An updated (and typo-free) version of a talk I've shared a few times this year, most recently at an Atlassian public event in San Francisco, produced by the Atlassian Research Ops team. Over the past decade, user research has matured significantly. It’s increasingly more common for large organisations to have dozens of people doing user research, whether as part of a dedicated team of researchers or other design roles. Growing team sizes and increasing organisational demand has meant that the pressures placed on people doing research have grown too. To meet demand and be efficient, impactful, compliant (and happy, lest we forget), researchers need more rigorous operational support. In 2018, through the work of the ResearchOps Community and its #WhatisResearchOps initiative, the nascent practice of ResearchOps was given shape: via a series of global workshops by researchers and for researchers, the Community explored what ResearchOps should look like and produced a framework to map its various parts. But what’s behind the theory? What does ResearchOps actually look like in the world today? And who are the people leading the way? In this talk, I share insight into the state of ResearchOps today, talk about current and potential ResearchOps opportunities and challenges, and share what I think the future holds for this emerging practice.

2. KATE TOWSEY | RESEARCH OPS MANAGER | @KATETOWSEY
The State of ResearchOps:
More Than Just Theory

3. Agenda
What is ResearchOps?
The rise of ResearchOps
People leading the way
What ResearchOps is not
Stuff we’re grappling with
Atlassian ResearchOps team

4. Agenda
What is ResearchOps?
The rise of ResearchOps
People leading the way
What ResearchOps is not
Stuff we’re grappling with
Atlassian ResearchOps team

5. Agenda
What is ResearchOps?
The rise of ResearchOps
People leading the way
What ResearchOps is not
Stuff we’re grappling with
Atlassian ResearchOps team

6. Agenda
What is ResearchOps?
The rise of ResearchOps
People leading the way
What ResearchOps is not
Stuff we’re grappling with
Atlassian ResearchOps team

7. Agenda
What is ResearchOps?
The rise of ResearchOps
People leading the way
What ResearchOps is not
Stuff we’re grappling with
Atlassian ResearchOps team

8. Agenda
What is ResearchOps?
The rise of ResearchOps
People leading the way
What ResearchOps is not
Stuff we’re grappling with
Atlassian ResearchOps team

9. What is ResearchOps?

10. ResearchOps is the mechanisms and
strategies that set user research in motion. It
provides the roles, tools and processes needed
to support researchers in delivering and scaling
the impact of the craft across an organisation.
RESEARCHOPS COMMUNITY

11. ResearchOps is the mechanisms and
strategies that set user research in motion. It
provides the roles, tools and processes needed
to support researchers in delivering and scaling
the impact of the craft across an organisation.
RESEARCHOPS COMMUNITY

13. Research participant recruitment
Recruitment panel management
Procurement
Research spaces
Data governance (GDPR, consent,
ethics)
Travel bookings
Budget management
Event coordination
Research knowledge management
Internal communications
Expenses
Space bookings
Celebrations and condolences
Conferences
Vendor management
Service Desk management
Thank you gifts AKA incentives
Research technology and tooling
(integrations, APIs, migrations,
sunsetting)
Manuals and guidelines
Team communications and branding
Onboarding new staff
Programme management
Misc. logistics
Ops service design
… and more.

14. The rise of ResearchOps

15. RESEARCH TEAMS ARE
GETTING
BIGGER AND MORE
SOPHISTICATED.

17. #WhatisResearchOps

19. 34 / 17
34 cities and 17 countries and a survey

21. People leading the way

22. 10 people
2 years
“(It’s challenging) scaling a team with limited resources to
provide comprehensive coverage to a fast-growing and fast-
paced research function.”
- Tim Toy
Airbnb San Francisco

23. 3 people
1 year
“ResearchOps allows me to indulge my geeky planning,
spreadsheety side as well as my people-loving supportive side: it's
the best of both worlds and it's incredibly fulfilling.”
- Saskia Liebenberg
Deliveroo London

24. 10 people
6 years
“The spark behind scaling research operations is recognising and
communicating the need as soon as possible. The longer you take
to do that, the harder it becomes to amplify the value of your
research investment.”
- Kari Peters
booking.com Amsterdam

25. 1 person
1 year
“The potential scope of Research Ops is vast, and therefore
requires working closely with the team to understand their needs,
and to develop and communicate a plan of attack that is both
realistic to existing ops bandwidth, and flexible enough to evolve
with the needs of an organization.”
- Lucy Walsh
Spotify New York

26. 5 people
2 years
“Don’t underestimate the resources you need to get the
job done.”
- Kate Towsey
Atlassian Sydney

27. Microsoft
Salesforce
LinkedIn
Facebook
Google
Stripe
Mailchimp
Dropbox
Monzo
Shopify
Gusto
Seek
HMRC (UK
Government)
Home Office (UK
Government)
Australian Government
Vrbo (part of Expedia
Group)
Kabbage
Workday
Indeed
… and more.

28. Atlassian ResearchOps
team

30. Research participant recruitment
Recruitment panel management
Procurement
Research spaces
Data governance (GDPR, consent,
ethics)
Travel bookings
Budget management
Event coordination
Research knowledge management
Internal communications
Expenses
Space bookings
Celebrations and condolences
Conferences
Vendor management
Service Desk management
Thank you gifts AKA incentives
Research technology and tooling
(integrations, APIs, migrations,
sunsetting)
Manuals and guidelines
Team communications and branding
Onboarding new staff
Programme management
Misc. logistics
Ops service design
… and more.

31. Research participant recruitment
Recruitment panel management
Procurement
Research spaces
Data governance (GDPR, consent,
ethics)
Travel bookings
Budget management
Event Coordination
Research knowledge management
Internal communications
Expenses
Space bookings
Celebrations and condolences
Conferences
Vendor management
Service Desk management
Thank you gifts AKA incentives
Research technology and tooling
(integrations, APIs, migrations,
sunsetting)
Manuals and guidelines
Team communications and branding
Onboarding new staff
Programme management
Misc. logistics
Ops service design
… and more.

32. Research participant recruitment
Recruitment panel management
Procurement
Research spaces
Data governance (GDPR, consent,
ethics)
Travel bookings
Budget management
Event Coordination
Research knowledge management
Internal communications
Expenses
Space bookings
Celebrations and condolences
Conferences
Vendor management
Service Desk management
Thank you gifts AKA incentives
Research technology and tooling
(integrations, APIs, migrations,
sunsetting)
Manuals and guidelines
Team communications and branding
Onboarding new staff
Programme management
Misc. logistics
Ops service design
… and more.

33. Research participant recruitment
Recruitment panel management
Procurement
Research spaces
Data governance (GDPR, consent,
ethics)
Travel bookings
Budget management
Event Coordination
Research knowledge management
Internal communications
Expenses
Space bookings
Celebrations and condolences
Conferences
Vendor management
Service Desk management
Thank you gifts AKA incentives
Research technology and tooling
(integrations, APIs, migrations,
sunsetting)
Manuals and guidelines
Team communications and branding
Onboarding new staff
Programme management
Misc. logistics
Ops service design
… and more.

34. Research participant recruitment
Recruitment panel management
Procurement
Research spaces
Data governance (GDPR, consent,
ethics)
Travel bookings
Budget management
Event Coordination
Research knowledge management
Internal communications
Expenses
Space bookings
Celebrations and condolences
Conferences
Vendor management
Service Desk management
Thank you gifts AKA incentives
Research technology and tooling
(integrations, APIs, migrations,
sunsetting)
Manuals and guidelines
Team communications and branding
Onboarding new staff
Programme management
Misc. logistics
Ops service design
… and more.

35. Research participant recruitment
Recruitment panel management
Procurement
Research spaces
Data governance (GDPR, consent,
ethics)
Travel bookings
Budget management
Event Coordination
Research knowledge management
Internal communications
Expenses
Space bookings
Celebrations and condolences
Conferences
Vendor management
Service Desk management
Thank you gifts AKA incentives
Research technology and tooling
(integrations, APIs, migrations,
sunsetting)
Manuals and guidelines
Team communications and branding
Onboarding new staff
Programme management
Misc. logistics
Ops service design
… and more.

36. What ResearchOps is not

37. IT IS NOT
RESEARCH LEADERSHIP.

38. IT IS NOT
RESEARCH STRATEGY.

39. IT IS NOT
RESEARCHERS BEING
MORE ORGANISED.

40. IT CANNOT BE DONE
BY ONE PERSON.

41. The stuff we’re grappling with

42. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Making our own rules / shaping
our own path
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

43. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Making our own rules / shaping
our own path
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

44. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Making our own rules / shaping
our own path
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

45. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Making our own rules / shaping
our own path
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

46. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Making our own rules / shaping
our own path
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

47. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Making our own rules / shaping
our own path
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

48. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

49. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

50. We’re building a practice from
scratch
Small community means we can
get close and have impact
Explore working with other Ops in
the organisation
We centralise the research effort
and costs
Wildly underestimated
Proving worth with little resource
Confusion as to what Ops is and
what it is not
Heavily reliant on clear and
consistent research leadership
Reliant on close collaboration
across the entire organisation
CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

51. HELP YOUR
RESEARCHERS FOCUS ON
RESEARCH.
1 OPS PERSON PER 5
RESEARCHERS.

52. Stay
connected
@katetowsey
Office hours with me
ResearchOps Community
Rosenfeld Media DesignOps
Community

53. KATE TOWSEY | RESEARCH OPS MANAGER | @KATETOWSEY
Thank you