your International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme learning and prepare you for the further rigours of Stage 1 and Stage 2 at Good Shepherd Lutheran College.

Objective A:   Investigating

(Supporting document for Investigating:  Process Journal Exemplar – Investigating )

Personal Project Mind-map

  In your process journal mind-map ideas for your personal project based on your personal interests. Spend time thinking about which product/outcome you would like to create and ensure this is a project that can maintain your interest and enthusiasm for an 8-month duration.

Defining a clear goal

In your process journal outline exactly what you want to create for your personal project and explain how this is based on a personal interest.

Ensure you document the following:

• Give a precise meaning of the goal of your project. Explain what you want to achieve, when, where, how and why you want to achieve this.
• Describe what makes the personal project personal: the experiences, interests and ideas that make it important to you.

Defining a global context

Select one global context from the six global contexts below that best applies to your project

Once you have chosen a global context, you need to decide on an area of exploration within this global context. An area of exploration is a way to make the global context you have chosen more relevant and specific to your project.

You now need to articulate in your process journal how the global context and area of exploration you have chosen can help you answer the following questions:

• What do I want to achieve through my project?
• What do I want others to understand through my work?
• What impact do I want my project to have?
• How can a specific context give greater purpose to my project?

Clarifying your goal

Drawing together your initial goal definition based on a personal interest and the global context and area of exploration of your choice, refine your goal using the SMART goal graphic organiser. Ensure you document this in you process journal .

Identification of prior-learning and subject-specific knowledge

In your process journal identify what you already know about the goal for your project, the sources of your knowledge and how this will help you achieve your personal project goal. For example, prior-learning could be a night class, sports clinic, previous training or experience, etc.

In your process journal identify what you have learned from your MYP subject groups that will help you achieve your personal project goal.

Demonstrate your research skills

In order to effectively achieve your personal project goal you need to firstly research and evaluate the sources you have researched so you can then transfer this research to your actual project.

Research Process

Using the research model below, you need to document your research in your process journal.

Ensure you have 1 – 3 primary sources and 4 – 8 secondary sources.

Ensure you copy/print your sources and ensure they are all documented in your process journal – see exemplar for example of how to do this effectively. (See process journal exemplar – Criteria A – for example of how this information can be documented.)

Ensure you highlight relevant sections of your sources and annotate how you can apply this to your product/outcome.

Evaluate sources

Each source you research you must ensure you evaluate this source using the process on the following page.

Authority – Who is responsible for presenting this information?

• Who has written or provided this information and can you check their qualifications?
• Is the information from an ‘expert’ in this field?

Accuracy – Is the information accurate, can it be proven and verified?

• Is the information correct?
• Can you check the accuracy of information through links, footnotes and bibliography?

Objectivity – Is the information based on facts, things you can observe or based more on opinions and emotions? Is it from just one point-of-view?

• Is there personal bias?
• Can you verify that facts, statistics and links to sources are accurate and truthful?

Currency – How old is the information and is this important?

• Has the author(s) provided a date for when the information was written?
• Has the information been revised or updated, and if so, when?

Ensure you document your source evaluation in your process journal . (See process journal exemplar for an example of how you can document this.)

In your process journal ensure you reflect on how your research skills have developed over the duration of the project. Ensure you document how you have shared your research skills to help your peers as they progressed through their projects too.

Here is a video tutorial to reinforce the information above:

Objective B: Planning

(Supporting document for Planning: Process Journal Exemplar – Planning )

Develop criteria for your product/outcome

Now that you have set your goal, defined the global context for your project and completed your research – you need to transfer this into criteria for success for your project.

In order to develop criteria for your project you need to develop a set of specifications for your product/outcome.

When creating your specifications ask yourself the following questions:

• How will I know when I have achieved my goal?
• How can I judge the quality of my product/outcome?

You need to create a minimum of five rigorous specifications for your criteria.

When creating your specifications you can consider the following options:

You now need to transfer your specifications in a draft form in your process journal and once your supervisor has approved this, write the final copy in your criteria for success rubric breaking down each specification from excellent to limited. (See process journal exemplar for what the criteria for success rubric should look like.)

Develop a plan and development process

In your process journal create a timeline or Gantt Chart (see personal project exemplar for example of a Gantt Chart) for the completion of your Personal Project.

Your timeline needs to include the following:

• due dates for each segment of the Personal Project
• meetings with supervisor
• incremental stages for the completion of your product/outcome
• how you will manage your time to complete your personal project (for e.g. balancing sports with school work, etc.)
• draft of report
• final copy of report
• submission of whole personal project – process journal, report and product/outcome.

As you progress through the creation of your project, ensure you document your progress and how you are keeping to your plan.

(Disclaimer: the process journal exemplar for develop a plan and development process is very limited, you need to expand on this with much more detail.)

Demonstrate self-management skills

In your process journal you need to ensure you document your self-management skills as you create your product/outcome.

The next section of your personal project is to place your goal into action . As you create your product/outcome you need to continuously reflect on and document your developing ability to:

Organisational skills:

• Meet deadlines
• Stick to your goal
• Maintain your process journal with regular updates
• Select and use technology effectively and productively

Affective skills:

• Mindfulness – practise strategies to overcome distractions and maintain mental focus
• Perseverance – demonstrate persistence and perseverance
• Self-motivation – practise analysing and attributing causes for failure and practise positive thinking

Reflection skills:

• Develop new skills, techniques and strategies for effective learning
• Keep a journal to record reflections
• Identify strengths and weaknesses of personal learning strategies (self-assessment)

In your process journal, document your reflection. Be honest, explain how you have overcome self-management difficulties and reflect on how you can continue to have self-management success.

If you need further information on mindfulness and positive thinking strategies see our College Director of Positive Psychology, Mr Boyce or our College Chaplain, Pastor Andrew.

Objective C: Taking action

(Supporting document for Taking Action: Process Journal Exemplar – Taking Action )

Create a product/outcome in response to the goal, context and criteria

Here is the part of your personal project where you place your investigation and planning into action.

In your process journal you need to ensure you document the creation of your product/outcome. You need to ensure you take regular photographs and annotate these in your process journal.

Demonstrate thinking skills

As you progress through creating your product/outcome you need to document the following:

• Problems you encountered and how you critically and creatively solved these problems
• How you have transferred and applied information to make decisions when creating your product/outcome (explicitly explain at least 2 primary sources and at least 4 secondary sources – how have you applied this research to your product/outcome?)
• Skills you developed as you created your product/outcome
• How your prior-learning informed the creation of your product/outcome
• How your knowledge and skills have grown throughout the creation of your product/outcome
• How have you designed improvements

Demonstrate communication and social skills

• Communication with experts and how their advice informed the creation of your product/outcome (make sure you document communication as evidence)
• Communication with your supervisor and how their feedback informed the completion of your Personal Project (make sure you save all emails and record Skype sessions, etc.)
• How you have read a variety of sources for information on your personal project
• How you have transferred information given through communication to your product/outcome
• How you have made inferences and drawn conclusions.

Objective  D: Reflecting

(Supporting document for Reflecting: Process Journal Exemplar – Reflecting )

Evaluate the quality of the product/outcome against their criteria

For this section of your personal project you need to refer back to your specifications and criteria for success rubric that you created and have been seeking to achieve as you took action to create your product/outcome.

Using a highlighter, highlight in your process journal what you think your product/outcome has achieved against the specifications you have set.

You now need to provide a justification of why you have given yourself the grade against the specification. This needs to be documented in your process journal . If you have not achieved the top achievement levels you need to justify why and explain how you can improve your product/outcome so you can achieve the top achievement level.

Reflect on how completing the personal project has extended your knowledge and understanding of the topic and the global context

In your process journal respond in detail to the following questions:

• how has completing the personal project extended your knowledge and understanding of the topic of your product/outcome?
• how has completing the personal project extended your knowledge and understanding of the global context you have chosen?

Reflect on development as a learner

In order to respond to this part of your reflection choose at least 2 of the learner profile attributes in the following table and in your process journal reflect on how you have developed the characteristics of the learner profiles of your choice as you have progressed through the personal project.

Writing your personal project report

(Supporting document for Report: Personal Project Report Exemplar )

(MYP Personal Project Assessment Criteria:  Personal Project Assessment Criteria )

Now that you have created your product/outcome and reflected and documented each step of the personal project inquiry cycle, you now need to transfer this information to your personal project report. This is a formal piece of writing that provides a report on the completion of your personal project. The word count is 1500 words to 3500 words.

Using your personal project report graphic organiser you need to respond to each heading using the information you have gathered in your process journal.

Personal project report checklist

To achieve at your very best in the personal project report, ensure you address each dot point in the personal project report checklist.

Criteria A: Investigating

Criteria B: Planning

Criteria C: Taking action

Criteria D: Reflecting

Ensure you provide a bibliography and an appendix. (See Bibliography guide for examples of how you need to structure your bibliography.)

Ensure you double-check your report for spelling and punctuation errors.

Once you have finished your report, you need to email this to your personal project supervisor for their feedback and when they have responded with feedback you need to update your report according to their feedback.

Submission and Exhibition

You need to submit the following to the MYP Coordinator’s office. On the bookshelf in the office there are alphabetically organised boxes, you need to place the following in the box (ensure all parts of your project are collated into a file of sorts or clipped together ):

• Process journal (if electronic either printed out, uploaded to Coneqt or provide a url address for your process journal if this is a blog or website)
• Academic honesty form, signed by yourself and your supervisor
• Product or evidence of outcome (if you product is very large in size, please see Ms England to make a special arrangement for storage, delivery, etc.)

The week prior to your exhibition and awards evening, ensure you have pictures, headings, artefacts, etc., organised so when your rostered time comes to prepare your exhibition space you are ready to simply spend 20-minutes preparing your exhibition space.

Congratulations – you have officially finished your personal project!!

*Your final standardised grade will be submitted via Seqta.

References:

MYP: From principles into practice, 2014

Projects subject guide, 2014

Further guidance for MYP projects, 2015

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78 thoughts on “ a step-by-step guide to the myp personal project ”.

Laura, you have done an amazing job in synthesising the PP experience. Not only have you made it engaging and meaningful by allowing for students’ voice, but you have also elevated the value of the experience by including resources for each stage of the process. I cannot think of anything more thorough. What I love the most about the post is that it talks to students and how it encouraged them to reach for the best by showing them the what and how. I am preparing my ATL in PP presentation for grade 9 (MYP 4), and I want to thank you for helping me think of a way to do it. I will make sure to share. Gracias.

Thank you. You are more than welcome to use all the resources. I’m currently planning our Marvel themed Year 9 Personal Project Inquiry Day. Our quest: the acquisition of knowledge and the preservation of academic honesty. Should be oodles of fun 🙂

Reblogged this on misslauraengland and commented:

Updated step-by-step guide to completing the MYP Personal Project.

Your website is amazing and has been a great help to our school as we have updated our PP handbook. Thank you so much for the permission to use your resources! In the last section of the guide you refer to a ‘personal project report graphic organiser’. Would you mind sharing that? akaaras ‘at’ desertacademy.org

Again, thank you so much for your engaging and thorough work!

Sorry for the late reply – I’m just learning how to use WordPress – so far I’ve been leaving comments in the incorrect place. I’ve emailed you the report graphic organiser. It is nothing special – just how our school logo and a general layout. The bulk of the layout is on the blog post here. Thanks for your positive feedback 🙂 Laura

This is amazing. I am trying to set up something similar for my students doing their first IB Community Project. Is there any way that you might possibly want to share your format and resources with me? It’s incredible and sure would save us a lot of time. Also, have you set up a template using a google.doc? I’m wondering how much support I give them for their process journal, and how much I let them go it alone to show independence? Any suggestions? jsims “at” sandi.net.

Hi Jenny – sorry, I’m just getting used to this – I have replied below 🙂

Like Liked by 1 person

Hi Jenny, Of course – we are so happy to share! We actually don’t use any other resources other than what is on the blog that has been transferred to our College intranet for the students to use. We used to have booklets, but I felt they were restrictive and required too much paper. So all their thoughts, ideas, planning and each criteria step-by-step as listed above goes in their process journals.

I have no rule on the process journal – we have some using a Facebook page, Trello page, Wikispace, notebook, Visual Art diary, etc. – we leave it entirely up to them. Myself and our Teacher-Librarian hold 5-6 workshops over the 8.5 month period we give the children to complete the project and these just unpack research skills, ATL skills, reflection skills. Everything else is communicated through the supervisors. This can be tricky – that is why I created this guide as our busy supervisors can easily access and know what is next for the students.

Here is a recording of the parent information session that I held several months ago and uploaded to our intranet so parents who were unable to attend can access this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXM7QdKZo0o (I really hate public speaking, so please excuse the lack of toastmasters training here).

I will upload some samples of last years Personal Project (just need to black out names) to my Google Drive and add you to my circle so you can access. This was our first attempt at the new objectives so – we considered this group our Next Chapter guinea pigs 🙂

I hope this helps a bit.

Congratulations, Laura, on this wonderful page! Your students get excellent guidance in the PP. Thank you for making all this available to the MYP community. We are new to the PP project and gaining some insight ourselves before introducing it to students is very valuable. There’s obviously a lot of hard work and experience in this, so once again, many thanks!

Hi Lambrini – I’ve just replied below! Just learning this WordPress biz!

Your welcome Lambrini – glad to be of help! We have found this process to greatly help our students in developing as independent learners. 🙂

Dear Laura,

Hats off to you!!! Amazing work and thank you for sharing, it has helped me think about how i can make the experience interesting for my students as I am in the process of designing my Handbook and am looking for ways to improve it.

Regards Gurpreet

Thanks Gurpreet – glad to have been of help. I know what a big task this can be. 🙂 Laura

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Laura, This is a great resource! May I use these resources for my class? I will attribute you, this is not-for-profit.

Hi Bill, of course you can! No mention of me is necessary – just take all you need and adjust to your setting as you see fit. I’ll be adjusting this next week after a couple of Personal Project workshops with our Year 10’s – will post my updates and you are more than welcome to use that one too. Laura.

The kids found the whole criteria bit very easy to understand, when presented in your style. I really appreciate the effort that would have gone in when you would have created this.

Cheers Gurpreet

You are welcome 🙂 I’ll update this shortly for you all!

Thank you so much for this amazing resource. I have used it to modify our own PP checklists and resources. My students are absolutely loving using the Gantt Chart apps for Google Calendar and the exemplars you provided are so clear (what great take-aways). Thanks again!

You’re welcome – glad to be of help!

Hi! I wanted to share how I’ve been using all of the amazing tools you have here. My students and I have created a Personal Project Support website with everything students need to succeed ( https://sites.google.com/a/chatsworth.com.sg/ib-myp-personal-project/ ). We have credited your examples/tools, and want to thank you again for all of the resources & inspiration! Anyone, please feel free to use/share/borrow!

Wow Laura! Such an accomplishment. You discovered how to make this task easily accessible to students. I do have one question though, regarding the Journal Extracts: I noticed this was not mentioned in your guide, however the project guide states that the appendix to the report consists of 10 pages containing: “carefully selected process journal extracts that exemplify the knowledge, process and skills developed through the project” So would this be something you that would add to: Writing your Report Step2, along with the bibliography?

Hi Amal, This approach has greatly helped us manage the large nature of the Personal Project. I am updating this over the next couple of weeks now that we have all projects submitted. Our students know that all their work is in their process journals. We remind them consistently for ensure evidence, evidence, evidence and documentation of all thinking is to go into the process journal. And yes, you are correct. I need to add this in to the document. I have created an updated one on our Intranet and am talking with the kids upon completion to include their process journal extracts as well. It is such a great project for our kids. Laura

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Hi Laura, I am fascinated by your ‘Marvel themed PP Inquiry Day’ – is there any chance you might be able to share more details regarding this please.

Hi Rebecca, what is your email address? I can send you through our running sheet for the day. 🙂

Hi Laura, Thanks so much for that, my email is rmurray ‘at’ helena.wa.edu.au Would you be able to also add me to your google drive as mentioned in the reply to Jenny dated 24 October last year. Regards Rebecca

Hi Laura, Thanks to a friend of mine, I came across your blog and I must say that it will help me a lot. As Rafael said, it talks to the students and that’s simply the best. I am PP coordinator this year ( a newborn 😉 )and if it is fine with you, I would like to use (with credit of course) your resources. I also wonder what is your “Marvel themed PP Inquiry day” ;-)).

Hi, of course you can – you are more than welcome too! I’ve actually created an updated version so will upload shortly. Happy to Skype re: Marvel themed day 🙂

I will stay tuned ;-))

Hi Laura. As others have stated, I have found this blog extremely helpful. As the PP coordinator for our school would you be okay with me using (with credit) parts of your blog? I know the kids would definitely benefit from it. Thanks! Kim

Hi Kim, you are more than welcome to. I have an updated post that I need to pop up – will do so soon for you! No reference to me is necessary, just happy to share and be of help. Laura.

Hello Laura I responded to your blog in July 2015 and since then I adapted your guide for the Personal Project program at my school. i just wanted to thank you once again. Your approach makes the process so much more understandable and user friendly for students.

Your willingness to share your work with others is inspiring.

Many many thanks Charmaine

Hi Charmaine, you are so welcome! The update on my to-do list just keeps getting pushed to the bottom of my list sadly! I’ll try and get onto it ASAP!!!!

Hi Laura, Thanks a lot for making it so easy for me to explain the personal project to my students. Highly appreciate your efforts. Regards, Rushini

Hi Rushini, you are more than welcome 🙂

Wow – this is a brilliant site! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂

What a wonderful job. It gives a true sense of what is the role of people on this planet. I congartulate you and wish you every success. I am an engaged Dad, trying to steer his Grade 10 son in the right direction. Your work came up as a life boat in the middle of the sea…many thanks. If you may add me to your circles please, so we can keep up with the fast pace of your updates, I would be ever so grateful.

My warmest regards. Boualem

Hi Laura, What a wonderful piece of work. To me it comes as a life jacket in the middle of the ocean. Thank you very much for sharing, and giving the true sense of what we are on this planet for. I am a father of a Gr 10 boy, embarking on this same journey for the next few months and will do my best to provide him with all the support he needs. Can I ask you please to add me to your circles so we can keep up with your updates?

My warmest regards from Dubai,

Happy to be of any help! I updated this last week and and it is my latest post. Enjoy 🙂

Hello there, This is our first year working on the PP. You can imagine how our teachers are… a bit overwhelmed. Thank you so much for sharing your PP process. This will help them understand better what is expected. Thanks again! Enid

Hi Enid – you are so welcome 🙂 I have updated this site with a new Guide to the PP after we have reflected on, engaged in a CAT3 PD and had our first cohort moderated. We have made a few adjustments. Enjoy, Laura

Make sure you use the updated guide on my blog – as we reflected and have modified 🙂

Thanks ur a legend

Thank you so much for this amazing information it helped me tons. But what do we do for our research? I need big help with that.

can u explain me how did u make your mind map because I don’t get it like why did u write woodwork and some fitness things, pls explain It would be really helpful thx in advance

oh I am sorry just got confused with somethings, I got it now

thx, srry to disturb

this is brilliant! Thanks.

This was really helpful.

Hi Laura. Thank you for sharing all this information. I am tutoring a student who had to leave school for health reasons and has only 6 weeks to prepare (outside of school) to take semester exams to get credit for her semester. She also has to do the MYP Personal Project (beginning to end) in these 6 weeks. I am going to help her do this even though I’ve never done this before. Could you add me to your google drive circle so I can see access samples of previous Projects, please? I’m desperate for any help.

Hi Janie, More than happy to – just flick me through your email address 🙂

[email protected] Thank you! 😊

Hello Laura,

I am a new coordinator in Mumbai, India. I cannot thank you enough for being so generous with your resources. I have used your resources to create a MYP PP student handbook for my school and your name will shine high up in the credits page-A million thanks-You are a saviour : )

Hi Priya, no credit needed – just glad this is of use 🙂

Great work! I am thankful to you from the bottom of my heart.It was so helpful and informative.The best thing is I got to know A-Z of personal project at one place and this saved so much of my time which is the most important thing in today’s scenario!!! Could you also add me to your google drive circle so that I can seeand access samples of previous Projects.I will be really grateful Miss Laura!

Hi Seema, you are very welcome. Glad to be of help and helping you save time too 🙂 always a bonus.

Laura great detailing for the Personal Project learners, my students of MYP Year 5 are also using your guide.

Thrilled! I’ll update these shortly and send them through 🙂

I would love to use this process with a group of photographers that I am leading in an annual person project! Is there any chance I can use your info? I am happy to give you credit for it! I would love if there is a place I could download this as worksheets to then adapt to photography specifically! If you would be willing to help us here is our FB page for my info on the group. Our 1st meeting is on Tuesday Jan 9th, where we will begin the process of looking at what our personal project journey looks like. Photo Club PDX https://www.facebook.com/groups/photoclubpdx/about/ my email is [email protected] . Thank you so much for your consideration and for this wonderful work!

Sincerely, Angela Holm (Angela Holm Photography)

Hi Angela, you are more than welcome to. No credit is necessary, it’s the MYP Projects cycle! Enjoy the photography club.

Hi, Laura, this helped me a lot in my personal project but I am not able to open the final report as it says the file could not be reached. Can you please try to re-upload it?

Hi Sid, I will need to investigate this. Will let you know when I’ve figured out what is going on 🙂

amazing thank you

Hi Laura 🙂 Thank you for the great work! it is amazing It will definitely help me and you gave me lots of ideas. Thank you:) I have created a mindmap for the whole process I can share it with you. my email: [email protected]

Thank you! I am new to the MYP program and seeing this all laid out was amazingly helpful. I will be borrowing!!

Thrilled to be of help! There is an updated version in one of my recent posts: Caring Practitioners.

This is absolutely amazing! I am a PP Coordinator and would love to recommend this blog to my kids. I’ve provided a lot of documents and information for Y5 kids at my school, but always struggle explaining how to best approach the project. This lays it out so well! Would you mind if I used some of your info and also shared this blog with supervisors and kids?

Hi James, you are more than welcome to! There is an updated version in more recent blog posts – Caring Practitioners post is the latest! We also have a By Concept Book – Personal Project Skills for Success being released in 9 days time too 🙂 you are welcome to use all that you need – no credit is necessary.

As a MYP student in grade 10, I really want to thank you for helping me understand more on the personal project. I couldn’t understand a single bit when the personal project co-ordinator came over and discussed the project with us, with the exception of the criterions. Thank you so much, again, for clearing up things for me! Forever grateful.

You are very welcome. Thank you for your kind words.

Congratulations on doing such an amazing job with documenting the Personal Project student journey and the role of the teacher / supervisor in supporting students.

I applaud you for taking the time to put this together and for being willing to share this with the international teaching community.

I am the MYP Coordinator at a new candidate MYP school in Dubai and have found the information you have provided very helpful and useful as we embark on our PP process for our current Grade 9 cohort.

I was wondering if you will mind if I used the information and resources you have created with my school community?

Hi Dave, you are so welcome to all the resources. There are more recent posts that have updated information. I’ve also written a book called Skills for Success: Personal Project – and it is much more helpful! You are welcome to use all the resources (YouTube included) no credit for myself is necessary 🙂

This site certainly has all of the information I needed concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.

Glad to be of help! We’ve published a book too – available on Amazon 🙂

Thank you miss Laura. I have been using your guide throughout my PP journey. Is it possible for me to contact you through E-mail? If yes, please drop in a mail at this email id- [email protected] . I require some help for my pp.

Hey! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this guide, it’s of so much use even 6 years later! I’m 4 months into the personal project and I have just discovered the need for the global context. My school didn’t provide much guidance for us and both of my supervisors resigned. Once again, thank you sooo much!

Hi 🙂 I’m so glad to be of help! There have been some big changes to the Personal Project and we have just finished the final edits to the second edition of our book. It is titled MYP 4&5 Skills for Success: Personal Project and will be released on August 27th.

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Personal Project Hacks

Tips and tricks for a successful personal project experience, the personal project handbook.

Table of Contents

• The Nature of the Personal Project

The Role of the Supervisor

The role of the student, the role of the community, time frames, gathering evidence of the process, evidence of the process.

• Defining the Project
• Ideas to help students define the project
• Cycle of inquiry

Success Criteria

Action plan, applying the atl skills, evaluating the product.

• Criterion A: Planning Rubric
• Criterion B: Applying Skills Rubric
• Criterion C: Reflecting Rubric
• Notes about Impact of the Project

Personal Project Grade Descriptors

The nature of personal project.

The personal project provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent and age- appropriate exploration into an area of personal interest. Through the process of inquiry, action and reflection, students are encouraged to demonstrate and strengthen their approaches to learning (ATL) skills.

Below are ideas to help students understand the nature of the personal project.

• What do you think a personal project is?
• What is a personal project for?
• Who could be involved in your personal project?
• When do you complete your personal project?
• How much time will you spend on your personal project?

This document is a guide for students to help them complete the various steps of their personal project independently.

The purpose of the supervisor is to support the student during the personal project. Each student has his or her own supervisor.

The supervisor’s responsibilities are to provide guidance to students in the process and completion of the project:

• ensuring the chosen MYP project topic satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with regard to health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues
• giving guidelines about the MYP project
• providing a timetable with deadlines
• providing the assessment criteria for the project
• giving advice on how to keep and curate evidence of the process
• emphasizing the importance of personal analysis and reflection
• providing formative feedback
• ensuring requirements for academic integrity are met
• confirming the authenticity of the work submitted
• assessing the MYP project using the criteria in this guide
• participating in the standardization of the assessment process
• providing personal project teacher assessed totals to the MYP coordinator to enter in the International Baccalaureate Information System (IBIS).

Students should receive information and guidance that includes:

• Guidelines about the MYP project
• A timetable with deadlines
• The assessment criteria for the project
• Advice on how to keep and use a process journal
• The importance of personal analysis and reflection
• Formative feedback
• Requirements for academic honesty

Supervisors will support students throughout the personal project. The frequency of meetings between students and their supervisor may change according to the type of project, the topic, characteristics of the students involved or the stages of the project. Supervisors are advised not to become project experts.

To complete a personal project, students must undertake independent learning. They are expected to spend approximately 25 hours on their personal project. This time covers the whole process, including meetings with their supervisor.

Through the personal project, students:

• explore an interest that is personally meaningful (intellectual curiosity; family connection;
• social, cultural or geographical relevance; individual passion; etc)
• Take ownership of their learning by undertaking a self-directed inquiry
• Transfer and apply skills in pursuit of a learning goal and the creation of a product
• Recognize and evidence personal growth and development.

Specifically, students must:

• establish a goal, an action plan and success criteria
• apply ATL skills throughout the project process
• gather evidence of how they have applied ATL skills throughout the
• personal project
• evaluate the project based on the success criteria
• select evidence to add to the report
• reflect on the impact of the project
• write a report.

Many members of the community, both within and beyond the school, can support the personal project.

Within the School (examples)

• Specialist teacher
• Technician (special education, recreation etc)
• Administrator
• MYP Coordinator

Beyond the School (examples)

• Psychologist

A resource person can be useful during the research process or when complete in the product.

❖ Three objectives under pin a valid and reliable evaluation of the project. 

❖ Each objective corresponds to a section of the report.

To complete the personal project, students must follow the following steps.

Students are expected to document the process they followed to complete their project. In this way, they can demonstrate how they developed ATL skills and their academic honesty. Students must master different techniques for gathering evidence using portfolios, design projects, interdisciplinary projects or any other activity carried out during the project.

Students are not restricted to any single model for gathering evidence; however, they are responsible for producing evidence that shows they have fulfilled the personal project’s objectives. To foster their independence, students must develop their own ways of gathering evidence and of using media of their choosing, which can be written, visual, audio, digital or a combination of these.

Possible evidence may include:

• visual thinking diagrams (mind maps)
• bulleted lists
• short paragraphs
• timelines, action plans
• annotated illustrations
• annotated research
• artifacts from inspirational visits to museums, performances, galleries
• pictures, photographs, sketches
• up to 30 seconds of visual or audio material
• screenshots of a blog or website
• self- and peer-assessment feedback.

Defining the project

The personal project is truly personal because each student sets their own goal based on something that they find interesting. Students may draw inspiration from their prior experience in the MYP, such as:

• a global context that they find particularly compelling
• A service as action experience that they would like to build on
• a unit of inquiry that they would like to explore further.

Similarly, students may draw inspiration from their interests and hobbies outside school. They may also consider developing new ones.

The project consists of two interrelated parts:

• a learning goal (what the student wants to learn)
• a product (what the student wants to create).

The project can change, if necessary, during the process.

The project’s starting point may be either the learning goal or the product. One learning goal can lead to different products, just as one product can relate to a variety of learning goals.

An example of starting with a learning goal to guide the creation of the project:  

• I want to learn about fitness by training for a half-marathon.

An example of starting with a product to guide the creation of the project:

• I want to create a series of workout videos to learn more about filming and editing videos.

Ideas to help students Define their project

• What have you always wanted to do?
• What do you do in your free time?
• What would you like to do in your free time?
• What IB learner profile attribute best describes you?
• What IB learner profile attribute would you like to develop?
• Which global context interests you the most?
• Which interdisciplinary or design project interested you the most?
• Which experience of service as action did you find the most satisfying?
• What problem within your community most affects you?
• Which is your favourite academic discipline?
• Which research project would you like to develop?

Cycle of Inquiry

MYP personal projects are student-centered and age-appropriate. They enable students to engage in practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection.

The success criteria, developed by the student, measure the degree of excellence to which the product aspires or the terms under which the product can be judged to have been successful.

❖ The success criteria must be testable, measurable and observable.

❖ The success criteria must evaluate the product.

❖ The success criteria must evaluate the impact on the student or the community.

Below are ideas of specific product features that may help students establish success criteria to evaluate the quality of their products.

Product form:

• technique or material
• number of pages
• resource people
• visual aspects

Product content: 

• target audience
• organization
• quality of the language 
• result achieved

“A detailed plan outlining actions needed to reach one or more goals.”(Wikipedia)

Working with the timeline provided by the school, students plan the time they need to spend on their personal projects by drawing up a timetable that gives them an overall view of everything they have to achieve. They can then add daily or weekly details showing everything they have to do.

The action plan must show how students will create the product and fulfill the success criteria.

For this step of the project, students may draw inspiration from similar action plans created for the individuals and societies subject.

The project is split into three main steps that correspond to the objectives.

• Defining the project (learning goal and product)
• Developing the success criteria
• Presenting a plan

Applying skills

• Achieving the learning goal
• Completing the product
• Explaining the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
• Evaluating the product based on the success criteria

*Students must regularly revisit this plan to document and explain any changes to the expected deadlines.

To complete the project, students must work through different steps to explore the learning goal and achieve the product.

Below are some ideas of how to do this.

• Planning resources (financial, human and material) and constraints
• Producing drafts, sketches, prototypes, plans, etc
• Choosing information, techniques and materials base on the research
• Testing techniques and materials
• Compiling a list of purchases
• Predicting other possibilities
• Planning the documents to produce (survey, letter, poster, visual aids, etc)
• Preparing meetings (interviews, surveys, presentations, resource people, etc)
• Practicing a presentation
• Regularly assessing their work to see if the product helps achieve the learning goal; this could be a self-assessment or an assessment by another person
• Making necessary improvements
• Presenting the Product

Which ATL skills will be useful for your project?

• Review the ATL Guide
• Define the specific skills for each category (communication, collaboration, organization, affective, reflection, information literacy, media literacy, critical thinking, creative thinking, transfer) that you will need.
• Identify how you will gather your evidence.

Impact: “both negative and positive planned and unplanned consequences of a completed project, including those that only emerge sometime after the project ends”. (Translated from Guide de préparation d’un plan d’évaluation de projet , TÉLUQ.)

Below are ideas to help students assess the impact of their projects

Below are ideas to help students evaluate their products based on their chosen success criteria.

• To what extent did I complete my product based on the success criteria?
• How can I demonstrate that I completed my product based on my success criteria?
• What are my project’s strengths?
• What could I have done differently to make my product better reflect my success criteria?

Criterion A: Planning

In the personal project, students should be able to:

i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal

ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product

iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.

Definitions

• Learning Goal: What students want to learn as a result of doing the personal project.
• Product: What students will create for their personal project.
• Presents: Offer for display, observation, examination or consideration.
• State: Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.
• Outline: Give a brief account or summary.
• Describe: Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
• Explain: Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.

Criterion B: Applying Skills

i. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal

ii. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product.

• ATL Skill(s) Clusters: One or more of: communication, collaboration, organization, affective, reflection, information literacy, media literacy, critical thinking, creative thinking, transfer.

Criterion C: Reflecting

i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning

ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.

• Evaluate: Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.

Notes about impact of the project

• could refer to any aspect of having done the project: inquiry, action and/or reflection
• could include progress made towards the learning goal
• could include ways in which the student has grown as a learner, such as improvement in the ATL skills or learner profile attributes
• could include ways in which the student has grown or changed as a result of the project.

There are two possible formats for the MYP personal project report: written and/or oral. Students can combine these formats in a multimedia report.

Students may submit their report in written or recorded format, or a combination of the two. The table below shows the maximum length of students’ submissions.

• 11-point font size
• 2 cm margins
• Evidence presented in images must be clearly visible at the size submitted.
• Visual aids may be used to support spoken reports. However, evidence and examples presented in the visual aids should be submitted as documents. Visual aids presented only in video format will not be considered for assessment.
• The bibliography is uploaded separately and is not included in the page limit.
• Please do not include a title page; if included it will count towards the page limit.

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• Oct 8, 2021
• 11 min read

How to Write Your PERSONAL PROJECT Report in a Weekend (2022)

Updated: Oct 12, 2022

Personal Project Guide (MYP 2021 2022 Edition Updated):

How to write your ib myp pp report and get top marks.

PART 1: Structure of 2022 PP REPORT

Your MYP personal project report should demonstrate your engagement with your personal project by summarizing the experiences and skills recorded throughout the process and be presented succinctly.

The report should be presented in three sections, based on the objectives and strands (a) planning, (b) applying skills, and (c) reflecting and provide evidence for all the strands of all criteria.

Max 15 pages (5 pages for each section)

PART 2: Requirements of 2022 PP REPORT

Other requirements laid out in the Personal Project Guide:

To ensure that the written part of the report is clearly legible, each page must have a minimum 11-point font size and 2 cm margins.

Evidence presented in images must be clearly visible at the size submitted.

Audio and video must be recorded and submitted in real-time.

The bibliography is uploaded separately and is not included in the page limit.

Please do not include a title page; if included, it will count towards the page limit.

Criterion A: Planning (5 PAGES)

Criterion A i. states a LEARNING GOAL and explains the connection between personal interest(s) and that goal

Your LEARNING GOAL should be a clear and concise statement/paragraph. Your LEARNING GOAL should be measurable, observable, manageable and meaningful. Your LEARNING GOAL should be ​​an identified action that can be demonstrated in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes upon completion of a project.

Your LEARNING GOAL statement/paragraph should then be expanded upon and aim to address some of these key elements:

WHAT skills are you planning to develop through this project?

WHAT knowledge do you hope to increase as you work on your project?

WHY are you doing this (what need will this fulfil? what is the purpose)?

HOW will your learning goal be demonstrated?

WHAT degree of mastery is required to meet this learning goal?

WHAT are you specifically planning to learn through this project?

WHICH strategies might you employ to achieve your personal and academic goals

An excellent idea is to support your learning goal with a well-written project DESIGN BRIEF paragraph. Your DESIGN BRIEF should include some of these key elements:

WHAT are you specifically going to make/build/do/perform?

WHERE will your end product/project be situated (provide context)?

WHEN will your project be completed (Students should set an overall goal that can be achieved within 25 hours).

WHO is your target audience? WHO will see/use your product/project? WHO are the key stakeholders involved?

WHAT materials/resources/tools will be used when creating, making and building your project?

Connect your DESIGN BRIEF and your LEARNING GOAL - explain in a paragraph how the project and learning goals are in sync.

Clearly identify the topic/focus and provide evidence that this TOPIC/FOCUS REALLY INTEREST YOU and that you want to learn more about this topic. This element of the assessment criterion can be addressed by:

Clearly identify your prior learning - identify skills and your level of knowledge of this topic/focus

Considering that Criterion C should be directly linked to this section -- In Criterion A you paint a clear picture of your skill level and knowledge level... then in Criterion C you outline how your skills level has increased and your knowledge has increased. From A to C there should be clearly identified and measurable growth.

Linking your project to classes/courses you have taken in the past to convince the reader that TOPIC/FOCUS REALLY INTEREST YOU (e.g. a global context that your found particularly compelling in Science, a service as action experience that you would like to build on, a specific topic/unit that you found very interesting in Design can wish to explore further, explain how you have learnt piano for 4 years at Jenny's Music School and I and a level 3 and can play 14 songs off by heart and wish to move to level 4 and increase the number of songs in your repertoire 28, etc.)

Convincing the reader that this TOPIC/FOCUS REALLY INTEREST YOU and that you indeed possess intrinsic motivation to work hard on this chosen project.

Convincing the reader that your LEARNING GOAL for the project is linked to a TOPIC/FOCUS REALLY INTEREST YOU.

Providing a list (brainstorm list) and/or diagram (mind map) of all your interests and then explain how you chose TOPIC/FOCUS and it REALLY INTEREST YOU and related LEARNING GOAL from your long list of interests.

The above image demonstrates that I have been playing the Piano and have had a love for music since a very early age.

The above image is a mindmap I created when I was searching for a topic for the Personal Project, this is a mindmap of all my interests.

The above image shows that I am a beginner level with Python coding and my learning goal is to build on this and get to level 3

Criterion A ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product

DESIGN BRIEF - start with your well-written design brief

Create a list of SUCCESS CRITERIA / DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS specific assessment specifications/criteria for your product. Identify key design specifications; explain WHO will test each specification/criterion; explain HOW each criterion will be measured/evaluated and JUSTIFY each specification/criterion with RESEARCH. (e.g. I will make a video that will be 3-5min -- this will be measured by my supervisor in May and if the video is between 3-5 this will be a PASS, otherwise it will be judged FAIL. According to XXX research 3-5min is the optimal time for a short video because YYY)

Pro-Tip - RESEARCH and find how to measure success for your product (e.g. how to judge a pizza, how to critique a short video, how to measure the success of a piano recital) and use this as a guide when you create your own list of success criteria.

Pro-Tip - create a design specification table with these columns:

Design specification

Explanation of specification

Justification of this specification linked to research

How the specification will be tested, measured and by whom

Criterion C will be directly linked to this section when you evaluate the success of your product.

SpecificationDescription & link to research analysisTest Aesthetics: Modern and MinimalI made this choice because my client likes this style and because he values practicality more than style and he also wants the chair to blend in with many different styles.Testing from the client in which he will give a rating between 1-5 which will be test by looking at the chair in detail.Cost: 900 bahtAccording to research, the average price of a modern chair is about 1000 baht but because they don't care about the materials used to make a chair. The material used can be a lower grade but be cautious that the materials still have to be good enough for the client.Testing by calculating the cost of the material used to make a chair while also keeping track of the budget.ErgonomicsThere are many ways that a chair can be made comfortable. One of these ways is about the materials of the chair. The angle of the chair also matters because it determines how the client sits and also the posture of the client. https://www.chairoffice.co.uk/blog/the-ergonomics-of-a-chair-explained/ https://ehs.unc.edu/workplace-safety/ergonomics/office/ Testing from the client to see if the chair is comfortable or not by having the client sit on the chair for a period of time to see if the chair affects the posture or gives any pain to the client.SustainabilityThis chair will be made out of wood because it doesn’t hurt the environment as opposed to plastic which is very harmful to the environment. The chair will also be put together using different types of joints and metal nails and screws. Non toxic glue. But the only place where plastic or rubber will be used is for the stopper so that the chair doesn’t wobble. https://www.mymove.com/home-inspiration/decoration-design-ideas/the-ultimate-guide-to-sustainable-furniture/#:~:text=The%20best%20sustainable%20furniture%20choices%20are%20created%20from%20recycled%20items,for%20furniture%20and%20home%20decor .Testing from the client and creator by researching the sustainability of each material and the consequences of using the material to see if it’s harmful to the environment or not.SafetyWhen building the chair, be sure that there will be no sharp edges, splinters, and any other things that can hurt the client. The chair also has to be stable so that when the client is sitting, he/she doesn’t fall backward. https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/workstation-health-and-safety-desks-chairs-and-posture Testing from the creator and the client by sitting on it to see if the chair has any place which can be considered harmful to the client.FunctionA chair made for sitting in which the chair will be used in the study room or bedroom.Testing from the client where he/she will judge whether the chair suits the surroundings or not.MaterialsThis chair will be made mostly out of wood which can be found in Thailand.Testing from the designer by testing each material and comparing it to other specifications.PracticalityThe chair should be light and portable while also giving comfort and functionality.Testing from the designer and client by doing a series of tests which involve moving the chair around to test if the chair is movable or not.ComfortEven though the chair will be made from wood, the chair will include a cushion which will give the client more comfort. https://www.onyamagazine.com/australian-affairs/comfort-or-practicality-can-you-really-have-both-when-purchasing-office-chairs/ Testing from the designer and client by sitting on the chair and giving a rating of 1-5 where 1 is the least comfortable and 5 is the most comfortable

Criterion A iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.

Your DETAILED PLAN needs a clear reference to TIME &/or your due-dates list. (when will each task take place and how much time is allocated (23rd March | 2hrs)). Create yourself a timeline for completing short- and long-term tasks.

The emphasis is a DETAILED PLAN of how you will create your PRODUCT - NOT a plan to write your report and NOT a plan to meet the learning goal). Your creating the PRODUCT DETAILED PLAN should be a how-to build guide; a step by step guide &/or a to-do list. It should be a clear series of steps leading to the completion of the product. Your plan should so clear and user-friendly that it be able to be understood and followed by a third party.

Pro-Tip - create a table or a Gantt chart or a Timeline or a Flow-Chart or a Table with these elements addressed:

Key steps - easy to understand and doable steps

Your plan needs a clear reference to TIME &/or your due-dates list. ((when will each task take place and how much time is allocated (23rd March | 2hrs)

Materials, Skills and Tools - what materials and tools do you need for each step (sketch several ideas for the main character of my storybook - sketching on paper, with pencils)

The above image outline my detailed plan for creating my product

Criterion B: Applying skills (5 Pages)

Criterion B i. explains how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal, supported with detailed examples or evidence

Above is an image that outlines all the ATL skills (add citation)

Research ATL skills and select each ATL skill that was applied to help you achieve your learning goal.

Identify the specific ATL skills;

explain the skills (link to research);

then provide clear examples/evidence of how you demonstrated and developed the ATL when learning.

1 - ATL Skill of Thinking & Researching - focus on Observation

2 - Observation Skills are the starting point for critical thinking. People who are observant can quickly sense and identify a new problem. Those skilled in observation are also capable of understanding why something might be a problem. They may even be able to predict when a problem might occur before it happens based on their experiences. (citation)

3 - Twice a week I observed my vegetable garden looking for insects, growth, soil quality, moisture blah blah blah and below is a picture of me inspecting the leaves of my coriander plant.

Above is an image me inspecting the leaves of my plant and demonstrating THINKING and RESEARCHING and OBSERVATION skills.

Criterion B ii. explains how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product, supported with detailed examples or evidence.

Research ATL skills and select each ATL skill that was applied to help you build and create your product. Identify the specific ATL skills; explain the skills (link to research); then provide clear examples/evidence of how you demonstrated and developed the ATL when creating, designing and building your product.

Evidence of the ATLs (Developed and demonstrated)

Evidence might be: visual thinking diagrams, bulleted lists, charts, short paragraphs, notes, timelines, action plans, annotated illustrations, annotated research, artefacts from visits to museums, performances or galleries, pictures, photographs, sketches, up to 30 seconds of visual or audio material, screenshots of a blog of website, self and peer-assessment feedback.

List, explain and identify a range of Self-Management ATL skills - then provide evidence that you have developed/demonstrated each skill. Explain how each specific ATL skill had a positive effect on your Personal Project &/or you as a student.

Examples of research into the ATL skills of self-management skills identified and explained:

https://www.businessphrases.net/self-management-skills/

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/self-management-skills

https://www.careerizma.com/blog/self-management-skills/

Research "thinking skills" and identify 3-6 specific thinking skills you developed/demonstrated when working on your Personal Project.

Explain each specific thinking skill, then link this with some evidence of how well you developed/demonstrated these skills, then explain how each skill impacted you as a person OR impacted your project. (e.g. Critical Thinking Skills of Curiosity - explain what this is, identify how you demonstrated this skill and explain how it had a positive impact on your project OR you as a learner/student.)

Here are some thinking skills identified and explained:

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/collegesuccess2x30master/chapter/types-of-thinking/

https://open.lib.umn.edu/collegesuccess/chapter/3-1-types-of-thinking/

https://cetl.uconn.edu/resources/design-your-course/teaching-and-learning-techniques/critical-thinking-and-other-higher-order-thinking-skills/

Research "communication skills" and "social skills" and identify 3-6 specific skills you developed/demonstrated when working on your Personal Project.

Explain each specific communication/social skill, then link this with some evidence of how well you developed/demonstrated these skills, then explain how each skill impact you as a person OR impacted your project. (e.g. Empathy - Social Skill - explain what this is, identify how you demonstrated this skill and explain how it had a positive impact on your project OR you as a learner/student.)

A well structured, presented and written PP Report is imperative for top marks in Criterion CIII that focuses on communication skills.

Here are some communication and social skills identified and explained:

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/interpersonal-skills-list-2063724

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/interpersonal-skills

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/

Criterion C: Reflecting (5 pages)

Criterion C i. explains the impact of the project on themselves or their learning

Revisit your LEARNING GOAL - Was well was it met? Provide evidence that it was met (measurable and observable evidence)

Revisit your prior knowledge level and skills level from Criterion AI then discuss how specific knowledge, from a variety of knowledge areas has increased because of the project. Identify some skills that have increased because of the Personal Project. For top marks, there needs to be clear evidence of growth.

Research "IB Learner Profile attributes" , and identify 2-3 LP attributes that you developed when working on your Personal Project, and how this has had a positive impact on you as a student.

Research "IB ATL skills" , and identify 2-3 ATL skills that you developed when working on your Personal Project, and how this has had a positive impact on you as a student.

Conclude with a general statement about your growth, as a result of the PP and how the PP has made you a better person and how the world is a better place because of your PP.

explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning

support their comments with specific evidence or detailed examples.

Criterion C ii. evaluates the product based on the success criteria, fully supported with specific evidence or detailed examples.

SHOW YOUR PROJECT - share your product here

DESIGN BRIEF - Revisit your DESIGN BRIEF and compare it to the product you completed - did you meet the requirement of the DESIGN BRIEF ?

SUCCESS CRITERIA / DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS - When evaluating the product students should use their success criteria. Students should gather evidence to show the success of the product. Their evaluation should focus on what extent they achieved their goal. When evaluating the impact of the project (both the learning goal and the product), students might talk about how it impacted them personally or how it impacted others.

Examples of supporting evidence could include:

evaluation of the product against the success criteria

images showing key features of the product

analysis of the causes for success and/or failure

share data your collected from the test and analyse the data/scores/feedback and explain the data/scores/feedback

Discuss some things you could change/improve to make the outcome even better.

IB MYP COMMAND TERMS

Describe - Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.

Evaluate - Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.

Explain - Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.

Learning Goal - What students want to learn as a result of doing the personal project.

Outlines - Give a brief account or summary

Presents - Offer for display, observation, examination or consideration.

Product - What students will create for their personal project.

State - Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.

• Personal Project

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IMPORTANT: Objective B_ Applying skills Report Checklist

The research process is extremely complex, that is why you should approach it in an organized manner . If you want to achieve good results keep a thorough record in your Process Journal. These are some of the advice I would recommend to everyone who wants to be successful and efficient during the research process.

A good place to start

S chedule!  The first step in the personal project is admitting to yourself the time to start it has come. Write up an action plan with a series of milestones you planned to achieve by a fixed date and keep to it. You will need time to get organised, find out what you could find in the school library, take notes and find reliable sources.

Start with sources that are not highly academic, for example, various popular magazines or videos. The goal here is to  get a good overview of the subject you’re researching about . Take notes, especially of any good sources they recommend. By the time you get ready to write, though, you should have much better sources.

Once you find one solid book or academic essay on your topic, your research will move at a faster pace. In each source, you will find a bibliography with a lot of new sources, possibly useful for your research. Skim it quickly and record sources you might use. Pay attention to, not only the sources but also to authors and find more information about their work. There is a great possibility they have written more on the topic. Very soon you will have a handful of very good and useful sources.

During the research process, always have in mind the research question, product/outcome, goal, aim and objective. Anything that looks relevant but doesn’t help answer your question you can put back. Be focused and work towards your research question. You will get a lot of information on research from your librarian . Pay attention and take notes during the research workshop.

Deal with one piece at a time.  Don’t try to tackle your subject all at once. Get enough of a sense of the topic that you can create an outline of the things you need to understand, and then deal with each piece on its own. You’ll find the connections between the pieces when you write your first draft

Use a system.  Start your research with a plan to collect and organize your notes and data. Write the full bibliographic reference for a book or paper, then copy quotes and write notes tagged with the page numbers they came from, Whatever system you decide on,  make sure that every quote, fact, and thought is tied in some way to its source  so that you can easily insert references while you’re writing. This downloadable table has all elements of good note-taking.

Frequently asked questions

What is a research project.

A research project is an academic, scientific, or professional undertaking to answer a research question . Research projects can take many forms, such as qualitative or quantitative , descriptive , longitudinal , experimental , or correlational . What kind of research approach you choose will depend on your topic.

Frequently asked questions: Writing a research paper

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

• Researchability
• Feasibility and specificity
• Relevance and originality

Research questions anchor your whole project, so it’s important to spend some time refining them.

In general, they should be:

• Focused and researchable
• Answerable using credible sources
• Complex and arguable
• Feasible and specific
• Relevant and original

All research questions should be:

• Focused on a single problem or issue
• Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
• Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
• Specific enough to answer thoroughly
• Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
• Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

Your research objectives indicate how you’ll try to address your research problem and should be specific:

Research objectives describe what you intend your research project to accomplish.

They summarize the approach and purpose of the project and help to focus your research.

Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement .

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in Chicago style are to:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Use 1 inch margins or larger
• Apply double line spacing
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch
• Include a title page
• Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center
• Cite your sources with author-date citations or Chicago footnotes
• Include a bibliography or reference list

To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator .

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Set 1 inch page margins
• Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
• Center the paper’s title
• Use title case capitalization for headings
• Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end

To format a paper in APA Style , follow these guidelines:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial
• If submitting for publication, insert a running head on every page
• Apply APA heading styles
• Cite your sources with APA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a reference page at the end

No, it’s not appropriate to present new arguments or evidence in the conclusion . While you might be tempted to save a striking argument for last, research papers follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the results and discussion sections if you are following a scientific structure). The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

The conclusion of a research paper has several key elements you should make sure to include:

• A restatement of the research problem
• A summary of your key arguments and/or findings
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

Don’t feel that you have to write the introduction first. The introduction is often one of the last parts of the research paper you’ll write, along with the conclusion.

This is because it can be easier to introduce your paper once you’ve already written the body ; you may not have the clearest idea of your arguments until you’ve written them, and things can change during the writing process .

The way you present your research problem in your introduction varies depending on the nature of your research paper . A research paper that presents a sustained argument will usually encapsulate this argument in a thesis statement .

A research paper designed to present the results of empirical research tends to present a research question that it seeks to answer. It may also include a hypothesis —a prediction that will be confirmed or disproved by your research.

The introduction of a research paper includes several key elements:

• A hook to catch the reader’s interest
• Relevant background on the topic
• Details of your research problem

and your problem statement

• A thesis statement or research question
• Sometimes an overview of the paper

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World Leaders in Research-Based User Experience

Planning research with generative ai.

April 5, 2024 2024-04-05

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AI chatbots (like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot) can support UX researchers of all experience levels in planning their research.

In This Article:

What is a research plan, using ai chatbots to write a research plan.

Good research always starts with a plan.

A research plan is a document that outlines the research objectives and how the research will be executed.

Research plans should include:

• The research goals or questions that the research is hoping to achieve or answer
• The method to be used and a description of how it will be carried out
• The tasks or questions that will be given to study participants
• The profile of the target participants
• The screener questionnaire used to recruit participants

Creating a research plan can be time-consuming. Even with a good template, a researcher must generate research questions, select the appropriate method(s), decide how to run sessions, and often create study collateral (like screeners and tasks) from scratch. The good news is that AI can help with many, if not all, of these tasks!

It can be tempting to just ask an AI tool to give you a research plan for a project. Don’t do that.

❌ Bad Prompt : Generate a research plan for a usability test of a food-delivery app.

This kind of request results in a generic, template-like response, partly because AI lacks the context to propose a complete research plan and partly because of how the model has been trained.

To construct a useful research plan, deconstruct the plan into parts and have the AI chatbot tackle each part individually. You can assemble responses in a final research plan.

Don’t expect the AI to ask you the right questions in order to get a comprehensive outcome. View the AI tool as a UX assistant , not as a UX mentor. You need to feed into the AI all the steps and details you want it to consider.

Follow the steps below for the best results.

Step 1: Provide Context

Imagine asking an experienced colleague for recommendations on what research study to run without giving them any context on what project you’re working on and what you’re trying to achieve. They would probably say, "It depends on what you’re trying to learn.” Conversing with AI presents no exception.

Start your conversation with enough context , especially if the AI tool does not already have this information stored about you or your current project. ( ChatGPT 4 allows users to store context for each new conversation.)

The contextual information you share should include who you work for, the scope of your project, and what you’re looking to achieve. Remember that some AI tools may use your conversations to train their models, so share only information you would be comfortable with being in the open domain.

 Prompt Template: I work for [type or organization] . My company provides [what kind of product, service, or experience] . I need to run a user-research study to learn [something about users or a problem] .

Step 2: Generate Research Questions

After providing the AI tool with context, ask it to suggest specific research questions for the study. Here’s an example from a recent study on research repositories that I conducted for NN/g.

Prompt Example: I will run a research study and report on how UX practitioners across different organizations set up and use research repositories. Please generate 10 research questions that would be suitable for this sort of study.

It’s a good idea to ask generative AI tools for more options or ideas than you think you’ll need, because some will not be a good fit.

Microsoft Copilot responded to the prompt above with the 10 research questions below.

10 Research questions generated by Microsoft Copilot

Who are the primary users of the research repository within different organizations? What motivates users to engage with the research repository? How do different teams (design, product, sales, marketing) access and benefit from the research repository? What challenges do practitioners face when contributing to or retrieving information from the repository? What types of research artifacts (reports, raw data, templates) are most commonly stored in the repository? How do organizations structure their research repositories? What tools and templates are commonly used to facilitate research repository management? How do practitioners ensure the quality and accuracy of information in the repository? What impact does the research repository have on decision-making and project outcomes? What strategies can organizations implement to encourage widespread adoption and active participation in the research repository?

To broaden your pool of research questions, ask for further research questions or provide the same prompt in a new session. Repeat this process as many times as you need to generate a list that feels exhaustive of what you’d like to learn.

Some of the research questions Copilot generated for me were appropriate, and others were not. As a result, I had AI generate more research questions to choose from.

Unfortunately, most AI chatbots don’t offer an easy way to dismiss suggestions or combine specific responses and work from only these (a behavior called apple-picking ).

Pulling in generated research questions into an offline document (like a FigJam or Google Doc) allows you to easily group items, remove duplicates, or reword suggested research questions.

Begin a new chat session with your selected and refined set of research questions, so that the unwanted research questions are removed from the chat history.

Step 3: Request Methods

After sharing the context and your chosen research questions, ask the AI tool to identify suitable research methods.

Example Prompt : What study would you suggest to answer these research questions? Please be specific; cite which research questions would be answered by which research method if you suggest multiple methods.

Generative-AI advice is not always good advice. Often, these tools will suggest various methods and suggest you triangulate data from multiple sources. This approach is not always needed. Also, not all methods will be practical or the best fit for your study. Additionally, AI may suggest interviews and focus groups even for research questions better suited to a behavioral research method .

Ask AI chatbots to tell you which research methods would be suited to which research question and why. We also recommend doing some further reading on your own about any methods that are unfamiliar to you.

In response to the prompt above (and given my chosen research questions), ChatGPT recommended a survey, interviews with select UX practitioners, and case studies. These were all my chosen methods, so AI had done well here!

Step 4: Request Inclusion Criteria

AI can create inclusion criteria — a necessary component of your research plan. Do this step only after generating research questions and methods since these will inform who should participate in the research study.

Inclusion criteria (or recruitment criteria) are specific characteristics of the target population that need to be represented in your sample.

Start with inclusion criteria before asking the AI to help you write a screening questionnaire ; AI can only craft an appropriate screener after it “knows” who you’re looking to recruit.

Example Prompt: So that I recruit the right people for my interviews, help me create some inclusion criteria. What characteristics or behaviors should I recruit for?

Step 5: Request Help with Screeners, Interview Questions, and Tasks

Finally, ask the AI to put together:

• Interview questions or an interview guide (if conducting interviews)
• Tasks for a usability test
• Diary-study prompts (if relevant)
• Recruitment confirmation emails or other communication messages.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of bad examples of the above on the web. Conversational AI has been trained on all this data. Therefore, don’t be surprised if it produces poor study collateral on its first attempt! This is a major risk area for new researchers.

One way to mitigate this danger is to give the AI tool advice when crafting any of these outputs . Think of AI as a new research assistant who can learn extremely quickly.

Common mistakes that AI tools make include:

• Using words that appear in the interface in task instructions (priming)
• Creating task instructions that ask users to imagine they are someone that they are not
• Not including a goal or a call to action in the task instruction
• Not including distractor options in screening questionnaires
• Using overenthusiastic marketing language in recruitment materials

It’s not surprising that AI makes these mistakes since UX practitioners also make them!

To improve outputs, feed the AI essential tips, such as:

• When crafting tasks: Do not use the name of words or link labels in the task instruction. Find a natural-language equivalent to explain what the participant should do . (You can ask AI to “read” a website or an image.)
• When crafting recruitment materials: Use neutral and concise language in the recruitment email. Avoid using overly enthusiastic marketing language.
• When crafting a screener: Include multiple-choice questions and answer options that might disguise what the study is about and who I am looking to recruit.

Additionally, when possible, feed the AI with good examples of screener questionnaires, tasks, or interview questions, so it can follow their format or style.

Even with this advice, AI can still make mistakes. If you’re doubting its answers, check primary sources or speak with an experienced researcher for old-fashioned human guidance.

If you have ChatGPT’s Plus Plan, you can use our GPT for planning your research.

With the proper context, examples, and advice, AI tools, like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, can craft helpful research questions, tasks, interview questions, and other study collateral far more quickly than you could if you started from scratch.

Research leads and ResearchOps personnel can support junior researchers and PWDRs (People Who Do Research) by providing examples and advice that can be fed to AI agents. Experienced researchers can benefit from using AI to speed up their research-planning process and obtain further inspiration.

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