Research That Scales
The Research Operations Handbook
Most organizations fail to tap into the game-changing power of research. Research That Scales is the ultimate playbook for transforming your research practice, whatever its size or shape, into an impactful and efficient insight-generating engine. Use it to plan, manage, and scale a research practice that propels the business forward.
Who Should Read This Book
If you’re a research leader, a researcher, or a ResearchOps specialist, this book is a must-read. But if you work in product management, design, content, marketing, academia, or for an agency, and do research as part of your work, this book is for you, too. Anyone involved in devising strategies and systems that support scaled-up human-centered research will find Research That Scales invaluable.
Takeaways
- Learn what it means to scale research and how to build purpose into your research practice.
- Gain a pragmatic view of research strategy and why it’s crucial to scaling research.
- Design a research operating system that can grow the impact of research.
- Uncover the eight elements of research operations and the ResearchOps Venn diagram.
- Use the ResearchOps Planning Matrix to deliver operations that make good ideas real.
- Build systems that make finding the right research participants a breeze.
- Learn how to make the most of research by developing a research knowledge management (RKM) strategy.
- Build a foundation of trust with your company and stakeholders by shifting perceptions about research.
- Make ethics and data privacy more than a checklist of dos and don’ts and lofty principles.
- Learn how to become a “money magnet” for research.
- Attract and retain the best research talent to fuel your growth.
Most organizations fail to tap into the game-changing power of research. Research That Scales is the ultimate playbook for transforming your research practice, whatever its size or shape, into an impactful and efficient insight-generating engine. Use it to plan, manage, and scale a research practice that propels the business forward.
Who Should Read This Book
If you’re a research leader, a researcher, or a ResearchOps specialist, this book is a must-read. But if you work in product management, design, content, marketing, academia, or for an agency, and do research as part of your work, this book is for you, too. Anyone involved in devising strategies and systems that support scaled-up human-centered research will find Research That Scales invaluable.
Takeaways
- Learn what it means to scale research and how to build purpose into your research practice.
- Gain a pragmatic view of research strategy and why it’s crucial to scaling research.
- Design a research operating system that can grow the impact of research.
- Uncover the eight elements of research operations and the ResearchOps Venn diagram.
- Use the ResearchOps Planning Matrix to deliver operations that make good ideas real.
- Build systems that make finding the right research participants a breeze.
- Learn how to make the most of research by developing a research knowledge management (RKM) strategy.
- Build a foundation of trust with your company and stakeholders by shifting perceptions about research.
- Make ethics and data privacy more than a checklist of dos and don’ts and lofty principles.
- Learn how to become a “money magnet” for research.
- Attract and retain the best research talent to fuel your growth.
Testimonials
If you want to build and scale your research team the right way (the first time), look no further. This book encapsulates everything you need to know in one spot with relatable examples and a go-to action plan.
—Meredith Black, Director of DesignOps, Figma
Everything a person could want to know about building and optimizing a transformative research practice is in here, delivered with Towsey’s uncanny ability to sear through the jargon to seize on what matters—and what works.
— Elizabeth McGuane, UX Director at Shopify and author of Design by Definition
With actionable advice and relatable wisdom, Research That Scales is a masterclass in designing research systems that will deliver value and stand the test of time.
—Noel Lamb, ResearchOps Leader, ServiceNow, previously Xero, Robinhood, and Salesforce
Running an effective ResearchOps program can be a bewildering endeavor, but Kate Towsey has provided a thoughtful and thorough blueprint of how to do so. The advice and wisdom in these pages is nuanced, pragmatic, and hard-earned. It’s a must-read for ResearchOps professionals and research leaders everywhere.
—Matt Gallivan, research leader, previously Slack and Airbnb
Research That Scales is a must-read for any research or design leader. Kate Towsey illustrates how research operations, often an afterthought, should be core to any scalable and impactful research organization.
—Tim Toy, Senior ResearchOps Program Manager, Adobe, previously Electronic Arts, Airbnb, Splunk, and the NFL Network
An extensive guide to building a sustainable, impactful research practice at a company of any size, Research that Scales is probably the fastest way to level up your research practice.
—Behzod Sirjani, founder, Yet Another Studio
ResearchOps has transformed from a ‘nice-to-have’ to forming the cornerstone of any high-performing research practice. Through engaging, practical, and comprehensive examples and templates, Kate Towsey offers a roadmap to building interconnected research systems that deliver lasting value to the organization. Research That Scales is sure to become required reading for everyone: from beginning professionals to seasoned research leaders.
—Tamara Hale, Director of Product Experience, Research & Insights, Splunk
A game-changer for any organization looking to build a scalable research practice. Towsey uses clear and relatable metaphors to break down how to build systems that support cross-functional teams and foster long-term subject matter expertise. From recruitment to knowledge management to ethics and privacy, this resource covers it all.
—Nishita Gill, founder, Treemouse
Towsey has written a pragmatic guide not only for how to scale research, but how to scale research that matters. It cements the movement that is ResearchOps––I need to buy it for all of our customers!
—Ned Dwyer, CEO, Great Question
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Research Does Not Scale—Systems Do
Chapter 2: Lost and Won on Strategy
Chapter 3: From Strategy to Operational
Chapter 4: Planning Realistic ResearchOps
Chapter 5: People to Take Part in Research
Chapter 6: Long Live Research Knowledge
Chapter 7: Seamless Support
Chapter 8: Tactical Tooling
Chapter 9: Respect in Research
Chapter 10: Money and Metrics
Chapter 11: Getting Priorities Straight
Chapter 12: Making the Most of Research Talent
FAQ
These common questions and their short answers are taken from Kate Towsey’s book Research That Scales: The Research Operations Handbook (2024). You can find longer answers to each in your copy of the book, either printed or digital version.
- Isn’t ResearchOps just about procuring the right tools and having someone take care of participant recruitment for me? Is an entire book necessary?
There’s no doubt that procuring tools and full-service participant recruitment are key research operations themes, but it’s a mistake to think that these tasks constitute ResearchOps. Operations is often confused with administration or assistance, but administering systems or assisting researchers is just one part of the job. As you will learn in Chapter 1, “Research Does Not Scale—Systems Do,” to help an organization operate in ways that add value, you’ll need to deliver the right systems first and then administer them well. If you deliver administrative support before designing systems, you’re putting the cart before the horse. ResearchOps sounds like just another buzzword, like DevOps and DesignOps.
