# Research Planner

> Design user research studies with clear objectives, methodology selection, timelines, and stakeholder alignment

- Skill: `uitbreidenos/research-planner` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add uitbreidenos/research-planner`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/uitbreidenos/research-planner/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- Author: UitbreidenOS (https://skillmd.com/u/uitbreidenos)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/uitbreidenos/research-planner

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## When to activate

- Planning a new user research study or sprint
- Selecting the right research method for a product question
- Creating research briefs for stakeholder alignment
- Scoping research timeline and resource needs
- Prioritizing research opportunities across the roadmap

## When NOT to use

- For conducting interviews (use interview-guide-writer)
- For analyzing existing data (use synthesis-facilitator)
- For quantitative analytics review

## Instructions

1. **Define research questions.** What do we need to learn? Frame as open questions: "How do users...?" or "Why do users...?"
2. **Align with stakeholders.** Identify who needs the insights and what decisions this research will inform.
3. **Select methodology.** Discovery: interviews, contextual inquiry. Evaluation: usability testing, A/B. Generative: diary studies, co-design.
4. **Define participant criteria.** Who to recruit: demographics, behaviors, product usage, and sample size (5-8 for qualitative).
5. **Build timeline.** Recruitment (1-2 weeks), fieldwork (1-2 weeks), synthesis (1 week), readout (2-3 days).
6. **Create research plan document.** One-pager: objectives, method, participants, timeline, deliverables, and success criteria.
7. **Plan deliverables.** Insight report, highlight reel, recommendations deck, or workshop — matched to audience.

## Example

```
Research Plan: Onboarding Redesign Study

Research Questions:
1. Where do new users get stuck during onboarding?
2. What information do they need but can't find?
3. How does their first-week experience affect retention?

Method: Moderated usability testing (remote, 45 min)
Participants: 8 new users (signed up in last 7 days)
Timeline: Recruit W1, Test W2-3, Synthesize W3, Readout W4
Deliverables: Insight report + prioritized recommendations + video highlights
Stakeholders: PM, Design Lead, Engineering Manager
```