Research Ops Guide

How to plan, recruit, run, and operationalize user research — even if you don't have a dedicated research team. This guide covers the practical logistics of doing research consistently, not just the methodology.

Part 1: Planning a Research Study

Research Planning Canvas

Use this one-page canvas to scope any research study before you start. Fill it out in 15 minutes.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    RESEARCH PLANNING CANVAS                   │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                              │
│  RESEARCH QUESTION                                           │
│  What are we trying to learn?                                │
│  ____________________________________________________________│
│  ____________________________________________________________│
│                                                              │
│  BUSINESS CONTEXT                                            │
│  What decision will this research inform?                    │
│  ____________________________________________________________│
│  What happens if we DON'T do this research?                  │
│  ____________________________________________________________│
│                                                              │
│  METHOD          │  PARTICIPANTS      │  TIMELINE            │
│  [ ] Interviews  │  Segment:_________ │  Planning: __ days   │
│  [ ] Surveys     │  Count: __________  │  Recruiting: __ days │
│  [ ] Usability   │  Criteria:_________ │  Sessions: __ days   │
│  [ ] Analytics   │  __________________ │  Analysis: __ days   │
│  [ ] Other:_____ │  Recruiting from:   │  Report: __ days     │
│                  │  __________________ │                      │
│                                                              │
│  HYPOTHESES (what do we think we'll find?)                   │
│  1. ________________________________________________________│
│  2. ________________________________________________________│
│  3. ________________________________________________________│
│                                                              │
│  STAKEHOLDERS (who needs to see results?)                    │
│  ____________________________________________________________│
│                                                              │
│  DELIVERABLES (what format will results take?)               │
│  [ ] Slide deck  [ ] Written report  [ ] Video highlights    │
│  [ ] Personas    [ ] Journey map     [ ] Recommendations doc │
│                                                              │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Choosing the Right Method

Part 2: Participant Recruitment

Where to Find Participants

Recruitment Email Template

Subject: Help shape [product] — 30-minute feedback session ($[incentive])

Hi [Name],

I'm [your name] from the [product] team. We're working on improving
[specific area], and we'd love your perspective as someone who
[relevant qualification — uses the feature, is in the target role, etc.].

What's involved:
- A 30-minute video call at a time that works for you
- I'll ask about your experience with [topic] — no preparation needed
- Your feedback directly influences what we build next

As a thank you, you'll receive [incentive — $50 gift card, 1-month free,
etc.].

Would any of these times work for you?
[Include 4-5 specific time slots across 2 weeks]

Thanks,
[Your name]

Screening Criteria Template

Before scheduling, confirm participants match your target:

Screening Questionnaire

1. What is your current role/title? ___
   [Pass if: matches target persona role]

2. How long have you been in this role? ___
   [Pass if: meets experience requirement]

3. Do you currently use [product/competitor/type of tool]? ___
   [Pass if: matches usage criteria]

4. How often do you [relevant activity]?
   [ ] Daily  [ ] Weekly  [ ] Monthly  [ ] Never
   [Pass if: frequency meets minimum threshold]

5. What is your company size?
   [ ] 1-10  [ ] 11-50  [ ] 51-200  [ ] 201-1000  [ ] 1000+
   [Pass if: matches target company size]

Part 3: Session Logistics

Before Each Session

• [ ] Confirm participant 24 hours in advance (send a reminder with the video call link)
• [ ] Test your recording setup (screen share, audio, video)
• [ ] Have the interview guide / test script open and accessible
• [ ] Have a backup plan if the participant doesn't show (have a waitlist participant)
• [ ] Brief your note-taker on what to focus on
• [ ] Close unnecessary browser tabs and notifications (your screen might be shared)
• [ ] Prepare any prototypes, mockups, or materials you'll show

Consent Script

Always get consent before recording. This protects you and builds trust.

"Before we begin, I want to confirm a few things:

1. This session will be recorded for internal use only. The recording helps our team review your feedback accurately. Is that okay with you?

2. Your participation is voluntary. You can skip any question or stop at any time.

3. Your feedback will be anonymized in any reports we create. We won't attach your name to specific quotes without your permission.

4. [If applicable] We may use anonymized quotes in internal presentations. Is that okay?

Can I go ahead and start recording?"

No-Show Protocol

Expected no-show rate: 15-25%. Schedule 6-7 participants to get 5 completed sessions.

Part 4: Incentive Guidelines

When Incentives Aren't Needed

• Existing power users who are passionate about the product (they want to be heard)
• Beta testers (access to unreleased features IS the incentive)
• Internal users at your company (part of their job)

Part 5: Building a Research Cadence

Recommended Research Rhythm

Research Insights Repository

Keep all your research accessible and searchable. Structure:

research/
├── 2025/
│   ├── Q1/
│   │   ├── 2025-01-discovery-onboarding-pain/
│   │   │   ├── research-plan.md
│   │   │   ├── session-notes/
│   │   │   │   ├── P01-notes.md
│   │   │   │   ├── P02-notes.md
│   │   │   │   └── ...
│   │   │   ├── synthesis.md
│   │   │   └── report.md
│   │   └── 2025-02-usability-new-dashboard/
│   │       └── ...
│   └── Q2/
│       └── ...
├── personas/
│   ├── power-user.md (updated quarterly)
│   └── new-adopter.md (updated quarterly)
├── journey-maps/
│   └── trial-to-paid.md (updated biannually)
└── surveys/
    ├── 2025-Q1-nps-results.csv
    └── 2025-Q1-feature-satisfaction.csv

Sharing Research Internally

Research that nobody reads is wasted effort. Make it visible:

1. Monthly insights email/Slack post — 3-5 bullet points of what you learned. Include one compelling quote and one data point. Link to the full report for those who want details.

2. Pin key personas in your team channel. Reference them in PRDs: "For Focused Fiona, this feature needs keyboard shortcuts."

3. Invite stakeholders to observe sessions. Watching a real user struggle is more persuasive than any slide deck. Limit observers to 1-2 per session (more than that intimidates participants).

4. Create a "Research Highlights" page that's always up-to-date with the latest findings. Update it after every study.

5. Present at team all-hands quarterly. 10-minute lightning talk: "Here's what we learned from users this quarter." Include video clips if you have recorded sessions.

Part 6: Common Pitfalls

Research Planning Canvas

A one-page planning tool for scoping any user research study. Fill this out before starting recruitment. It takes 15 minutes and saves you hours of unfocused research.

Study Information

Research Question

The single most important question this study will answer. If you can't write it in one sentence, your study is too broad.

Primary question:

[What are we trying to learn? Be specific.]

Secondary questions (2-3 max):

1. [Additional question]

2. [Additional question]

3. [Additional question]

Business Context

What decision will this research inform?

[E.g., "Whether to redesign the onboarding flow or improve the existing one."]

Who is the decision-maker?

[E.g., "VP of Product — needs this input before Q2 planning."]

What happens if we DON'T do this research?

[E.g., "We'll redesign based on assumptions, risking 6 weeks of engineering time on the wrong approach."]

Deadline for results:

[E.g., "Findings needed by March 1 to influence Q2 roadmap decisions."]

Hypotheses

What do you believe you'll find? Writing hypotheses before research makes your findings more rigorous — you'll know whether your assumptions were validated or invalidated.

Method Selection

Participant Plan

Timeline

Materials Needed

• [ ] Interview guide / test script (from templates/)
• [ ] Prototype or mockup (if testing concepts/usability)
• [ ] Screening questionnaire
• [ ] Consent script
• [ ] Recording setup tested
• [ ] Note-taking template
• [ ] Participant tracking spreadsheet
• [ ] Incentive fulfillment plan

Stakeholders

Deliverables

Post-Study Checklist

• [ ] All sessions completed and debriefed
• [ ] Observations extracted and affinity-mapped
• [ ] Insights written (observation + interpretation)
• [ ] Recommendations prioritized (impact vs. effort)
• [ ] Report shared with stakeholders
• [ ] Personas updated with new findings
• [ ] Findings logged in research repository
• [ ] Follow-up research questions identified
• [ ] Retrospective: what would you do differently next time?