A Formal Request for a Research or Pilot Project

Churchill [p.52]strongly recommends that a person asked to do a research or pilot project meet with the person requesting it and make out a formal research request (if it is not provided) which articulates at least six items (prior to accepting any such work):

1. What actions are gong to be based on the results?
2. Where did the problem come from?
3. What necessary and sufficient answers are needed?
4. Links between any requested information and its use.
5. Any minimum or required data sources?
6. Time and money available to resource the enterprise?

Such a request for research or pilot project ensures that the issue of "use of information" is addressed before commencement of work. Although the list is constructed in a marketing context in the business world, the questions are also basic t any form of research, for self or others.

The list resembles the approach taken by authors like Kesselman-Turkel and Patterson in their delightful book, Research Shortcuts in which they illustrate how such pre-thinking in the area of research saves a great amount of time, in both academic life and Journalism.