ResearchOps checklist template

A practical framework to streamline research operations, scale insights, and build sustainable research practices across your organization.

What is ResearchOps?

ResearchOps is the engine behind your research function—it powers the systems, people, and processes that make insight generation possible.

ResearchOps (Research Operations) refers to the people, processes, and platforms that support research at scale. It’s everything that happens behind the scenes—so researchers can focus on generating insights, not managing logistics.

This includes:

• Participant recruitment and management
• Tools and infrastructure for research execution
• Centralized knowledge repositories
• Legal, ethical, and compliance governance
• Team onboarding, training, and enablement

In short: everything that supports the practice of research behind the scenes.

Benefits of ResearchOps

Implementing ResearchOps can transform scattered research efforts into a high-impact, insight-driven function across your organization.

Organizations that implement ResearchOps see measurable improvements in:

• Efficiency – Streamlined workflows from planning to insight sharing
• Quality – Consistent, repeatable, and rigorous research practices
• Accessibility – Centralized knowledge, available across teams
• Compliance – Built-in privacy, consent, and ethical safeguards
• Impact – Insights that influence decisions at every level

What this template includes

This checklist helps you build or optimize your ResearchOps practice with clear, actionable steps. Whether you're just starting out or scaling mature operations, use this framework to align people, tools, and processes—without the chaos.

Use it to:

• Standardize research workflows
• Remove operational friction
• Embed ethics and compliance
• Build scalable knowledge systems
• Support team collaboration and training

How to use this template

Follow these five steps to assess your maturity, identify focus areas, and implement sustainable ResearchOps practices.

Step 1: Assess your current setup

• Audit existing tools, workflows, and pain points
• Get input from your researchers and stakeholders
• Identify where processes break down or get skipped

Step 2: Prioritize focus areas

• Pick what matters most to your org right now
• Balance low-effort wins with long-term gains
• Focus on fixing friction before scaling systems

Step 3: Build your roadmap

• Set milestones and clear ownership
• Break work into phases that align with goals
• Define what success looks like at each stage

Step 4: Implement, test, and improve

• Pilot systems before rolling out fully
• Gather feedback from users and collaborators
• Keep iterating based on real usage and needs

Step 5: Scale and sustain

• Formalize your frameworks and governance
• Build internal training and enablement
• Adapt your ResearchOps as your org evolves

Core components of ResearchOps

Each component of ResearchOps contributes to a seamless, end-to-end research system. Here’s how to break it down:

1) Participant management

Recruiting, managing, and supporting participants is foundational to running ethical, efficient research.

• Recruitment processes, screeners, and sourcing
• Centralized participant database
• Incentive management and privacy protocols
• Consent handling and ethical safeguards

2) Knowledge management

Turning research into reusable, searchable insights requires intentional systems and documentation.

• Research repository structure and metadata
• Documentation templates and reporting standards
• Insight distribution systems (alerts, newsletters)
• Searchability, tagging, and accessibility compliance

3) Tools & infrastructure

The right research tools—and how they connect—are critical to your team’s efficiency and scalability.

• Platform selection and tool standardization
• Integration with product/design workflows
• Access management and license controls
• Automation and template systems

4) Team enablement

Upskilling, training, and empowering your team ensures research is democratized and impactful across functions.

• Research playbooks and training programs
• DIY research resources for non-researchers
• Stakeholder collaboration and alignment
• Internal research advocacy and impact tracking

5) Governance & standards

Strong governance ensures research is ethical, compliant, and consistently high-quality—no matter the scale.

• Frameworks for methodology and prioritization
• Legal, privacy, and ethics compliance
• QA processes and output review
• Budget planning and resource allocation
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