Research Democratization: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Summary
The pros and cons of democratizing user research are heavily debated. Often this is seen as a black and white scenario where we are solely in favour or against it. But what about all the shades of grey we can explore? Depending on the situation there are both benefits and dangers that lie in democratizing our research practice. Kathleen will share her experience with research democratization. Based on this she will show a framework that will help you assess when it is an appropriate tool to further research maturity and when it might derail you.
Key Insights
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Research democratization empowers non-researchers to conduct research but requires careful management to avoid poor quality and misuse.
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Lisa Reichelt warns that research can be misused to prematurely validate ideas, suggesting no research is better than bad research.
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Jared Spool critiques the term democratization, highlighting risks of arrogance in delegating research to others solely for convenience.
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Kathleen proposes a framework based on organizational research maturity and researcher presence to guide when democratization helps or hinders.
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When research maturity and presence are both high, democratization is optional and can build empathy but is not necessary.
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In medium maturity but high researcher presence contexts, democratization helps others learn research by doing, improving early-stage involvement.
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Low researcher presence but high maturity organizations can use democratization to advocate for more research investment.
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In low maturity and low researcher presence situations, democratization can overwhelm lone researchers with administrative burden rather than freeing them.
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Research done by democratized teams may lack coordination, risking duplicated effort and isolated insights.
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Teaching others research skills supports professional growth and confidence but must be balanced with researchers’ hands-on practice needs.
Notable Quotes
"Research democratization is all about empowering people who are not researchers to start doing research themselves."
"If you have to choose between doing bad research or no research at all, you’re better off not doing it — Lisa Reichelt."
"Democratization can be used arrogantly if we just let others do research so we can pick what’s fun for ourselves — Jared Spool."
"Research maturity refers to how research knowledge and impact permeate the organization, not individual skills."
"Involving non-researchers firsthand helps them understand research’s complexity and when to bring in experts."
"Research democratization rarely frees up strategic research time; it often increases facilitation and ops work."
"Sometimes democratized research happens in silence, with little coordination, causing duplicated efforts."
"Allowing others to experience research firsthand can convert them into advocates for hiring more researchers."
"Sharing your skills and teaching others can boost your confidence and professional development."
"Democratization requires different approaches; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution."
Or choose a question:
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