Questions to ask yourself at the beginning
Many of the big decisions we make in life are supported by the insights and experiences of people we trust. We often inquire about the experiences of others to make a well-informed choice of our own.
Part of the suAzio process in early conversations is to “pressure test” the research initiative during the RFP stage to ensure the right steps are taken. In our initial discussions, there are specific questions we believe each client may benefit from answering about the direction of their research:
How did we arrive at these objectives?
In cases where there is more uncertainty, we work more closely with you to ensure the path you have chosen is the most effective path to get to the answers you need. As a result, the list of objectives may slightly change to be more targeted, and in some cases, we find the intended methodology might not be the best fit.
Are we talking with the right audiences?
In many studies, there are assumptions about titles – what they know, what they don’t – which can vary from person to person, facility to facility, or region to region. Open dialogue about rules and responsibilities helps to target ideal candidates.
What’s our timeline?
Is this research tied into a product launch? Meeting? If so, when? Once that is defined, then it helps to look at the regions and roles involved in the study – various regions and roles may require additional time in recruitment, so understanding global impact helps to plan.
What are our next steps?
In some cases, next steps may already be planned. It is important to understand that when next steps are planned, this may unconsciously create some bias, which could impact various stages of the research process, such a creating questions, identifying key targets, and in overall findings. Asking yourself about next steps helps you to be more conscious of bias in order to take effective steps to avoid it.