research plan design and technology

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

Last updated

30 January 2024

Reviewed by

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

Get started today

Go from raw data to valuable insights with a flexible research platform

Editor’s picks

Last updated: 21 December 2023

Last updated: 16 December 2023

Last updated: 6 October 2023

Last updated: 5 March 2024

Last updated: 25 November 2023

Last updated: 15 February 2024

Last updated: 11 March 2024

Last updated: 12 December 2023

Last updated: 6 March 2024

Last updated: 10 April 2023

Last updated: 20 December 2023

Latest articles

What is UX Research: The Ultimate Guide for UX Researchers

0% complete

How to create a UX research plan (examples, tactics, and templates)

Conducting UX research without a plan is like moving to another country without knowing the language—confusing and exhausting.

To avoid wasting time and resources, it’s crucial to set achievable research goals and work on developing a research plan that’s clear, comprehensive, and aligned with your overarching business goals and research strategy.

A good UX research plan sets out the parameters for your research, and guides how you’ll gather insights to inform product development. In this chapter, we share a step-by-step guide to creating a research plan, including templates and tactics for you to try. You’ll also find expert tips from Paige Bennett, Senior User Research Manager at Affirm, and Sinéad Davis Cochrane, Research Manager at Workday.

What is a UX research plan?

A UX research plan—not to be confused with a UX research strategy —is a plan to guide individual user experience (UX) research projects.

It's a living document that includes a detailed explanation of tactics, methods, timeline, scope, and task owners. It should be co-created and shared with key stakeholders, so everyone is familiar with the project plan, and product teams can meet strategic goals.

While the UX research plan should be based on strategy, it’s not the same thing. A strategy is a high-level document that contains goals, budget, vision, and expectations. Meanwhile, a plan is a detailed document explaining how the team will achieve those strategic goals. In short, a strategy is a guide, but a plan is what drives action.

What are the benefits of using a UX research plan?

Conducting research without goals and parameters is aimless. A UX research plan is beneficial for your product, user, and business—by building a plan for conducting UX research, you can:

Streamline processes and add structure

Work toward specific, measurable goals, align and engage stakeholders, save time by avoiding rework.

The structure of a research plan allows you to set timelines, expectations, and task owners, so everyone on your team is aligned and empowered to make decisions. Since there’s no second guessing what to do next or which methods to use, you’ll find your process becomes simpler and more efficient. It’s also worth standardizing your process to turn your plan into a template that you can reuse for future projects.

When you set research goals based on strategy, you’ll find it easier to track your team’s progress and keep the project in scope, on time, and on budget. With a solid, strategy-based UX research plan you can also track metrics at different stages of the project and adjust future tactics to get better research findings.

“It’s important to make sure your stakeholders are on the same page with regards to scope, timeline, and goals before you start," explains Paige Bennett, Senior User Research Manager at Affirm. That's because, when stakeholders are aligned, they're much more likely to sign off on product changes that result from UX research.

A written plan is a collaborative way to involve stakeholders in your research and turn them into active participants rather than passive observers. As they get involved, they'll make useful contributions and get a better understanding of your goals.

A UX research plan helps you save time and money quite simply because it’s easier and less expensive to make design or prototype changes than it is to fix usability issues once the product is coded or fully launched. Additionally, having a plan gives your team direction, which means they won’t be conducting research and talking to users without motive, and you’ll be making better use of your resources. What’s more, when everyone is aligned on goals, they’re empowered to make informed decisions instead of waiting for their managers’ approval.

What should a UX research plan include?

In French cuisine, the concept of mise en place—putting in place—allows chefs to plan and set up their workspace with all the required ingredients before cooking. Think of your research plan like this—laying out the key steps you need to go through during research, to help you run a successful and more efficient study.

Here’s what you should include in a UX research plan:

A brief reminder of the strategy and goals
An outline of the research objectives
The purpose of the plan and studies
A short description of the target audience, sample size, scope, and demographics
A detailed list of expectations including deliverables, timings, and type of results
An overview of the test methods and a short explanation of why you chose them
The test set up or guidelines to outline everything that needs to happen before the study: scenarios, screening questions, and duration of pilot tests
Your test scripts, questions to ask, or samples to follow
When and how you’ll present the results
Cost estimations or requests to go over budget

Collect all UX research findings in one place

Use Maze to run quantitative and qualitative research, influence product design, and shape user-centered products.

How to create a UX research plan

Now we’ve talked through why you need a research plan, let’s get into the how. Here’s a short step-by-step guide on how to write a research plan that will drive results.

Define the problem statement
Get stakeholders’ buy-in
Identify your objectives
Choose the right research method
Recruit participants
Prepare the brief
Establish the timeline
Decide how you’ll present your findings

1. Define the problem statement

One of the most important purposes of a research plan is to identify what you’re trying to achieve with the research, and clarify the problem statement. For Paige Bennett , Senior User Research Manager at Affirm, this process begins by sitting together with stakeholders and looking at the problem space.

“We do an exercise called FOG, which stands for ‘Fact, Observation, Guess’, to identify large gaps in knowledge,” says Paige. “Evaluating what you know illuminates questions you still have, which then serves as the foundation of the UX research project.”

You can use different techniques to identify the problem statement, such as stakeholder interviews, team sessions, or analysis of customer feedback. The problem statement should explain what the project is about—helping to define the research scope with clear deliverables and objectives.

2. Identify your objectives

Research objectives need to align with the UX strategy and broader business goals, but you also need to define specific targets to achieve within the research itself—whether that’s understanding a specific problem, or measuring usability metrics . So, before you get into a room with your users and customers, “Think about the research objectives: what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and what you expect from the UX research process ,” explains Sinéad Davis Cochrane , Research Manager at Workday.

Examples of research objectives might be:

Learn at what times users interact with your product
Understand why users return (or not) to your website/app
Discover what competitor products your users are using
Uncover any pain points or challenges users find when navigating with your product
Gauge user interest in and prioritize potential new features

A valuable purpose of setting objectives is ensuring your project doesn't suffer from scope creep. This can happen when stakeholders see your research as an opportunity to ask any question. As a researcher , Sinéad believes your objectives can guide the type of research questions you ask and give your research more focus. Otherwise, anything and everything becomes a research question—which will confuse your findings and be overwhelming to manage.

Sinéad shares a list of questions you should ask yourself and the research team to help set objectives:

What are you going to do with this information?
What decisions is it going to inform?
How are you going to leverage these insights?

Another useful exercise to help identify research objectives is by asking questions that help you get to the core of a problem. Ask these types of questions before starting the planning process:

Who are the users you’re designing this for?
What problems and needs do they have?
What are the pain points of using the product?
Why are they not using a product like yours?

3. Get stakeholders buy-in

It’s good practice to involve stakeholders at early stages of plan creation to get everyone on board. Sharing your UX research plan with relevant stakeholders means you can gather context, adjust based on comments, and gauge what’s truly important to them. When you present the research plan to key stakeholders, remember to align on the scope of research, and how and when you’ll get back to them with results.

Stakeholders usually have a unique vision of the product, and it’s crucial that you’re able to capture it early on—this doesn’t mean saying yes to everything, but listening to their ideas and having a conversation. Seeing the UX research plan as a living document makes it much easier to edit based on team comments. Plus, the more you listen to other ideas, the easier it will be to evangelize research and get stakeholders to see the value behind it.

I expect my stakeholders to be participants, and I outline how I expect that to happen. That includes observing interviews, participating in synthesis exercises, or co-presenting research recommendations.

Paige Bennett , Senior User Research Manager at Affirm

4. Choose the right research method

Choose between the different UX research methods to capture different insights from users.

To define the research methods you’ll use, circle back to your research objectives, what stage of the product development process you’re in, and the constraints, resources, and timeline of the project. It’s good research practice to use a mix of different methods to get a more complete perspective of users’ struggles.

For example, if you’re at the start of the design process, a generative research method such as user interviews or field studies will help you generate new insights about the target audience. Or, if you need to evaluate how a new design performs with users, you can run usability tests to get actionable feedback.

It’s also good practice to mix methods that drive quantitative and qualitative results so you can understand context, and catch the user sentiment behind a metric. For instance, if during a remote usability test, you hear a user go ‘Ugh! Where’s the sign up button?’ you’ll get a broader perspective than if you were just reviewing the number of clicks on the same test task.

Examples of UX research methods to consider include:

Five-second testing
User interviews
Field studies
Card sorting
Tree testing
Focus groups
Usability testing
Diary studies
Live website testing

Check out our top UX research templates . Use them as a shortcut to get started on your research.

5. Determine how to recruit participants

Every research plan should include information about the participants you need for your study, and how you’ll recruit them. To identify your perfect candidate, revisit your goals and the questions that need answering, then build a target user persona including key demographics and use cases. Consider the resources you have available already, by asking yourself:

Do you have a user base you can tap into to collect data?
Do you need to hire external participants?
What’s your budget to recruit users?
How many users do you need to interact with?

When selecting participants, make sure they represent all your target personas. If different types of people will be using a certain product, you need to make sure that the people you research represent these personas. This means not just being inclusive in your recruitment, but considering secondary personas—the people who may not be your target user base, but interact with your product incidentally.

You should also consider recruiting research participants to test the product on different devices. Paige explains: “If prior research has shown that behavior differs greatly between those who use a product on their phone versus their tablet, I need to better understand those differences—so I’m going to make sure my participants include people who have used a product on both devices.”

During this step, make sure to include information about the required number of participants, how you’ll get them to participate, and how much time you need per user. The main ways to recruit testers are:

Using an online participant recruitment tool like Maze’s panel
Putting out physical or digital adverts in spaces that are relevant to your product and user
Reaching out to existing users
Using participants from previous research
Recruiting directly from your website or app with a tool like In-Product Prompts

5.1. Determine how you’ll pay them

You should always reward your test participants for their time and insights. Not only because it’s the right thing to do, but also because if they have an incentive they’re more likely to give you complete and insightful answers. If you’re hosting the studies in person, you’ll also need to cover your participants' travel expenses and secure a research space. Running remote moderated or unmoderated research is often considered to be less expensive and faster to complete.

If you’re testing an international audience, remember to check your proposed payment system works worldwide—this might be an Amazon gift card or prepaid Visa cards.

6. Prepare the brief

The next component of a research plan is to create a brief or guide for your research sessions. The kind of brief you need will vary depending on your research method, but for moderated methods like user interviews, field studies, or focus groups, you’ll need a detailed guide and script. The brief is there to remind you which questions to ask and keep the sessions on track.

Your script should cover:

Introduction: A short message you’ll say to participants before the session begins. This works as a starting point for conversations and helps set the tone for the meeting. If you’re testing without a moderator, you should also include an introductory message to explain what the research is about and the type of answers they should give (in terms of length and specificity).
Interview questions: Include your list of questions you’ll ask participants during the sessions. These could be examples to help guide the interviews, specific pre-planned questions, or test tasks you’ll ask participants to perform during unmoderated sessions.
Outro message: Outline what you'll say at the end of the session, including the next steps, asking participants if they are open to future research, and thanking them for their time. This can be a form you share at the end of asynchronous sessions.

It’s crucial you remember to ask participants for their consent. You should do this at the beginning of the test by asking if they’re okay with you recording the session. Use this space to lay out any compensation agreements as well. Then, ask again at the end of the session if they agree with you keeping the results and using the data for research purposes. If possible, explain exactly what you’ll do with their data. Double check and get your legal team’s sign-off on these forms.

7. Establish the timeline

Next in your plan, estimate how long the research project will take and when you should expect to review the findings. Even if not exact, determining an approximate timeline (e.g., two-three weeks) will enable you to manage stakeholders’ expectations of the process and results.

Many people believe UX research is a lengthy process, so they skip it. When you set up a timeline and get stakeholders aligned with it, you can debunk assumptions and put stakeholders’ minds at ease. Plus, if you’re using a product discovery tool like Maze, you can get answers to your tests within days.

8. Decide how you’ll present your findings

When it comes to sharing your findings with your team, presentation matters. You need to make a clear presentation and demonstrate how user insights will influence design and development. If you’ve conducted UX research in the past, share data that proves how implementing user insights has improved product adoption.

Examples of ways you can present your results include:

A physical or digital PDF report with key statistics and takeaways
An interactive online report of the individual research questions and their results
A presentation explaining the results and your findings
A digital whiteboard, like Miro, to display the results

In your plan, mention how you’ll share insights with the product team. For example, if you’re using Maze, you can start by emailing everyone the ready-to-share report and setting up a meeting with the team to identify how to bring those insights to life. This is key, because your research should be the guiding light for new products or updates, if you want to keep development user-centric. Taking care over how you present your findings will impact whether they’re taken seriously and implemented by other stakeholders.

Templates for UX research

Whether you’re creating the plan yourself or are delegating this responsibility to your team, here are six research templates to get started:

UX research plan template : This editable Miro research project plan example helps you brainstorm user and business-facing problems, objectives, and questions
UX research brief : You need a clear brief before you conduct UX research—Milanote shares a template that will help you simplify the writing process
User testing synthesis : Trello put together a sample board to organize user testing notes—you can use this as a guide, but change the titles to fit your UX research purposes
Usability testing templates : At Maze, we’ve created multiple templates for conducting specific UX research methods—this list will help you create different remote usability tests
Information architecture (IA) tests template : The way you organize the information in your website or app can improve or damage the user experience—use this template to run IA tests easily
Feedback survey templates : Ask users anything through a survey, and use these templates to get creative and simplify creation

Everything you need to know about UX research plans

We all know that a robust plan is essential for conducting successful UX research. But, in case you want a quick refresher on what we’ve covered:

Using a UX research strategy as a starting point will make your plan more likely to succeed
Determine your research objectives before anything else
Use a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods
Come up with clear personas so you can recruit and test a group of individuals that’s representative of your real end users
Involve stakeholders from the beginning to get buy-in
Be vocal about timelines, budget, and expected research findings
Use the insights to power your product decisions and wow your users; building the solution they genuinely want and need

UX research can happen at any stage of the development lifecycle. When you build products with and for users, you need to include them continuously at various stages of the process.

It’s helpful to explore the need for continuous discovery in your UX research plan and look for a tool like Maze that simplifies the process for you. We’ll cover more about the different research methods and UX research tools in the upcoming chapters—ready to go?

Elevate your UX research workflow

Discover how Maze can streamline and operationalize your research plans to drive real product innovation while saving on costs.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a UX research plan and a UX research strategy?

The difference between a UX research plan and a UX research strategy is that they cover different levels of scope and detail. A UX research plan is a document that guides individual user experience (UX) research projects. UX research plans are shared documents that everyone on the product team can and should be familiar with. The UX research strategy, on the other hand, outlines the high-level goals, expectations, and demographics of the discovery.

What should you include in a user research plan?

Here’s what to include in a user research plan:

Problem statement
Research objectives
Research methods
Participants' demographics
Recruitment plan
User research brief
Expected timeline
How to present findings

How do you write a research plan for UX design?

Creating a research plan for user experience (UX) requires a clear problem statement and objectives, choosing the right research method, recruiting participants and briefing them, and establishing a timeline for your project. You'll also need to plan how you'll analyze and present your findings.

Generative Research: Definition, Methods, and Examples

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

Next: Literature Review >>
Last Updated: Sep 20, 2023 5:05 PM
URL: https://risd.libguides.com/researchplan

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

Knowledge Base
Methodology

Research Design | Step-by-Step Guide with Examples

Published on 5 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 20 March 2023.

A research design is a strategy for answering your research question using empirical data. Creating a research design means making decisions about:

Your overall aims and approach
The type of research design you’ll use
Your sampling methods or criteria for selecting subjects
Your data collection methods
The procedures you’ll follow to collect data
Your data analysis methods

A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research aims and that you use the right kind of analysis for your data.

Step 1: consider your aims and approach, step 2: choose a type of research design, step 3: identify your population and sampling method, step 4: choose your data collection methods, step 5: plan your data collection procedures, step 6: decide on your data analysis strategies, frequently asked questions.

Introduction

Before you can start designing your research, you should already have a clear idea of the research question you want to investigate.

There are many different ways you could go about answering this question. Your research design choices should be driven by your aims and priorities – start by thinking carefully about what you want to achieve.

The first choice you need to make is whether you’ll take a qualitative or quantitative approach.

Qualitative research designs tend to be more flexible and inductive , allowing you to adjust your approach based on what you find throughout the research process.

Quantitative research designs tend to be more fixed and deductive , with variables and hypotheses clearly defined in advance of data collection.

It’s also possible to use a mixed methods design that integrates aspects of both approaches. By combining qualitative and quantitative insights, you can gain a more complete picture of the problem you’re studying and strengthen the credibility of your conclusions.

Practical and ethical considerations when designing research

As well as scientific considerations, you need to think practically when designing your research. If your research involves people or animals, you also need to consider research ethics .

How much time do you have to collect data and write up the research?
Will you be able to gain access to the data you need (e.g., by travelling to a specific location or contacting specific people)?
Do you have the necessary research skills (e.g., statistical analysis or interview techniques)?
Will you need ethical approval ?

At each stage of the research design process, make sure that your choices are practically feasible.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

Within both qualitative and quantitative approaches, there are several types of research design to choose from. Each type provides a framework for the overall shape of your research.

Types of quantitative research designs

Quantitative designs can be split into four main types. Experimental and quasi-experimental designs allow you to test cause-and-effect relationships, while descriptive and correlational designs allow you to measure variables and describe relationships between them.

With descriptive and correlational designs, you can get a clear picture of characteristics, trends, and relationships as they exist in the real world. However, you can’t draw conclusions about cause and effect (because correlation doesn’t imply causation ).

Experiments are the strongest way to test cause-and-effect relationships without the risk of other variables influencing the results. However, their controlled conditions may not always reflect how things work in the real world. They’re often also more difficult and expensive to implement.

Types of qualitative research designs

Qualitative designs are less strictly defined. This approach is about gaining a rich, detailed understanding of a specific context or phenomenon, and you can often be more creative and flexible in designing your research.

The table below shows some common types of qualitative design. They often have similar approaches in terms of data collection, but focus on different aspects when analysing the data.

Your research design should clearly define who or what your research will focus on, and how you’ll go about choosing your participants or subjects.

In research, a population is the entire group that you want to draw conclusions about, while a sample is the smaller group of individuals you’ll actually collect data from.

Defining the population

A population can be made up of anything you want to study – plants, animals, organisations, texts, countries, etc. In the social sciences, it most often refers to a group of people.

For example, will you focus on people from a specific demographic, region, or background? Are you interested in people with a certain job or medical condition, or users of a particular product?

The more precisely you define your population, the easier it will be to gather a representative sample.

Sampling methods

Even with a narrowly defined population, it’s rarely possible to collect data from every individual. Instead, you’ll collect data from a sample.

To select a sample, there are two main approaches: probability sampling and non-probability sampling . The sampling method you use affects how confidently you can generalise your results to the population as a whole.

Probability sampling is the most statistically valid option, but it’s often difficult to achieve unless you’re dealing with a very small and accessible population.

For practical reasons, many studies use non-probability sampling, but it’s important to be aware of the limitations and carefully consider potential biases. You should always make an effort to gather a sample that’s as representative as possible of the population.

Case selection in qualitative research

In some types of qualitative designs, sampling may not be relevant.

For example, in an ethnography or a case study, your aim is to deeply understand a specific context, not to generalise to a population. Instead of sampling, you may simply aim to collect as much data as possible about the context you are studying.

In these types of design, you still have to carefully consider your choice of case or community. You should have a clear rationale for why this particular case is suitable for answering your research question.

For example, you might choose a case study that reveals an unusual or neglected aspect of your research problem, or you might choose several very similar or very different cases in order to compare them.

Data collection methods are ways of directly measuring variables and gathering information. They allow you to gain first-hand knowledge and original insights into your research problem.

You can choose just one data collection method, or use several methods in the same study.

Survey methods

Surveys allow you to collect data about opinions, behaviours, experiences, and characteristics by asking people directly. There are two main survey methods to choose from: questionnaires and interviews.

Observation methods

Observations allow you to collect data unobtrusively, observing characteristics, behaviours, or social interactions without relying on self-reporting.

Observations may be conducted in real time, taking notes as you observe, or you might make audiovisual recordings for later analysis. They can be qualitative or quantitative.

Other methods of data collection

There are many other ways you might collect data depending on your field and topic.

If you’re not sure which methods will work best for your research design, try reading some papers in your field to see what data collection methods they used.

Secondary data

If you don’t have the time or resources to collect data from the population you’re interested in, you can also choose to use secondary data that other researchers already collected – for example, datasets from government surveys or previous studies on your topic.

With this raw data, you can do your own analysis to answer new research questions that weren’t addressed by the original study.

Using secondary data can expand the scope of your research, as you may be able to access much larger and more varied samples than you could collect yourself.

However, it also means you don’t have any control over which variables to measure or how to measure them, so the conclusions you can draw may be limited.

As well as deciding on your methods, you need to plan exactly how you’ll use these methods to collect data that’s consistent, accurate, and unbiased.

Planning systematic procedures is especially important in quantitative research, where you need to precisely define your variables and ensure your measurements are reliable and valid.

Operationalisation

Some variables, like height or age, are easily measured. But often you’ll be dealing with more abstract concepts, like satisfaction, anxiety, or competence. Operationalisation means turning these fuzzy ideas into measurable indicators.

If you’re using observations , which events or actions will you count?

If you’re using surveys , which questions will you ask and what range of responses will be offered?

You may also choose to use or adapt existing materials designed to measure the concept you’re interested in – for example, questionnaires or inventories whose reliability and validity has already been established.

Reliability and validity

Reliability means your results can be consistently reproduced , while validity means that you’re actually measuring the concept you’re interested in.

For valid and reliable results, your measurement materials should be thoroughly researched and carefully designed. Plan your procedures to make sure you carry out the same steps in the same way for each participant.

If you’re developing a new questionnaire or other instrument to measure a specific concept, running a pilot study allows you to check its validity and reliability in advance.

Sampling procedures

As well as choosing an appropriate sampling method, you need a concrete plan for how you’ll actually contact and recruit your selected sample.

That means making decisions about things like:

How many participants do you need for an adequate sample size?
What inclusion and exclusion criteria will you use to identify eligible participants?
How will you contact your sample – by mail, online, by phone, or in person?

If you’re using a probability sampling method, it’s important that everyone who is randomly selected actually participates in the study. How will you ensure a high response rate?

If you’re using a non-probability method, how will you avoid bias and ensure a representative sample?

Data management

It’s also important to create a data management plan for organising and storing your data.

Will you need to transcribe interviews or perform data entry for observations? You should anonymise and safeguard any sensitive data, and make sure it’s backed up regularly.

Keeping your data well organised will save time when it comes to analysing them. It can also help other researchers validate and add to your findings.

On their own, raw data can’t answer your research question. The last step of designing your research is planning how you’ll analyse the data.

Quantitative data analysis

In quantitative research, you’ll most likely use some form of statistical analysis . With statistics, you can summarise your sample data, make estimates, and test hypotheses.

Using descriptive statistics , you can summarise your sample data in terms of:

The distribution of the data (e.g., the frequency of each score on a test)
The central tendency of the data (e.g., the mean to describe the average score)
The variability of the data (e.g., the standard deviation to describe how spread out the scores are)

The specific calculations you can do depend on the level of measurement of your variables.

Using inferential statistics , you can:

Make estimates about the population based on your sample data.
Test hypotheses about a relationship between variables.

Regression and correlation tests look for associations between two or more variables, while comparison tests (such as t tests and ANOVAs ) look for differences in the outcomes of different groups.

Your choice of statistical test depends on various aspects of your research design, including the types of variables you’re dealing with and the distribution of your data.

Qualitative data analysis

In qualitative research, your data will usually be very dense with information and ideas. Instead of summing it up in numbers, you’ll need to comb through the data in detail, interpret its meanings, identify patterns, and extract the parts that are most relevant to your research question.

Two of the most common approaches to doing this are thematic analysis and discourse analysis .

There are many other ways of analysing qualitative data depending on the aims of your research. To get a sense of potential approaches, try reading some qualitative research papers in your field.

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population. Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research.

For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

Statistical sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population. There are various sampling methods you can use to ensure that your sample is representative of the population as a whole.

Operationalisation means turning abstract conceptual ideas into measurable observations.

For example, the concept of social anxiety isn’t directly observable, but it can be operationally defined in terms of self-rating scores, behavioural avoidance of crowded places, or physical anxiety symptoms in social situations.

Before collecting data , it’s important to consider how you will operationalise the variables that you want to measure.

The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts, and meanings, use qualitative methods .
If you want to analyse a large amount of readily available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how they are generated, collect primary data.
If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, March 20). Research Design | Step-by-Step Guide with Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 15 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/research-design/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Research Techniques pp 35–54 Cite as

Developing a Research Plan

Habeeb Adewale Ajimotokan 2
First Online: 20 September 2022

940 Accesses

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology ((BRIEFSAPPLSCIENCES))

The objectives of this chapter are to

Describe the terms research proposal and research protocol;

Specify and discuss the elements of research proposal;

Specify the goals of research protocol;

Outline preferable sequence for the different section headings of a research protocol and discuss their contents; and

Discuss the basic engineering research tools and techniques.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution .

Buying options

Available as PDF
Read on any device
Instant download
Own it forever
Available as EPUB and PDF
Compact, lightweight edition
Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

5StarEssays. (2020). Writing a research proposal—Outline, format and examples. In Complete guide to writing a research paper . Retrieved from https://www.5staressays.com/blog/writing-research-proposal

Walliman, N. (2011). Research methods: The basics . Routledge—Taylor and Francis Group.

Google Scholar

Olujide, J. O. (2004). Writing a research proposal. In H. A. Saliu & J. O. Oyebanji (Eds.), A guide on research proposal and report writing (Ch. 7, pp. 67–79). Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, Unilorin.

Thiel, D. V. (2014). Research methods for engineers . University Printing House, University of Cambridge.

Book Google Scholar

Mouton, J. (2001). How to succeed in your master’s and doctoral studies. Van Schaik.

Lues, L., & Lategan, L. O. K. (2006). RE: Search ABC (1st ed.). Sun Press.

Bak, N. (2004). Completing your thesis: A practical guide . Van Schaik.

Sadiku, M. N. O. (2000). Numerical techniques in electromagnetics . CRC Press.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

Habeeb Adewale Ajimotokan

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

About this chapter

Cite this chapter.

Ajimotokan, H.A. (2023). Developing a Research Plan. In: Research Techniques. SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13109-7_4

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-13109-7_4

Published : 20 September 2022

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-031-13108-0

Online ISBN : 978-3-031-13109-7

eBook Packages : Engineering Engineering (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Find a journal
Track your research

Professional Services
Creative & Design
See all teams
Project Management
Workflow Management
Task Management
Resource Management
See all use cases

Apps & Integrations

Microsoft Teams
See all integrations

Explore Wrike

Book a Demo
Take a Product Tour
Start With Templates
Customer Stories
ROI Calculator
Find a Reseller
Mobile & Desktop Apps
Cross-Tagging
Kanban Boards
Project Resource Planning
Gantt Charts
Custom Item Types
Dynamic Request Forms
Integrations
See all features

Learn and connect

Resource Hub
Educational Guides

Become Wrike Pro

Submit A Ticket
Help Center
Premium Support
Community Topics
Training Courses
Facilitated Services

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.

Mastering Production Scheduling: A Guide for Efficiency

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.

Get weekly updates in your inbox!

You are now subscribed to wrike news and updates.

Let us know what marketing emails you are interested in by updating your email preferences here .

Sorry, this content is unavailable due to your privacy settings. To view this content, click the “Cookie Preferences” button and accept Advertising Cookies there.

Research Plan

Define how to conduct a research activity by writing the protocol before starting., applied for.

Stakeholders

also called

Research Protocol

remember to

Include debriefing sessions in the schedule in order to make the work effective and avoid team burnout.

Grow with us! Share your case studies

The collection is always evolving, following the development of our practice. If you have any interesting tools or example of application to share, please get in touch.

This website uses cookies to collect anonymized usage statistics so that we can improve the overall user experience. If you want to know more or change your preferences, read our Cookie Policy . By clicking Accept you are giving consent to the use of cookies.

No, thank you.

Writing a Research Strategy

This page is focused on providing practical tips and suggestions for preparing The Research Strategy, the primary component of an application's Research Plan along with the Specific Aims. The guidance on this page is primarily geared towards an R01-style application, however, much of it is useful for other grant types as well.

Developing the Research Strategy

The primary audience for your application is your peer review group. When writing your Research Strategy, your goal is to present a well-organized, visually appealing, and readable description of your proposed project and the rationale for pursuing it. Your writing should be streamlined and organized so your reviewers can readily grasp the information. If it's a key point, repeat it, then repeat it again. Add more emphasis by putting the text in bold , or bold italics . If writing is not your forte, get help. For more information, please visit W riting For Reviewers .

How to Organize the Research Strategy Section

How to organize a Research Strategy is largely up to the applicant. Start by following the NIH application instructions and guidelines for formatting attachments such as the research plan section.

It is generally structured as follows:

Significance

For Preliminary Studies (for new applications) or a Progress Report (for renewal and revision applications).

You can either include preliminary studies or progress report information as a subsection of Approach or integrate it into any or all of the three main sections.
If you do the latter, be sure to mark the information clearly, for example, with a bold subhead.

Helpful tips to consider when formatting:

Organize using bold headers or an outline or numbering system—or both—that are used consistently throughout.
Start each section with the appropriate header: Significance, Innovation, or Approach.
Organize the Approach section around the Specific Aims.

For most applications, you need to address Rigor ous Study Design by describing the experimental design and methods you propose and how they will achieve robust and unbiased results. See the NIH guidance for elaboration on the 4 major areas of rigor and transparency emphasized in grant review. These requirements apply to research grant, career development, fellowship, and training applications.

Tips for Drafting Sections of the Research Strategy

Although you will emphasize your project's significance throughout the application, the Significance section should give the most details. The farther removed your reviewers are from your field, the more information you'll need to provide on basic biology, importance of the area, research opportunities, and new findings. Reviewing the potentially relevant study section rosters may give you some ideas as to general reviewer expertise. You will also need to describe the prior and preliminary studies that provide a strong scientific rationale for pursuing the proposed studies, emphasizing the strengths and weaknesses in the rigor and transparency of these key studies.

This section gives you the chance to explain how your application is conceptually and/or technically innovative. Some examples as to how you might do this could include but not limited to:

Demonstrate the proposed research is new and unique, e.g., explores new scientific avenues, has a novel hypothesis, will create new knowledge.
Explain how the proposed work can refine, improve, or propose a new application of an existing concept or method.

If your proposal is paradigm-shifting or challenges commonly held beliefs, be sure that you include sufficient evidence in your preliminary data to convince reviewers, including strong rationale, data supporting the approach, and clear feasibility. Your job is to make the reviewers feel confident that the risk is worth taking.

For projects predominantly focused on innovation and outside-the-box research, investigators may wish to consider mechanisms other than R01s for example (e.g., exploratory/developmental research (R21) grants, NIH Director's Pioneer Award Program (DP1), and NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program (DP2).

The Approach section is where the experimental design is described. Expect your assigned reviewers to scrutinize your approach: they will want to know what you plan to do, how you plan to do it, and whether you can do it. NIH data show that of the peer review criteria, approach has the highest correlation with the overall impact score. Importantly, elements of rigorous study design should be addressed in this section, such as plans for minimization of bias (e.g. methods for blinding and treatment randomization) and consideration of relevant biological variables. Likewise, be sure to lay out a plan for alternative experiments and approaches in case you get uninterpretable or surprising results, and also consider limitations of the study and alternative interpretations. Point out any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and precautions to be exercised. A full discussion on the use of select agents should appear in the Select Agent Research attachment. Consider including a timeline demonstrating anticipated completion of the Aims.

Here are some pointers to consider when organizing your Approach section:

Enter a bold header for each Specific Aim.
Under each aim, describe the experiments.
If you get result X, you will follow pathway X; if you get result Y, you will follow pathway Y.
Consider illustrating this with a flowchart.

Preliminary Studies

If submitting a new application to a NOFO that allows preliminary data, it is strongly encouraged to include preliminary studies. Preliminary studies demonstrate competency in the methods and interpretation. Well-designed and robust preliminary studies also serve to provide a strong scientific rationale for the proposed follow-up experiments. Reviewers also use preliminary studies together with the biosketches to assess the investigator review criterion, which reflects the competence of the research team. Provide alternative interpretations to your data to show reviewers you've thought through problems in-depth and are prepared to meet future challenges. As noted above, preliminary data can be put anywhere in the Research Strategy, but just make sure reviewers will be able to distinguish it from the proposed studies. Alternatively, it can be a separate section with its own header.

Progress Reports

If applying for a renewal or a revision (a competing supplement to an existing grant), include a progress report for reviewers.

Create a header so reviewers can easily find it and include the following information:

Project period beginning and end dates.
Summary of the importance and robustness of the completed findings in relation to the Specific Aims.
Account of published and unpublished results, highlighting progress toward achieving your Specific Aims.

Other Helpful Tips

Referencing publications.

References show breadth of knowledge of the field and provide a scientific foundation for your application. If a critical work is omitted, reviewers may assume the applicant is not aware of it or deliberately ignoring it.

Throughout the application, reference all relevant publications for the concepts underlying your research and your methods. Remember the strengths and weaknesses in the rigor of the key studies you cite for justifying your proposal will need to be discussed in the Significance and/or Approach sections.

Read more about Bibliography and References Cited at Additional Application Elements .

Graphics can illustrate complex information in a small space and add visual interest to your application. Including schematics, tables, illustrations, graphs, and other types of graphics can enhance applications. Consider adding a timetable or flowchart to illustrate your experimental plan, including decision trees with alternative experimental pathways to help your reviewers understand your plans.

Video may enhance your application beyond what graphics alone can achieve. If you plan to send one or more videos, you'll need to meet certain requirements and include key information in your Research Strategy. State in your cover letter that a video will be included in your application (don't attach your files to the application). After you apply and get assignment information from the Commons, ask your assigned Scientific Review Officer (SRO) how your business official should send the files. Your video files are due at least one month before the peer review meeting.

However, you can't count on all reviewers being able to see or hear video, so you'll want to be strategic in how you incorporate it into your application by taking the following steps:

Caption any narration in the video.
Include key images from the video
Write a description of the video, so the text would make sense even without the video.

Tracking for Your Budget

As you design your experiments, keep a running tab of the following essential data:

Who. A list of people who will help (for the Key Personnel section later).
What. A list of equipment and supplies for the experiments
Time. Notes on how long each step takes. Timing directly affects the budget as well as how many Specific Aims can realistically be achieved.

Jotting this information down will help when Creating a Budget and complete other sections later.

Review and Finalize Your Research Plan

Critically review the research plan through the lens of a reviewer to identify potential questions or weak spots.

Enlist others to review your application with a fresh eye. Include people who aren't familiar with the research to make sure the proposed work is clear to someone outside the field.

When finalizing the details of the Research Strategy, revisit and revise the Specific Aims as needed. Please see Writing Specific Aims .

comments Want to contact NINDS staff? Please visit our Find Your NINDS Program Officer page to learn more about contacting Program Officer, Grants Management Specialists, Scientific Review Officers, and Health Program Specialists.

Practice informed by high quality research is essential for the future of the subject. The Design and Technology Association runs a range of research initiatives.

Each year The Design and Technology Association allocates a proportion of its financial reserves specifically to support research in the field of Design and Technology. This support is manifested in a variety of initiatives. The Design and Technology Association Conferences included an opportunity for research professionals from institutions throughout the world to meet and present their latest work. All conference proceedings have been published and all papers, posters a02nd related resources are available through the links below.

Access to research material is available on the Liverpool John Moores University open access data repository . It contains a substantial number of papers dating back to the 1960s an includes all past papers from the Association’s Design and Technology Education: An International Journal, The Design and Technology Association’s International Research conferences.

Design and Technology Education: An International Journal

The Journal has been published three times a year since 1997, providing a wide range of leading research into Design and Technology to D&T Association members to reflect the changing face of modern Design and Technology education. All the papers published in Design and Technology Education: an International Journal (2005 onwards) and those published in earlier versions e.g. The Journal of Design and Technology Education (1996-2004) , Design & Technology Teaching (1989 - 1995) and Studies in Design, Craft and Technology (1970-1988) can be searched and freely downloaded from the links below.

To submit a paper for consideration for inclusion in the Journal follow this link where you can find guidelines and a paper preparation checklist.

Research Steering Group

The D&T Association Research Steering Group was launched in May 2021 to encourage and support D&T educational research. The group aims to connect teachers involved with, or interested in, D&T research; actively supporting members to engaging in practitioner enquiry. The group is comprised of teachers, teacher educators and association trustees; the founding members being Brendan Anglim (Ampleforth College), Alison Hardy (Nottingham Trent University), Matt McLain (Liverpool John Moores University), Lesley Morris (D&TA Chair of Trustees), Bill Nicholl (University of Cambridge), Tony Ryan (D&TA CEO), Daniela Schillaci (Presdales School), Kay Stables (Goldsmiths University of London), Rebecca Topps (St George’s Academy) and Debi Winn (Neale-Wade Academy). If you are interested in finding out more, contact Matt (group chair) on [email protected] .

Pupils' Attitudes Towards Technology (PATT) conference proceedings

Pupils Attitudes Toward Technology (PATT) is an international organisation, based in the Netherlands, that promotes research in technology education. PATT conferences are held annually around the globe, being hosted by a different university each year. Scholars from all over the world are invited to submit abstracts for presentation at these annual events. Papers of around 3000 words are produced by a wide range of practitioners, including researchers, teacher educators and teachers doing PhD's, being presented at the conference and published online in proceedings . In the USA these are hosted by the ITEEA .

D&T Association's own research

The comprehensive annual survey of Design and Technology education in schools and colleges, the Survey of Provision for Design and Technology is published by the D&T Association and contains detailed information on staffing, funding, resources, professional development, the curriculum, inspection and management through all phases of education.

Analysis of NPD, ILR and HESA Datasets for The Design and Technology Association

The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) was commissioned by The Design and Technology Association to undertake analysis of newly available datasets matched at the pupil level. Read more or download file below.

Due to the complexities of the datasets two sets of analyses were undertaken. The first looked at students that were identified as taking A level qualifications, either in school sixth forms or colleges of further education, and the second analysis looked at students that appeared on the ILR and took a qualification other than A levels. For both sets of students further analysis looked at subjects studied at Key Stage 4, the types of subject studied at A level or at college, and whether these students went on to university.

This report , as agreed, is primarily a set of tables identifying groups of students and their subject choices at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 and whether they enrolled at university.

Centre for Research In Primary Technology (CRIPT)

The Centre for Research In Primary Technology (CRIPT) conference ran from 1997 until 2009. Content included such topics as teacher training, planning delivery of D&T in primary schools, good classroom practice, information technology, links to other subjects, transition to secondary schools and the application of practical teaching and learning. Papers from all seven conferences have been uploaded into Associated Files.

IDATER Archive (International Conference on Design and Technology Education Research and Curriculum Development) (1998 – 2001), (2005 onwards)

Design and Technology Association International Research Conference Archives (2000 – )

NADE (National Association of Design Education) Archives (1992 – 2002)

Design and Technology Education: an international journal (2005 – )

Journal of Design and Technology Education (1996 – 2004)

Design and Technology Teaching (1989 – 1995)

Studies in Design Education, Craft & Technology (1970 – 1989)

Associated Files

Design and Technology (D&T) is the inspiring, rigorous and practical subject which prepares all young people to live and work in the designed and made world.

We are focused on giving you the tools, knowledge and information you need to become more effective, more experienced and more efficient. Giving you access to expert opinions. And creating a place where you can air your views, ask your questions and so help make a difference to your life and those of your pupils. We want to hear from you. We want to know how we can help. And we want you to join us.

Join now Learn more

Shop Products

Research Pack

Designing 123 pdf copy

Systems and Control Late KS3 Y9 Design and Make - Regulating greenhouse temperature

Enter the shop

Upcoming Events

Supporting your gcse students - full day april.

Yorkshire, 23rd April 2024

Essential Health & Safety for D&T Workshop Technicians (S12HS) - Initial Training Course(RS)

Leicestershire, 23rd April 2024

Woodsawing Machines (S1HS) - Initial Course Training (JP)

West Yorkshire, 23rd April 2024

Safe use of Portable Power Tools (S9HS) - Initial Training Course (MW)

Lancashire, 23rd April 2024

View all events

Instructional Design and Technology

Teaching Activities and Lesson Plans
Search Word Help
Books and E-Books
Key Journals
PK-12 Databases
Anti-Racism in Instructional Design and Technology
Ask Your Librarian
<< Previous: Key Journals
Next: PK-12 Databases >>
Last Updated: Mar 11, 2024 12:06 PM
URL: https://guides.libraries.uc.edu/instructional-technology

University of Cincinnati Libraries

PO Box 210033 Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0033

Phone: 513-556-1424

University of Cincinnati

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

U.S. DOT RD&T Strategic Plan (FY 2022-2026)–Building a Better Transportation Future for All

This U.S. Department of Transportation Research, Development, and Technology (RD&T) Strategic Plan presents the Department’s transportation research priorities and strategies for the next five years and beyond. The purpose of the Plan is to outline a national transportation research vision to guide America’s research priorities and improve coordination of transportation research. It defines the role of the Department’s RD&T programs to lead the transformation of our Nation’s transportation system in partnership with stakeholders.

MIT Technology Review

Newsletters

Taking AI to the next level in manufacturing

Reducing data, talent, and organizational barriers to achieve scale.

MIT Technology Review Insights archive page

In partnership with Microsoft

Few technological advances have generated as much excitement as AI. In particular, generative AI seems to have taken business discourse to a fever pitch. Many manufacturing leaders express optimism: Research conducted by MIT Technology Review Insights found ambitions for AI development to be stronger in manufacturing than in most other sectors.

Manufacturers rightly view AI as integral to the creation of the hyper-automated intelligent factory. They see AI’s utility in enhancing product and process innovation, reducing cycle time, wringing ever more efficiency from operations and assets, improving maintenance, and strengthening security, while reducing carbon emissions. Some manufacturers that have invested to develop AI capabilities are still striving to achieve their objectives.

This study from MIT Technology Review Insights seeks to understand how manufacturers are generating benefits from AI use cases—particularly in engineering and design and in factory operations. The survey included 300 manufacturers that have begun working with AI. Most of these (64%) are currently researching or experimenting with AI. Some 35% have begun to put AI use cases into production. Many executives that responded to the survey indicate they intend to boost AI spending significantly during the next two years. Those who haven’t started AI in production are moving gradually. To facilitate use-case development and scaling, these manufacturers must address challenges with talents, skills, and data. Following are the study’s key findings:

Talent, skills, and data are the main constraints on AI scaling. In both engineering and design and factory operations, manufacturers cite a deficit of talent and skills as their toughest challenge in scaling AI use cases. The closer use cases get to production, the harder this deficit bites. Many respondents say inadequate data quality and governance also hamper use-case development. Insufficient access to cloud-based compute power is another oft-cited constraint in engineering and design.
The biggest players do the most spending, and have the highest expectations. In engineering and design, 58% of executives expect their organizations to increase AI spending by more than 10% during the next two years. And 43% say the same when it comes to factory operations. The largest manufacturers are far more likely to make big increases in investment than those in smaller—but still large—size categories.
Desired AI gains are specific to manufacturing functions. The most common use cases deployed by manufacturers involve product design, conversational AI, and content creation. Knowledge management and quality control are those most frequently cited at pilot stage. In engineering and design, manufacturers chiefly seek AI gains in speed, efficiency, reduced failures, and security. In the factory, desired above all is better innovation, along with improved safety and a reduced carbon footprint.
Scaling can stall without the right data foundations. Respondents are clear that AI use-case development is hampered by inadequate data quality (57%), weak data integration (54%), and weak governance (47%). Only about one in five manufacturers surveyed have production assets with data ready for use in existing AI models. That figure dwindles as manufacturers put use cases into production. The bigger the manufacturer, the greater the problem of unsuitable data is.
Fragmentation must be addressed for AI to scale. Most manufacturers find some modernization of data architecture, infrastructure, and processes is needed to support AI, along with other technology and business priorities. A modernization strategy that improves interoperability of data systems between engineering and design and the factory, and between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), is a sound priority.

Artificial intelligence

Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. but nobody knows exactly why..

And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.

Will Douglas Heaven archive page

Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch

Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.

What’s next for generative video

OpenAI's Sora has raised the bar for AI moviemaking. Here are four things to bear in mind as we wrap our heads around what's coming.

The AI Act is done. Here’s what will (and won’t) change

The hard work starts now.

Melissa Heikkilä archive page

Stay connected

Get the latest updates from mit technology review.

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at [email protected] with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter

NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has completed 72 historic flights since first taking to the skies above the Red Planet.

Launch/Landing

Destination

Strapped to the Mars Perseverance rover's belly for the journey to Mars was a technology demonstration — the Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, which completed 72 historic flights and became the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet.

Meet Ingenuity

The legacy of ingenuity.

On April 19, 2021, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter made history when it completed the first powered, controlled flight on the Red Planet. It flew for the last time on January 18, 2024. Designed to be a technology demonstration that would make no more than five test flights in 30 days, the helicopter eventually completed 72 flights in just under 3 years, soaring higher and faster than previously imagined. Ingenuity embarked on a new mission as an operations demonstration, serving as an aerial scout for scientists and rover planners, and for engineers ready to learn more about Perseverance’s landing gear debris. In its final phase, the helicopter entered a new engineering demonstration phase where it executed experimental flight tests that further expanded the team’s knowledge of the vehicle’s aerodynamic limits.

Ingenuity Timeline

April 3, 2021.

Four Feet on Mars

April 4, 2021

Surviving the First Night

April 8, 2021

First Rotor Spin Tests

Black and white image of Ingenuity's shadow on Mars

April 19, 2021

First Flight

April 25, 2021

First Photo of Rover

May 7, 2021

Tech Demo Complete

July 5, 2021

Venturing to New Territory

July 24, 2021

First Scouting Flight

"South Séítah" region of Jezero Crater, captured by NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter

August 4, 2021

Another Rover Sighting

April 8, 2022

Setting the Distance Record

Debris Field From Perseverance Landing Gear Seen by Mars Helicopter

April 19, 2022

Sighting Rover's Landing Hardware

April 13, 2023

50 Flights and Beyond

Aerial view from the Mars Ingenuity helicopter

October 5, 2023

Setting the Altitude Record

An aerial view from the Ingenuity Helicopter on Mars

October 12, 2023

Setting the Groundspeed Record

A small helicopter sits on the surface of Mars

January 25, 2024

NASA's Ingenuity Helicopter Mission Ends

5 Things to Know

1. The first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet, a feat that's been called a "Wright Brothers moment." 2. Completed 128.8 flying minutes, covering 10.5 miles (17.0 kilometers), and reaching altitudes as high as 78.7 feet (24.0 meters). 3. Successfully flying in the extremely thin Martian atmosphere. 4. Previewing areas of Mars of possible interest for the Perseverance rover to explore. 5. Paved the way for future aerial explorers at Mars and, potentially, other space destinations.

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter extends vertically into place after being rotated outward from its horizontal position on the belly of the Perseverance rover

Helicopter Updates

Take a flight down memory lane to view archived mission updates provided by the Mars Helicopter team.

Flight Log by the Numbers: 72 flights, ~128.8 mins flight time, distance flown 11 miles/17 km, max ground speed 22.4 mph/10 m/s, highest altitude 24 meters/79 ft

Ingenuity Resources

From its first days on the Martian surface through its 72 historic flights, view images and videos of the helicopter's journey on Mars.

Perseverance Rover Stories

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Team Says Goodbye … for Now

Comet Geyser: Perseverance’s 21st Rock Core

The partially illuminated core is visible in this image of Perseverance’s coring bit. The diameter of the core is 1.3 cm.

Rock Sampled by NASA’s Perseverance Embodies Why Rover Came to Mars

Rover, Helicopter Locations in Jezero Crater

Unlocking the Martian Skies – Using Ingenuity as a Martian Testbed for Future Rotorcraft

NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover's mast and aids in driving.

Perseverance Pays off When Studying the Martian Atmosphere

Discover More Topics From NASA

James Webb Space Telescope

$The image is divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. Speckled across both portions is a starfield, showing innumerable stars of many sizes. The smallest of these are small, distant, and faint points of light. The largest of these appear larger, closer, brighter, and more fully resolved with 8-point diffraction spikes. The upper portion of the image is blueish, and has wispy translucent cloud-like streaks rising from the nebula below. The orangish cloudy formation in the bottom half varies in density and ranges from translucent to opaque. The stars vary in color, the majority of which have a blue or orange hue. The cloud-like structure of the nebula contains ridges, peaks, and valleys – an appearance very similar to a mountain range. Three long diffraction spikes from the top right edge of the image suggest the presence of a large star just out of view.$

Perseverance Rover

Parker Solar Probe

Directories

Project Info

Inverse design of passive and active microwave circuits, project goals and description:, more information:, primary contacts:, student preparation, qualifications, time commitment (hrs/wk), skills/techniques gained.

Use of commercial CAD tools for microwave design, such as Keysight ADS, Sonnet, Cadence AWR
Implementation of different optimization algorithms

MENTORING PLAN

Preferred student status.

The Federal Register

The daily journal of the united states government, request access.

Due to aggressive automated scraping of FederalRegister.gov and eCFR.gov, programmatic access to these sites is limited to access to our extensive developer APIs.

If you are human user receiving this message, we can add your IP address to a set of IPs that can access FederalRegister.gov & eCFR.gov; complete the CAPTCHA (bot test) below and click "Request Access". This process will be necessary for each IP address you wish to access the site from, requests are valid for approximately one quarter (three months) after which the process may need to be repeated.

An official website of the United States government.

If you want to request a wider IP range, first request access for your current IP, and then use the "Site Feedback" button found in the lower left-hand side to make the request.

The Key to Killing Swarms of Cheap Drones?

A nearly unstoppable microwave weapon.

Iranian and Chinese Drones Are Overwhelming American Warships—But This High-Tech Weapon Could Help Them Fight Back

Existing weapons cannot stop swarms. This new microwave blaster can.

The attack highlights the asymmetric warfare threatening U.S. military dominance. While America leads the way in high-end, “exquisite” military hardware, powers like Iran and China are churning out large numbers of low-cost attack drones to overwhelm those weapons. America’s opponents know that missiles are effective , but they simply aren’t sustainable in the long run.

Paul Scharre , Ph.D., executive vice president and director of studies at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), a Washington, D.C.-based defense think tank, has long warned that current weapons quickly become unaffordable against massed drones.

“Taking out a thousand-dollar drone with a million-dollar missile is not a cost-effective solution,” Scharre tells Popular Mechanics .

Such drones force warships to expend munitions, which could leave them open to attacks from larger anti-ship missiles . But not shooting down the drones is not an option.

“The goal of our potential opponents is to send over large numbers of cheap drones to deplete our kinetic arsenals,” Andrew Lowery , CEO of the Los Angeles, California-based high-tech weapon maker, Epirus, tells Popular Mechanics .

That’s why his company developed an alternate approach: a nearly unstoppable microwave weapon.

// Microwave Weaponry //

Epirus’ Leonidas Counter-Uncrewed Aerial System produces a powerful beam of microwaves, which generates currents inside electronic devices, causing them to overload. At best, electronics suffer temporary faults; at worst, components completely burn out. Either way, the microwave weapon effectively zaps drones out of the sky.

Unlike radio jammers , which confuse drone guidance or interfere with communications, the microwave weapon destroys them. Epirus first demonstrated Leonidas in 2020 and introduced the current third-generation model in 2022.

.css-2l0eat{font-family:UnitedSans,UnitedSans-roboto,UnitedSans-local,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.625rem;line-height:1.2;margin:0rem;padding:0.9rem 1rem 1rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-2l0eat{font-size:1.75rem;line-height:1;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-2l0eat{font-size:1.875rem;line-height:1;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-2l0eat{font-size:2.25rem;line-height:1;}}.css-2l0eat b,.css-2l0eat strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;}.css-2l0eat em,.css-2l0eat i{font-style:italic;font-family:inherit;} In 2021 tests, Leonidas brought down 66 out of 66 drone targets.

Rather than a traditional dish antenna, Leonidas’ emitter is a flat plate some ten feet across. This is because it’s based on an array of solid-state gallium nitride units, which resemble LEDs but produce radio waves rather than light. These emitters are more compact than the magnetrons used in traditional radar, and the technology is starting to take over in radar systems and 5G communications. A computer controller adjusts the output from each chip in the array to shape and steer the beam with high precision.

In 2021 tests, Leonidas brought down 66 out of 66 drone targets. In some tests, the system was challenged by multiple drones at once—and knocked them all out in one sweep.

Epirus has already delivered four Leonidas systems to the U.S. Army for evaluation. They could be ideal for tackling the waves of drones U.S. forces are now facing.

“The promise of directed energy for counter-drone applications is that, in principle, it could have a deeper magazine with a lower cost-per-shot than missiles,” Scharre explains. “We need cost-effective defenses to counter cheap drones.”

// Expensive Defenses, Cheap Attacks //

The Navy’s current long-range air-defense missile is the SM-6 Standard missile , a 3,300-pound beast that flies at Mach 3 and costs over $3 million. It can take out a jet fighter or cruise missile with ease from more than 150 miles away—but it’s overkill against a 400-pound drone puttering along at 100 miles per hour, costing just a few thousand dollars.

The next level of defense is the medium-range Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile . This is much smaller at 620 pounds, but still costs $1.5 million a shot.

The high costs means the U.S. Navy only acquires these missiles in small numbers, intended for defense against attack aircraft and anti-ship missiles. As such, the latest Navy budget includes just 125 SM-6 and 147 Sea Sparrow missiles.

an evolved sea sparrow missile launched from the aircraft carrier uss carl vinson

Some Navy ships have Phalanx rapid-fire gatling guns , but the guns are very much a last-ditch defense with a range of less than one mile. If one misses or malfunctions, there is no chance for a second attempt as there is with missiles. Zachary Kallenborn of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies warns that guns are not the full answer.

“Gun-based air defenses like the Gepard [used in Ukraine] have shown promise, though large numbers of drones may attack from multiple directions or otherwise overwhelm them,” Kallenborn tells Popular Mechanics .

The Houthi rebels attack with basic low-cost drones imported from Iran and assembled locally in garage workshops. They have years of experience in this type of warfare. When Saudi Arabia joined a coalition against then in 2015, the Houthis started lobbing small, long-range drones at Saudi oil facilities and other vulnerable high-value targets. The Saudis advanced air-defense systems—including Patriot missile batteries and F-15 jets supplied by the U.S.—shot down most of the drones. But some kept slipping through, sometimes setting oil storage sites ablaze.

In 2022, the Saudis agreed to a ceasefire . The Houthis continued to build their drone forces, and in November 2024, encouraged by their success against the Saudis, started launching missiles and drones at international cargo ships in the Red Sea, supposedly in support of Palestine.

Other Iranian clients, militant groups in Iraq, and elsewhere are launching similar drones at U.S. bases. In January 2024, three U.S. soldiers in Jordan were killed and 25 were injured in a drone attack launched by an Iranian-backed group.

Cheap drones are a growing problem, but microwave technology flips the cost equation. Instead of defense being unaffordable, it’s the attackers who will run out of weapons first.

“If they send a thousand drones over, and they enter the wall of energy our systems put out, we can knock them all out for about 25 cents a time,” Lowery says.

The Iranians are not the only threat. China has a formidable drone force , and is developing swarming attack drones to aid in a possible invasion of Taiwan. Tens or hundreds of drones could attack simultaneously—far too many for existing defenses to cope with. Lowery says their technology has a proven, publicly demonstrated ability to counter swarming drones.

// Kamikaze Robot Speedboats //

There are threats in the sea as well as in the air. The Houthis are also using sea drones —uncrewed speedboats packed with explosives—and have damaged cargo vessels with them.

Ukraine has used similar sea drones successfully against Russian warships in the Black Sea, carrying out a series of attacks against vessels at sea and in port. To many commentators’ surprise, Russian gunners had difficulty hitting the small craft with heavy machine guns and automatic cannons. But the drone boats are fast and agile and usually attack at night.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet has been decimated by these attacks, which have broken the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports. U.S. warships have fended off Houthi drone boats ... so far . The risk is that enough drone boats coming from different directions at once might still be a challenge, especially if combined with simultaneous aerial drones and missile attacks. Each drone boat costs around $100,000—much less than a missile.

Lowery says Epirus’ microwave technology is as effective against drone boats as aerial drones. The company will demonstrate this at the U.S. Navy’s annual Advanced Naval Technology Exercise Coastal Trident Program this summer, pitting Leonidas against drone speedboats. A Navy spokesman says the Trident exercise will help identify potential gaps in their defenses and possible solutions.

// Directed Energy Wars: Lasers Versus Microwaves //

Leonidas is not the only directed energy weapon on offer. The U.S. Navy has a long history of experimentation with high-energy lasers. In 2014, the USS Ponce was fitted with the 30-kilowatt Laser Weapon System (LaWS), and was cleared to use it defensively in the Persian Gulf. LaWS worked in trials, but was never fired in anger. After the Ponce retired in 2018, the Navy decided not to continue with LaWs due to the time taken to charge up before firing and difficulty producing a coherent beam.

The Navy is now working on a bigger, 150-kilowatt laser called HELIOS . But lasers have fundamental limitations.

“The environment—rain, smoke, fog, etc.—disrupts lasers, so they may not be very reliable, especially as lasers require some time on target to generate harm,” Kallenborn explains.

leonidas microwave weapon against a blue sky

A laser beam needs to focus on the target for long enough to do damage, a period known as the “dwell time.” Depending on the target, destruction might take several seconds, whereas a microwave beam works in a fraction of a second. A laser only focuses on one target at a time, but microwaves can fire a broad fan and knock out several targets with one sweep.

“Directed energy has promise, but I’m definitely more optimistic about microwave weapons than lasers,” Kallenborn says.

There are other microwave weapons, too, and the U.S. Air Force’s THOR system is a potential rival. But while Leonidas is a compact, solid-state system, THOR is based on magnetrons, an older technology, and takes up an entire shipping container.

“In terms of current HPM [High Power Microwave] weapons, there is nothing else in our class,” Lowery says.

// A Microwave Weapon Factory //

Leonidas is not a complete solution on its own, but will form part of a layered air defense method with radar, guns, and missiles. Lowery says the U.S. Army is currently considering plans to deploy one or more of its Leonidas units to active service this summer.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is under constant attack from Iranian-supplied Shahed drones launched by Russia. Hundreds of drones are coming in every month, and Ukraine does not have enough air-defense missiles to stop all of them. Ukraine’s mobile air-defense units with searchlights and machine guns have a good record of shooting down drones, but inevitably some get through. Leonidas might be a life-saver, and Lowery says his company is in active talks with the Department of Defense’s Ukraine task force.

And of course, the U.S. Navy might be interested in the technology to defend against drones, given the rate at which it’s expending missiles in the Red Sea. Lowery says that his company is ready to meet the demand, with a factory able to turn out three or four system per month as soon as they’re ordered.

Drone production is ramping up everywhere. Ukraine alone is planning to produce more than a million drones in 2024 for its war against Russia, even as Russia bombards Ukraine with increasing numbers of Shahed drones. Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping are not letting up, either. Iran recently unveiled advanced new drones, and China’s drone swarms are developing apace .

Existing weapons are not going to stop the coming swarm. New technology might—if it’s acquired and fielded rapidly enough.

“Directed energy weapons have the clear advantage of being low-cost per shot, as they do not require an expendable munition,” Kallenborn says. “Microwave weapons also can hit a broad area, allowing them to defeat numerous drones at once.”

It might be time to unleash the microwaves.

preview for Military Section Watch Next Playlist

.css-cuqpxl:before{padding-right:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;} Pop Mech Pro: Military .css-xtujxj:before{padding-left:0.3125rem;content:'//';display:inline;}

fujian aircraft carrier rendered in red and orange

This Is the Most Lethal Submarine in the Sea

The Most Expensive Plane Crash in History

Can America’s Aging F-16 Overpower Russia’s Su-35?

norway nato defence exercise trident juncture with marines driving lav 25 light mobility vehicles

Get to Know the Marines’ Favorite Ride

Meet the Navy’s New Radar-Killing Missile

greece france us cyprus bulgaria georgia defense

Could the U.S. Army Fight and Win Without Tanks?

Why This Armored Vehicle Is the Army’s Unsung Hero

a joby aviation, inc experimental electronic vertical take off and landing aircraft is parked at taxi way following a ground test at edwards air force base, california, sept 20 air force photo by harlan huntington

Why the U.S. Air Force Wants Flying Jeeps

a british army sniper team dressed in ghillie suits

Everything You Need to Know About Camouflage

a nuclear powered us navy submarine cruises into the navy

Can We Turn Subs Into Undersea Aircraft Carriers?

the aircraft carrier uss john c stennis cvn 74 fires a phalanx close in weapons system ciws in the atlantic ocean, sept 25, 2019 the john c stennis is underway conducting routine operations in support of commander, naval air force atlantic us navy photo by mass communication specialist 3rd class jarrod a schad

The Navy’s Killer Gatling Gun Finally Scored

IMAGES

How to Create a UX Research Plan [Free Template Inside]
8 Steps of Research Planning Process You Should Know
Top 10 Research Plan Templates with Samples and Examples
How to Create a UX Research Plan [Free Template Inside]
Research Design Plan Template Five Ingenious Ways You Can Do With
Research Design 101: A Guide To Planning Experiment Design

VIDEO

PANEL: Software Research Twenty Years On
What is research design? #how to design a research advantages of research design
Design, Technology And Innovation Week 3 Quiz Assignment Solution
Research Design
Need of research design and features of a good design
concepts in research design

COMMENTS

How to Write a Research Plan: A Step by Step Guide
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.
How To Write a Research Plan (With Template and Examples)
If you want to learn how to write your own plan for your research project, consider the following seven steps: 1. Define the project purpose. The first step to creating a research plan for your project is to define why and what you're researching. Regardless of whether you're working with a team or alone, understanding the project's purpose can ...
UX Research Plan: Examples, Tactics & Templates
A good UX research plan sets out the parameters for your research, and guides how you'll gather insights to inform product development. In this chapter, we share a step-by-step guide to creating a research plan, including templates and tactics for you to try. You'll also find expert tips from Paige Bennett, Senior User Research Manager at ...
Research Plan
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.
How to Write a Research Proposal
Research proposal examples. Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We've included a few for you below. Example research proposal #1: "A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management".
Research Design
Step 1: Consider your aims and approach. Step 2: Choose a type of research design. Step 3: Identify your population and sampling method. Step 4: Choose your data collection methods. Step 5: Plan your data collection procedures. Step 6: Decide on your data analysis strategies. Frequently asked questions.
Design Prototyping for Research Planning and Technological ...
Abstract. Research planning and technological development are part of our ongoing social and cultural development that can be shaped in a user-centred way with prototyping models from design. As an interdisciplinary form of communication, prototyping from design can create a collective understanding of the use of technology and enables the ...
Developing a Research Plan
4.2.1.5 Budget. The research project budget, also referred to as the total research cost, is an estimate of the required personnel allowances or costs, equipment costs, supplies or consumables including materials costs, combined with expenditures for travels and overhead charges, among others, for a set time.It is an essential element of the research proposal because the research plan is ...
PDF Developing a Research Plan
4.1 Introduction. Primarily, the focus of developing a research plan is to assist researchers with their engineering research project design or planning and guide them in the compila-tion of the required research tools and techniques. Often, these tools and tech-niques differ from one engineering discipline to the other.
User Research Plans: How-To Write [with Template]
The 7 core components of a user research plan: The background of the research project detailing why we are conducting this study. This can also include the internal stakeholders involved. The objectives and goals of the research, what the teams want to learn from the research, or what they would like the outcome to be.
What Is a Research Design
Step 1: Consider your aims and approach. Step 2: Choose a type of research design. Step 3: Identify your population and sampling method. Step 4: Choose your data collection methods. Step 5: Plan your data collection procedures. Step 6: Decide on your data analysis strategies. Other interesting articles.
Writing a Research Plan
The research plan, however, serves another, very important function: It contributes to your development as a scientist. Your research plan is a map for your career as a research science professional. As will become apparent later in this document, one of the functions of a research plan is to demonstrate your intellectual vision and aspirations.
Guiding Research Success with Effective Planning
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.
Write Your Research Plan
Review and Finalize Your Research Plan; Abstract and Narrative; Research Plan Overview and Your Approach. Your application's Research Plan has two sections: Specific Aims—a one-page statement of your objectives for the project. Research Strategy—a description of the rationale for your research and your experiments in 12 pages for an R01.
What is a Research Design? Definition, Types, Methods and Examples
Research design methods refer to the systematic approaches and techniques used to plan, structure, and conduct a research study. The choice of research design method depends on the research questions, objectives, and the nature of the study. Here are some key research design methods commonly used in various fields: 1.
Research Plan
The research plan is a document that clarifies how to approach the research, touching upon research goals, selected methodologies, types of participants and tools used, timeline and locations. This planning activity needs to be done upfront, before starting the actual research, and help maximizing the effort and modeling the activities in the ...
Writing a Research Strategy
This page is focused on providing practical tips and suggestions for preparing The Research Strategy, the primary component of an application's Research Plan along with the Specific Aims. The guidance on this page is primarily geared towards an R01-style application, however, much of it is useful for other grant types as well.
(Pdf) Writing a Research Plan
Specifically, the overall research plan includes the following steps: (1) investigating the appropriateness of industry projects in a required introduction to engineering design course ...
Methodology tutorial
1 Introduction. 2 Elements and place of the research plan. 3 Elements of a typical research plan. 3.1 Element: Your research subject. 3.2 Element: Objectives of your research. 3.3 Element: Theory (review of the literature) 3.4 Element: Research questions and/or hypothesis. 3.5 Element: Approach & methodology.
Research
Research. Each year The Design and Technology Association allocates a proportion of its financial reserves specifically to support research in the field of Design and Technology. This support is manifested in a variety of initiatives. The Design and Technology Association Conferences included an opportunity for research professionals from ...
Research Guides: Instructional Design and Technology: Teaching
University of Cincinnati Libraries . PO Box 210033 Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0033. Phone: 513-556-1424. Contact Us | Staff Directory
U.S. DOT RD&T Strategic Plan (FY 2022-2026)-Building a Better
The purpose of the Plan is to outline a national transportation research vision to guide America's research priorities and improve coordination of transportation research. It defines the role of the Department's RD&T programs to lead the transformation of our Nation's transportation system in partnership with stakeholders.
Taking AI to the next level in manufacturing
This study from MIT Technology Review Insights seeks to understand how manufacturers are generating benefits from AI use cases—particularly in engineering and design and in factory operations ...
Ingenuity Mars Helicopter
Meet Ingenuity Key Facts Launch July 30, 2020, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida Landed Feb. 18, 2021, Jezero Crater, Mars Length of mission Technology demonstration completed; transitioned to new operations demo phase. Mission completed on Jan. 25, 2024. Tech Specs Mass 3.97 pounds (1.8 kilograms) Weight 4 pounds on Earth (1.81 kilograms on Mars); […]
Inverse design of passive and active microwave circuits
In this project we will advance in the automation of the design process of RF and microwave circuits, by leveraging optimization algorithms and inverse design approaches. A similar approach has been recently developed for photonic integrated circuits, but remains largely unexplored in the RF domain. We expect to develop a framework in Matlab ...
Reverse Engineering of Building Layout Plan through Checking the
Among smart construction technologies, 3D laser scanning technology is used in a variety of applications, including progress measurement, quantity management, reverse engineering (RE), health monitoring, mechanical electronic plumbing (MEP), and so on, using point clouds data (PCD) in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) field. This technology is one of the important data ...
Notice of NITRD Workshop on the National Spectrum Research and
The Workshop on the National Spectrum R&D Plan will be co-located with NSF Spectrum Week and will take place on May 17, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (ET), at the Hilton Arlington National Landing, 2399 Richmond Hwy., Arlington, VA 22202. Instructions: Registration is required for in-person attendance; remote viewing will be available via ...
Full article: Financial security of tutors in Ghanaian colleges of
1. Introduction. The Education 2030 Framework for Action and SDG4 are both supported by this assessment frame-work (Oteng et al., Citation 2023).Quality education depends on well-educated and competent teachers who can deliver appropriate content to learners (Siraj et al., Citation 2019 as cited in Oteng, Mensah, & Osei, Citation 2023).Quality education is most likely achievable when the ...
The U.S. Developed a Nearly Unstoppable Microwave Weapon
Existing weapons cannot stop swarms. This new microwave blaster can. n March 27, 2024, a U.S. warship in the Red Sea detected four radar tracks headed directly its way from Yemen. It fit the tell ...