Plan Overview

Plan Overview

Note

Source alignment: mirrors the “get to know the seven elements of a research plan” reading. This section lays out background, goals, research questions, KPIs, methodology, participants, and the script at a glance.

A solid plan aligns stakeholders and enables consistent sessions. Capture what you will study, how you will collect evidence, and who will participate before you recruit.

Seven Elements

• Project background
  • Context, product/prototype, prior insights, and scope boundaries.
• Research goals
  • Intended learning and decisions this study should unlock.
• Research questions
  • Specific prompts that the study must answer; tie to goals and tasks.
• KPIs
  • Behavioral and attitudinal indicators to quantify success and track change.
• Methodology
  • Study type and detailed procedure for data collection and analysis.
• Participants
  • Target characteristics, recruitment, incentives, and accessibility accommodations.
• Script
  • Opening, tasks, and wrap‑up wording used consistently across participants.

Alignment Practices

• Review the draft plan with stakeholders to confirm goals and scope.
• Resolve terminology early (e.g., what “success” means per task).
• Document risks, dependencies, and prototype limitations to set expectations.

1. Draft background and scope boundaries.
2. List goals tied to product decisions.
3. Derive research questions from goals.
4. Choose KPIs and define success rules/timeouts.
5. Select methodology and write the procedure.
6. Define participants, recruitment, incentives, and accommodations.
7. Write and pilot the script; revise plan version.

Common Pitfalls

• Goals that are too broad or not tied to decisions.
• RQs that read like solutions (“Will the new sidebar improve navigation?”).
• KPIs chosen after sessions (introduces bias and inconsistency).
• Over‑reliance on convenience samples; weak external validity.

Good Hygiene

• Version the plan; note changes between pilots and main study.
• Assign roles (moderator, note‑taker, producer) for each session.
• Prepare note templates keyed to tasks, RQs, and KPIs.

Boundaries & Non‑Goals

• Be explicit about what the study will not investigate this round.
• Defer out‑of‑scope features to future studies to keep sessions focused.

Caution

Don’t blend goals and questions. Goals are broad intents; research questions are answerable prompts that your script operationalizes into tasks and measures.

Summary: The plan is your playbook for credible research. Lock in these seven elements, align stakeholders, and set realistic expectations before you start recruiting.