Process
Toolkit
Templates like the ones I've built to run research operations. The originals hold confidential information, so these are rebuilt with made-up data.
Try the triage
Triage came down to a few questions about each request. Try one of your own and see where it would land.
The routing behind the intake process I ran at Reddit and Credit Karma.
Where it goes
- Already answered
- Self-serve research
- Rapid research
- Embedded research
Answer the questions to see the route.
Research intake form
Every research question came through one form, so nothing lived in DMs and every request could be triaged, tagged and tracked in Jira.
Based on my work at Reddit.
Sample with made-up data
Requesting team
e.g. Growth, Ads, Community
Point of contact
Who we follow up with
What do you want to learn?
One question, in plain language
What decision will this inform?
And what happens if we don't answer it
Needed by
Date the decision gets made
Who should we hear from?
- Current users
- Non-users
- Both
- Not sure
Have you checked the research library?
- Yes, nothing covers it
- Yes, partially covered
- Not yet
How requests were triaged
- Answerable in one to two weeks? Route to Rapid Research.
- Bigger, strategic or generative? Route to the embedded researcher's roadmap.
- Already answered? Link the existing study and close.
Vendor and contract spend tracker
Every vendor and contractor contract was logged before it was signed, and every purchase against it, so research leaders could see committed and remaining budget by category at any moment.
Based on my work at Meta.
Sample with made-up data
| Category | Vendor | Contract | Committed | Spent | Remaining | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiting | Recruiting vendor A | Annual contract | $240,000 | $162,000 | $78,000 | On track |
| Recruiting | Panel provider B | Statement of work | $90,000 | $81,000 | $9,000 | Watch |
| Tooling | Research platform C | Annual license | $150,000 | $150,000 | $0 | Renewal due |
| Contractors | Contract researchers (3) | 6-month contracts | $310,000 | $140,000 | $170,000 | On track |
| Hardware | Test devices | Purchase orders | $60,000 | $44,000 | $16,000 | On track |
| Off-sites | Team planning off-site | One-time | $35,000 | $0 | $35,000 | On track |
| Total against $1,000,000 budget | $885,000 | $577,000 | $308,000 | 89% committed | ||
In-person research checklist
In-person research needed rules that didn't exist yet. This checklist turned the policy into steps a researcher could follow, with an owner for each.
Based on my work at Credit Karma.
Sample with made-up data
Before the session
- Study plan approved against research ethics guidelinesResearcher
- Consent form and NDA sent and signedResearch ops
- Room booked and set upOffice operations
- Visitor access registered for each participantBuilding security
- Directions, parking and accessibility needs sharedResearch ops
- Incentives ready to issueResearch ops
Day of
- Participants checked in and escortedResearch ops
- Recording consent confirmed on cameraResearcher
- Devices and recordings kept on approved equipment onlyResearcher
- Observers briefed on confidentialityResearcher
After
- Recordings and notes stored per retention policyResearcher
- Incentives issued and loggedResearch ops
- Participant tracker updated to prevent over-recruitingResearch ops
- Room reset and access closed outOffice operations
Participant data request workflow
When a participant asks for their data or asks to be deleted, every system holding it has to respond. This workflow made that automatic and auditable.
Based on my work at Robinhood.
Sample with made-up data
- 1
Request received
Through a single form or email alias, logged with a due date
- 2
Identity verified
Confirm the requester is the participant
- 3
Data located
Search every system that holds participant data
- 4
Export or delete
Automated where possible, by each owning team where not
- 5
Owners confirm
Each team signs off that it's done
- 6
Logged and closed
Response sent, record kept for audits
| Data | Where it lives | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Session recordings | Research platform | Deleted after the set retention period |
| Contact details | Recruiting tool | Kept while opted in, removed on request |
| Consent and NDA forms | Document store | Kept as long as policy requires |
| Survey responses | Survey tool | De-identified after analysis |
| Incentive records | Payments vendor | Kept per finance policy |