Research maturity framework

How mature is your research practice—and how can you level up?

This tool helps research practitioners and leaders assess their current state, identify focus areas, and take actionable steps to strengthen research impact and drive business growth.

Step 1/11

Strategic influence

The impact that insights have throughout your business.

Reactive
‍Research exists, but its impact is minimal or limited to delivery teams. Decisions are made first, and research is commissioned to validate them.

Emergent
‍Impact is sporadic, not systemic. Insights occasionally sway decisions, but only when a passionate advocate steps in.

Operational
‍Teams start asking for research before decisions are made, and its value is recognised across departments. Appetite for exploratory research increases.

Strategic
‍Insights are treated like a compass, guiding major strategic decisions. Teams rely on research to discover, validate, and innovate.

Leading
‍Insights are your North Star—woven into every process, ensuring the business moves either ahead of, or in sync with, customer needs.

Step 2/11

Demand

What drives demand for research within your business.

Reactive
‍You hear “we should probably do some research” when a project feels shaky. No one’s clamouring for insights.

Emergent
‍Curious teams push for primary insights, but research is still seen as a nice-to-have rather than a must-have.

Operational
‍Research becomes the go-to move for reducing risk and sharpening outcomes—it’s not an afterthought anymore.

Strategic
‍Stakeholders actively budget for research. They understand its ROI and want it embedded early in every project.

Leading
‍Demand for insights is so high that you have a backlog. Research programs are in constant motion, adapting to strategic needs.

Step 3/11

Methodologies

The research methodologies you are using.

Reactive
‍A basic survey or two, maybe a focus group if budget allows. You’re scratching the surface.

Emergent
‍Teams experiment with qualitative and quantitative methods, but it’s inconsistent and dependent on individual champions.

Operational
‍There’s a solid mix of methodologies in play, and teams begin to adapt methods to fit their specific goals.

Strategic
‍You’re fluent in a diverse range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, matched to the needs of each project.

Leading
‍Methodologies are cutting-edge, blending traditional research with innovative AI-driven tools that allow for constant iteration and rapid delivery.

Step 4/11

Insights

How actionable, accessible, and integrated your insights are.

Reactive
‍Insights live in dusty decks, forgotten folders, or in the hearts of a handful of champions. The connection to decisions made? Loose at best.

Emergent
‍Teams occasionally act on insights, but it’s still achieved through a “push” from you rather than a natural flow into their work.

Operational
‍Insights are digestible and shared widely. Teams start to proactively pull insights into their decision-making.

Strategic
‍Insights are actionable and reach the right people at the right time. Your insights feel like interactive and engaging tools, not reports.

Leading
‍Your insights don’t just guide decisions—they spark innovation. Delivered in real-time, they’re intuitive and seamlessly integrated into workflows.

Step 5/11

Tech and platforms

The tools and technologies you’re using for research.

Reactive
‍You’re mostly using sticky notes, spreadsheets, and prayers. You get the job done, but it’s clunky.

Emergent
‍Some off-the-shelf delivery and collaboration tools are in play, but they’re not optimised or widely adopted yet.

Operational
‍You’ve invested in robust research platforms, making insight-gathering and communication smoother and more scalable.

Strategic
‍You embrace platforms and tools that streamline workflows and empower teams to self-serve based on their research needs.

Leading
‍Bespoke tech solutions and AI-enhanced platforms are powering your programs. Research feels frictionless, adaptive, and seamless.

Step 6/11

Processes

The processes that guide the planning, execution, and delivery of insights.

Reactive
‍Processes? Don’t make me laugh. More like winging it. Each project starts from scratch.

Emergent
‍There’s a loose template floating around, but it’s not consistently applied.

Operational
‍Standardised processes are taking shape, making projects faster and more reliable.

Strategic
‍Well-oiled processes enable research to flow efficiently, ensuring every project is on-point and actionable.

Leading
‍Processes are flexible but robust, with frameworks that scale and evolve as the business grows.

Step 7/11

Resources and capacity

The people, budget, and capabilities available to research.

Reactive
‍‍One person is juggling everything with a shoestring budget. Burn out is imminent

Emergent
‍Some additional budget and staff are available for ad-hoc outsourcing, but resources are stretched thin (and often dry up mysteriously).

Operational
‍Dedicated roles and realistic budgets are allocated to research, making your research program more effective and consistent.

Strategic
‍Research gets the investment it deserves. Specialists, preferred partners, research ops, tools, and training are all part of the mix.

Leading
‍Research resources are abundant and adaptive. Teams feel empowered, not constrained, to deliver top-tier research.

Step 8/11

Governance

How you ensure that research is ethical and well-managed.

Reactive
‍Research governance is an afterthought, if it is thought of at all. Ethical risks often fly under the radar.

Emergent
‍You’ve started to recognise the need for research guardrails and standards, but aren’t sure how to implement them consistently.

Operational
‍Basic governance frameworks are in place, keeping research ethical and compliant.

Strategic
‍Governance is robust and proactive, ensuring research integrity and stakeholder confidence.

Leading
‍Governance is ingrained in your ways of working. Ethical considerations are part of the DNA of every project, not just a checkbox.

Step 9/11

Culture

How culture shapes your approach to research.

Reactive
‍Leaders barely mention research, and most staff don’t see the point of it. It’s something done occasionally, often as a box-ticking exercise.

Emergent
‍A few leaders get it—they see the value of research and try to champion it. But most staff are still in the dark about why it matters.

Operational
‍Leaders actively talk about research and its role in decisions. Staff are starting to connect the dots and see how insights can improve their work.

Strategic
‍Leaders are all in—they rely on research to guide strategy and openly advocate for it. Most staff understand its value and use insights regularly.

Leading
‍Leaders and staff live and breathe research. Insights drive almost every decision, and everyone knows their work benefits from an outcomes-based mindset.

Step 11/11

Get your report

You’re one step away from unlocking your research maturity insights. Drop in your details, and we’ll send over a personalised report with your results—and some tailored tips to help you level up.

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