Scaling Research

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Summary

In this episode, Stig Parfrey discusses his career journey and why he chose to work in Research Ops. He shares the enjoyable aspects of ReOps and the challenges he faces in the nonprofit and government space. Stig also talks about how he collaborates with government agencies and the importance of educating stakeholders about the value of user research. Stig then explores the unique elements of participant recruitment in government, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and representation.

The conversation then shifts to the role of AI in research, with Stig expressing optimism about its potential to enhance qualitative research and bring back the focus on building empathy. Stig and Roy conclude by encouraging Research Ops professionals to embrace change and continuously explore new approaches and tools.

Takeaways

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Connect with Stig:

In this conversation, Roy Opata Olende and Brad Orego discuss the role of research within companies and the need to stretch outside of traditional UX/Design domains. They highlight the importance of research in making better decisions and saving time, and the need for research leaders to communicate the value of research and educate others about its capabilities. Brad also addresses the challenges of leadership in the research field and the need for better training and preparation.

Lastly, Brad shares the experience of forming a cross-functional insights group and the benefits of working with different teams and disciplines. The key takeaway is that research leaders should start small and take incremental steps to build relationships, demonstrate value, and drive change within their organizations.

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Connect with Brad:

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In this conversation, Josh Williams and Roy Opata Olende discuss the dangers of a monolithic approach to research. They explore the idea of good enough research versus rigorous research, the attachment that UX researchers have to projects, and the importance of understanding the risk associated with different research methods.

They also discuss the need for researchers to make a business case for their approach. Lastly, Josh envisions a future where insights organizations and teams come together to provide a holistic view of the business.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Quick Fire Q&A

05:44 Josh's Journey into UXR

12:13 The Current State of UXR

16:18 The Pull Towards a Monolithic Approach

20:26 The Value of Research Studies

24:19 Good Enough vs Rigorous Research

27:30 Risk and Methodology in Research

31:20 Advocating for Contextual Approach to Research

39:08 The Future of Research

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Connect with Josh via LinkedIn

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For more information and resources, check out scalingresearch.com.

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“How did you get a job in Research Ops?”

After I started my past role running Research Ops at Zapier, I got this question in my LinkedIn DM nearly every week. Folks from UX research, Design, People Ops, and many other practices would reach out to learn about my path into this field with an eye to making a switch themselves.

Today, you get to hear this transition story from someone I greatly admire in the Research Ops community: Kasey Canlas.

Kasey has taken a winding career path having worked in news and project management before making the shift into ReOps.

In my chat with Kasey we cover:

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Stephanie Marsh.

Stephanie has a wealth of experience and most recently led user research at the UK’s Government Digital Service before hopping over to lead Research Ops at Springer Nature Group. Our conversation covers the gnarly and much-discussed topic of knowledge management.

In this chat with Stephanie we discuss:

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You can connect with Stephanie using the links below.

LinkedIn: Stephanie Marsh

Twitter: @Steph_Marsh81

Medium: Stephanie Marsh

Book: User Research

Find more posts and resources at www.scalingresearch.com.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Craig Perlmutter. Craig is a Design and Research Ops lead with a wealth of experience, particularly with research labs. Our conversation explores the uniqueness of in-person research within a lab, and it’s value in our remote-leaning world.

We cover:

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How to get in touch with Craig:

LinkedIn: Craig Perlmutter

Radio Station: skylinegold.co.uk (Saturdays at 8:00 am)

Find more posts and resources at www.scalingresearch.com.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Dave Hora. Dave runs a research consultancy appropriately named Dave’s Research Company. He's done research in-house and as a consultant for over a decade; Dave is a deep thinker with a wealth of experience.

In this episode we talk about:

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How to get in touch with Dave:

Twitter: @davesresearch

LinkedIn: Dave Hora

Website: davesresearch.com

For more info, head to www.scalingresearch.com.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Tim Toy. Tim runs Research Ops at Airbnb. He's been in the ReOps field for over a decade and has a wealth of experience.

In our chat, Tim talks about:

For more info, head to www.scalingresearch.com.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Cory Weissenborn. Cory runs Research Ops at Credit Karma. She has a wealth of experience having worked in Ops for companies of different sizes in a range of industries.

In our chat, Cory talks about:

For more info, head to www.scalingresearch.com.

In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Kate Towsey. Kate is the Research Ops Manager at Atlassian and the catalyst behind the Research Ops community. If you've Googled Research Ops, she's probably one of the first names that comes up.

Kate's wide-ranging path into Ops gives her a unique lens on this work. In our chat, Kate shares about: