Research Democratization: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Summary
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
-
•
Research democratization empowers non-researchers to conduct research but requires careful management to avoid poor quality and misuse.
-
•
Lisa Reichelt warns that research can be misused to prematurely validate ideas, suggesting no research is better than bad research.
-
•
Jared Spool critiques the term democratization, highlighting risks of arrogance in delegating research to others solely for convenience.
-
•
Kathleen proposes a framework based on organizational research maturity and researcher presence to guide when democratization helps or hinders.
-
•
When research maturity and presence are both high, democratization is optional and can build empathy but is not necessary.
-
•
In medium maturity but high researcher presence contexts, democratization helps others learn research by doing, improving early-stage involvement.
-
•
Low researcher presence but high maturity organizations can use democratization to advocate for more research investment.
-
•
In low maturity and low researcher presence situations, democratization can overwhelm lone researchers with administrative burden rather than freeing them.
-
•
Research done by democratized teams may lack coordination, risking duplicated effort and isolated insights.
-
•
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:
More Videos
"Being humble enough to ask a competitor for feedback changed everything and led directly to job offers."
Corey LongHiring in DesignOps: A Critical Study on How to Hire and Get Hired
September 23, 2024
"My younger self had a lot of impostor syndrome, but everyone even with more experience doesn’t totally know what they’re doing."
Sarah Auslander Betsy Ramaccia Gordon RossInsights Panel
November 18, 2022
"We are the fix — everything online is made by people, so we can change it together."
Lisa WelchmanCleaning Up Our Mess: Digital Governance for Designers
June 14, 2018
"Every small action counts when it comes to sustainability in urban settings."
Lena ShenkarenkoCollaborative Wireframing for Creating Team Alignment and Shipping Better Products
October 21, 2020
"We need to put the thinking back into design thinking."
Christian BasonExpand—Rethinking Design for Public Challenges
September 14, 2022
"A key component is the hands-on experience working on real IBM business unit projects applying enterprise design thinking."
Nicole UmphressDelivering Design Education During a Global Pandemic: Lessons Learned
June 9, 2022
"Miles Davis gave the musicians the music as they entered the studio, and most first takes were the final ones."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
November 6, 2017
"We’re moving from wanting to see the table to having an actual place at it."
Bob BaxleyTheme 4: Intro
January 8, 2024
"When you have findings that serve smaller populations, it often tends to serve the broader population as well."
Megan CamposWhat Did I Miss? The Hidden Costs of Deprioritizing Diversity in User Research
March 12, 2021
