Research Plan

Also known as: Test Plan / Study Plan

discoverylowerBeginner

TL;DR

The strategic document defining what to research, why, how, and with what resources.

Strategic value

Details objectives, establishes schedule to deliver results when most needed, and allows avoiding unnecessary, redundant or rushed research. It's the main communication vehicle with those who approve resources.

Category: research-opsEstimated time: 2-4 hours (one-page version); 8-16 hours (full formal version)

What is it

The Research Plan is the document that defines the objectives, methods, timeline, resources, and expected deliverables of a UX research study. It's the roadmap that aligns the team before executing any research.

What it is for

✓Align the team on what will be researched and why
✓Define scope and realistic expectations
✓Obtain approval and resources for research
✓Document methodological decisions for transparency

Research methods that feed it

Desk research on the topicStakeholder meetingsReview of previous research

When to use it

✓Before starting any formal research study
✓When you need approval or budget for research
✓To align expectations with stakeholders
✓When planning a research roadmap

When NOT to use it

✗For quick guerrilla research (5-10 min of planning is enough)
✗If the team is already aligned and scope is small
✗As bureaucracy that delays research (should be an enabler)

Required components

✓Background/Problem Statement: context of why research is needed
✓Study Goals: raison d'être and expected final result
✓Research questions: what specifically you want to learn
✓Methodology: chosen technique and where/how it will be conducted
✓Participants and recruiting: demographic/behavioral characteristics and how they'll be recruited
✓Schedule/Timeline: when it will occur and when results will be delivered

Optional components

○Budget and resources: incentive costs, equipment, travel, staff time
○Task list or scenarios: for usability tests, exact actions to be requested
○Metrics (Success metrics): quantitative and qualitative indicators to capture
○Risks and contingency plans: possible logistical or technical obstacles
○Expected outputs: final format for presenting findings

How to create it step by step

1Define the business problem: What business question needs answering?
2Formulate research questions: 3-5 specific questions the research will answer.
3Select methods: Choose the most appropriate methods (qual/quant, remote/in-person).
4Define participants: Recruitment profile, required quantity, selection criteria.
5Establish timeline: Planning → Recruitment → Execution → Analysis → Delivery.
6List deliverables: What you'll produce at the end (report, presentation, personas, etc.).

Tips for small teams

A 1-2 page plan is enough — don't make a 20-page document
Always include an 'anti-scope' (what this research does NOT include)
Share the draft with stakeholders to adjust expectations early
A reusable template saves 80% of time on future plans

Common mistakes

✗Defining the method before the problem (e.g., 'we want to do interviews' without knowing what to ask)
✗Not including a realistic timeline
✗Not defining success criteria (how will we know we answered the questions?)
✗Oversizing the scope

Quality criteria

✓Brief and concise: communicates 'who, what, when, where and why' in short format (one page)
✓Generates shared understanding: functions as social contract where everyone understands exactly what will be done
✓Provides traceability: systematically documents steps so study can be replicated months later
✓Flexible and adaptable: format adjusts to company culture (Wiki, management tools, simple document)

Authority quotes

“Every piece of user research is part of the ongoing project of understanding your users. Making a research plan details the objectives and establishes a schedule.”
— Observing the User Experience

“I've given up writing long research plans for stakeholders to approve. They simply don't read them. Instead, I write a short one-page online document.”
— Rian van der Merwe

“The test plan serves as a focal point and a main communication vehicle. The simple act of putting a plan on paper forces you to think about the exact resources needed.”
— Handbook of Usability Testing

Contextualized example

Context: Digital health startup wants to understand why users abandon onboarding.

Plan: Problem: 60% onboarding abandonment. Questions: At which step do they abandon? What confuses them? What did they expect? Method: 10 interviews + analytics analysis. Participants: users who abandoned in the last 30 days. Timeline: 3 weeks. Deliverables: Insights presentation + flow map with friction points.

Template available

Format: Google Docs$12 USD

Phase

discovery

Audience

product-teamstakeholders

Complexity

lower

Experience level

Beginner

Related deliverables

Free tool by UXR — UX Research Consulting in Chile