How can you maintain research quality while managing project scope and changes?

1 Define your research scope and objectives

The first step to maintain research quality is to clearly define your research scope and objectives. This means specifying what questions you want to answer, what methods you will use, what data you will collect and analyze, what criteria you will use to evaluate your findings, and what deliverables you will produce. Having a clear and realistic research scope and objectives will help you avoid scope creep, which is the tendency to add more features or tasks to a project that were not originally planned.

2 Communicate and document your research plan

The second step to maintain research quality is to communicate and document your research plan. This means sharing your research scope and objectives with your team members, stakeholders, sponsors, and clients, and getting their feedback and approval. It also means creating a detailed and transparent research plan that outlines the steps, timelines, roles, responsibilities, risks, and contingencies of your project. Having a well-communicated and documented research plan will help you align expectations, manage changes, and track progress.

3 Monitor and control your research activities

The third step to maintain research quality is to monitor and control your research activities. This means regularly checking the status and quality of your data collection, data analysis, and data interpretation, and making sure they are consistent with your research scope and objectives. It also means identifying and resolving any issues, errors, or deviations that may arise during your research process, and documenting any changes or corrections that you make. Having a robust and responsive quality control system will help you ensure the accuracy, validity, and reliability of your results.

4 Review and validate your research findings

The fourth step to maintain research quality is to review and validate your research findings. This means critically examining your data, methods, assumptions, and conclusions, and testing them against your research objectives, criteria, and standards. It also means seeking feedback and verification from your team members, stakeholders, sponsors, and clients, and addressing any questions, concerns, or suggestions that they may have. Having a rigorous and collaborative review and validation process will help you ensure the relevance, usefulness, and impact of your results.

5 Manage and communicate your research changes

The fifth step to maintain research quality is to manage and communicate your research changes. This means anticipating and managing any changes that may affect your research scope, objectives, plan, activities, or findings, such as new requirements, unexpected outcomes, resource constraints, or stakeholder feedback. It also means communicating and documenting any changes that you make or encounter, and explaining the rationale, implications, and benefits of those changes. Having a flexible and transparent change management system will help you adapt to changing circumstances, while also maintaining the integrity and quality of your research.

6 Learn and improve from your research experience

The sixth and final step to maintain research quality is to learn and improve from your research experience. This means reflecting on your research process, outcomes, and feedback, and identifying what worked well, what did not work well, and what can be improved for future projects. It also means sharing your lessons learned, best practices, and recommendations with your team members, stakeholders, sponsors, and clients, and applying them to your next research project. Having a continuous and constructive learning and improvement cycle will help you enhance your research skills, knowledge, and quality.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?