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What is Research Strategy?: A Panel of Research Leaders Discuss this Emergent Question
Summary
What is Research Strategy? Join Chris Geison, Senior Research Strategist at Workday (who will also speak on this topic at the upcoming Advancing Research Conference), and a panel of research leaders in discussing and debating what we mean when we say “research strategy,” and its growing importance in the growing and maturing world of user research.
Key Insights
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Many research organizations lack a clear research strategy despite its critical importance.
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Research strategy includes structuring teams and setting priorities aligned to business OKRs.
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Prioritization rubrics should evaluate expected impact, use case, and measurable success criteria.
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Generative or foundational research requires alternative impact measures, such as citations in strategy documents or executive discussions.
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Partnering with sales and marketing teams can accelerate insight gathering and increase research efficiency.
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Bias from customer input via sales relationships can distort product decisions; research must offer broader, representative validation.
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Building C-level relationships for strategic research requires listening, tailoring messages, and demonstrating quick wins.
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Researchers at any organizational level can develop strategic influence by forging strong stakeholder bonds.
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Balancing multiple research buckets—operational, tactical, strategic, exploratory—ensures comprehensive organizational value.
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Long-term investment in research culture and practice amplifies organizational commitment and supports sustainable UX improvements.
Notable Quotes
"I present myself as simply somebody who’s on this journey to figure it out."
"We need to end the reign of features and complexity—too much time making stuff, not enough using it."
"One of the core questions of research strategy is how do you decide what research to do when demand exceeds resources."
"We use a structured rubric that evaluates expected impact and how research will be used to inform decisions."
"Good generative research impacts take years, so we track milestones like citations and executive references."
"By sitting at the table with sales and marketing, we can catch bias and produce more rigorous research."
"For execs, sometimes getting them to be pilot participants makes them feel the product pain and opens them to research."
"Being flexible and spending a lot of time listening are keys to building stakeholder relationships."
"Most people have a marketing or sales strategy, but many research leaders look puzzled when asked about their research strategy."
"If you don’t measure if research is successful, what do we ultimately have to show for it?"
Or choose a question:
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