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This is research. We mean, of everything you're doing as a UXRr, this document — the Research Protocol — is your go-to guide during the actual moments of conducting research. Everything else is either set-up or follow-through. But the Research Protocol means business when it comes to the day and time of generating the actual raw user data you'll need to do your job. Consider it your handbook for research execution.
If raw user data is the gasoline that fuels the fire of the sense-making, the Research Protocol is drill, pump, and refinery all-in-one.
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Once utilized to it's fullest intent, the Research Protocol will have guided you through the creation of quality user data (feedback, commentary, ideas, reactions, etc.). You can then move on to figuring out how to analyze user data for key insights, which are the essential building blocks of meaning when determining how best to synthesize insight themes, all of which is succeeded by the process of deciding how to prioritize UX recommendations for maximum impact 💥.
In this article, we'll walk you through what's a UX Research Protocol, why they're important, 3 unique components make them up, and where it fits into the broader UXR process. Whether you're seated across the table from a real user, or you're trying to layout and launch an unmoderated study, the Research Protocol is your bestie 😬😊.
View related UXR best practices to learn more about the execute phase. See 25 Great Questions to Ask in User Interviews for how to compose intuitive questions that elicit valuable feedback, and Top-10 Reasons for Unmoderated UX Research 🙌 for why and how to run un-moderated user tests.
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Research Protocols are tactical, practical field guides for how to navigate conducting of user research. They specify with whom you'll research, how, which questions to address, and in what order.
If the UXR Project Brief is a contract with yourself and team, the Research Protocol is your contract with how to conduct actual research 🔬. Alternative names might include: research guide, research plan, interview guide, interview protocol, interview plan, etc.
There's not a lot of fancy footwork with Research Protocols. They're form factor is usually a simple Word or Google doc 📄 containing sentences, paragraphs, and bullet-points, without much in the way of visuals. Not meant to impress, Research Protocols do best when they do their job well. And the job of a Research Protocol is to be your field guide — a practical, tactical guide — on how to navigate user interviews, observations, and intercepts in a well-organized manner.
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Research Protocols are important to the UXR process because they provide an easy reference — for all stakeholders — to maintain focus and clarity before, during, and after user research studies.
First, Research Protocols nail down the approach in advance. Protocols help focus attention on the details. It's best not to leave drafting interview questions and tasks to the last minute. Planning it out thoughtfully 🤔, ahead of time, yields 3x better results. Much needed time to work out the kinks, devise optimal flows, and ensure all objectives of the plan are covered. Additionally, Research Protocols help with stakeholder buy-in and collaboration upfront, as others can fully understand the written process and add their input to course correct.
Second, without a protocol in-hand, things get too loosey-goosey in the red zone 🎯. You might overlook key facets of whom you're trying to recruit, set up conversations poorly, or accidentally skip over high-priority research tasks. Research Protocols are a field guide to consistent and comprehensive research studies. Keep them handy for yourself, and fellow stakeholders, when interviewing / observing users to maintain a structured approach to UXR.
Third, Research Protocols allow for easy referencing after studies conclude 👀. You might want to borrow similar questions, re-use screening criteria, or copy-and-paste user scenarios for future user research studies. Well, having it all written down in the first place is a good way to save time and energy later. This serves as an initial step to standardizing your research approach, and creating UXR operational efficiencies. As you finish more and more research studies, you can begin to templatize aspects that commonly repeat across your Research Protocols.
Building a Research Protocol marks the first step within the Execution phase of a UXR project. You're now beginning to execute against your project and build out the field research guide. Grab a coffee, open a blank document (better yet, a Research Protocol template), surface a few prior examples, and drill through the components.
In addition to the research goal & objectives, which are 4 existing components from the brief, the 3 unique components of a Research Protocol include:
What's the context for research? The business and research context is not unique to the Research Protocol. This information is crafted and housed within the 10 Components of a UXR Project Brief 💼. However, this is vital context and a useful lead-in to the 3 unique components of a Research Protocol.
Leverage (copy & paste) 4 existing components from the Project Brief: project name, stakeholder list, research goal, and objectives. Because it's good stuff! This basic information sets the mindset for tackling the rest of the protocol.
Relevant, succinct, and direction-setting are all reasons to include these 4 components as standard, starter fodder.
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With whom are we researching? This is the 1st of 3 unique components the Research Protocol will build out. In the brief, the target participants were outlined at a high-level. Screening criteria double clicks on that topic, and details specific variables that allow one to identify participants effectively.
Usually, 5–10 key variables do a good job of screening in/out target users. Consider elements such as their job, age, experience, skills, business, interactions, etc. Depending on the context, you'll decipher how best to recruit for users, and which criteria are most important ☝️.
Also consider having a hierarchy of criteria. Perhaps you're more lenient on some than others. Make sure you screen for best possible user candidates, but leave wiggle room for users who are 'good enough'. There's always a trade off in terms of time to recruit vs. perfect users. Remember, good enough can be just that in many circumstances.
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How are we setting the stage? Research Protocols layout out how you'll introduce the research premise when the moment arrives. This is not a very intensive section, but an important one. Reason being that starting on the right foot 🦶 with users is critical.
The user scenario simply provides context to the participants in a short and sweet manner as to why they're here, what we're looking for, and in which mindset they ought to be. This can be done well, or poorly. And it makes all the difference in eliciting quality user feedback.
Think of this as the hook. Don't use complicated terminology. Keep it simple. Frame it from a user-centered point of view. Do all that in 1–2 sentences and you'll be golden.
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What are we going to ask / observe / solicit? Research Protocols detail exactly which questions to explore, and in what order. This section is the meat of the the Research Protocol. Everything up until this point was setting the stage. The User tasks are your talking points, key questions, transitions, and more in the heat of research.
This component is so important to the overall success, that we've created a breakout article to address it specifically. See our 6-Step Guide to Drafting UX Research Tasks ✏️. Within this article we provide a 6-step framework and 7 tips for writing user research tasks from start to finish.
To summarize the article, there's a common arc we've curated to task-writing that saves time, and best focuses users' attention. It starts high-level, drills down, zooms out, double clicks, reflects, and summarizes. All of this is meant to produce high-quality user feedback that can then be analyzed and synthesized for insights, themes, and recommendations.
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UX Research Protocols exist within the Execution phase of a UXR project. As we learned, the Execution phase is all about getting to work.
This phase is where the research material is crafted and created. The protocol is the first step into bonafide research activities. It being the field guide to conducting actual user sessions. From the user sessions will come the raw user data that can be put through the remainder of the sense-making processes.
See our end-to-end UX research project guide to learn more about the additional phases that follow Execution.
Need help getting started? Check out our online repository of user experience research templates. This UXR toolbox has specific templates for all phases of a UX research project. Examples include a UXR project brief template to get research projects started, a user insight theme presentation document to deliver actionable insights and recommendations to Product teams, and a UX recommendation prioritization framework for increasing Product adoption and action.
Looking for other UXR templates and tools? We've got more, but they might not be published yet. Reach out to us @TurboUXR to start a conversation about which UX research ops process you're looking for guidance. We'd be happy to tailor a template or work with you to create something wholly new ✨.
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