Research Plan Template for Word (Free Download)

A research project shares a lot in common with any other type of project. Project management tools can help deliver research projects on time and within budget. But first, there has to be a plan. Download this free research plan template for Word to ensure that the research project is set up for success.

What Is a Research Plan Template?

A research plan template is a structured document that outlines the key elements and steps involved in conducting a research project. It serves as a guide to ensure the research process is organized, systematic and focused. The template helps researchers define their objectives, methodology and timeline for their work, among other important details.

The purpose of a research plan template is to outline the goals and scope of research. It details the methods and approaches to use in the study. The template provides a clear timeline for the research process. It also ensures that all the necessary resources, tools and ethical considerations are addressed. Finally, it serves as a reference point throughout the research process.

Research plan template for word by ProjectManager — *ProjectManager’s free research plan template for Word*

Why Use This Research Plan Template for Word?

There are many reasons to download this free research plan template for Word. For example, templates provide a standardized format to help researchers organize their thoughts and methods. This ensures that nothing essential is overlooked during the research process.

The template allows for better time management by planning a timeline and setting realistic deadlines for each research stage. This ensures that the project stays on track and is completed on time. It also helps researchers assess what resources, such as financial, equipment and personnel, are needed and plan how to secure them. This prevents unnecessary delays or obstacles during the research process.

There are other benefits to using a research plan template, such as clarifying objectives, improving communication and increasing funding opportunities. However, as anyone familiar with project management has already guessed, a research project can be run more efficiently and effectively with project management software.

ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software that has powerful Gantt charts to create robust timelines, schedule resources and estimate costs. Our Gantt charts can organize the steps for a research project, with start and finish dates, showing the entire thing on a visual timeline. More than that, it can link dependencies to avoid delays and set a baseline to track progress in real time. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

Gantt chart in ProjectManager — ProjectManager has Gantt charts to schedule tasks, resources and costs on a visual timeline. Learn more

Who Is This Research Plan Template For?

Anyone involved in a research project will need a research plan. Here’s a short list illustrating who this research plan template is for.

Students
Researchers and academics
Research institutions or universities
Organizations/businesses for market research, product development, etc.
Government and policy analysts

When to Use a Research Plan Template

A research plan template is typically used at the beginning of a research project, but it can also be referenced and updated throughout the process. Here are the key stages when a research plan is most beneficial.

Before starting the research, in the planning stage
When applying for research funding or grants
During the proposal or research approval process
When collaborating with a team or researchers
When monitoring progress throughout the research process
When reviewing or revising research
When publishing or presenting research findings

What Is Included in This Research Plan Template for Word?

Download the free research plan template and users will have a fully customizable document. We’ve outlined the basics and provided a thorough plan, though different institutions might have unique requirements. If that’s the case, simply edit the Word document to fit the needs of the research project. Here’s a rundown of what’s included in our template with a short description.

Title of the Research: A brief, descriptive title of the research project.
Researchers’ Information: Names of the researchers and their affiliations.
Background and Rationale: A summary of the problem, including its significance. This section explains why the research is important and how it contributes to the field of study.
Research Objectives/Goals: Clear and concise statement(s) of what the research aims to achieve. Objectives should be SMART, specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.
Research Questions or Hypotheses: The questions you aim to answer through your research or the hypotheses you intend to test.
Literature Review: A summary of relevant previous research that has been done on the topic, highlighting gaps or areas where your research will contribute new insights.
Methodology: Detailed description of the research methods and procedures. This includes research design (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods), sampling strategy (population, sample size, sampling method), data collection methods and data analysis plan (statistical tests, coding for qualitative data, etc.).
Timeline: A detailed schedule outlining the major milestones of the research project, including deadlines for each phase.
Resources/Tools Needed: Any equipment, software, or other resources needed to conduct the research.
Budget: An outline of the financial costs associated with the research, including funding for personnel, equipment, and other expenses.
Expected Outcomes/Results: A description of the anticipated results and their potential impact on the field.
Ethical Considerations: Any ethical concerns related to the research, such as participant consent, privacy, or potential risks.
Limitations: Any limitations of the study that might affect the results or their interpretation.
References: A list of key sources that have informed the research plan, including books, articles, and other relevant works.

Related Templates

The research plan template sets up the project, but once the plan has been approved and the project is executed, there are other free templates to help create a timeline, estimate the cost and schedule resources. Those free templates are below. They’re but a few of the over 100 free project management templates for Excel and Word that apply to multiple industries that can be downloaded from our site.

Timeline Template

Download this free timeline template for Excel to organize research projects. There’s a place to list milestones and deliverables as well as all the activities in the project, which are represented on a visual timeline as task bars. This provides a helpful overview of all the work.

Project Budget Template

Research projects have to be funded. Use this free project budget template for Excel to accurately estimate those costs. The free template has space to list all the tasks and subtasks of the project and their associated labor, material and miscellaneous costs.

Resource Plan Template

One or multiple teams execute research projects. Scheduling those resources can be done by downloading this free resource plan template for Excel. It lists all resources, their department, the total effort, rate and cost. Then there’s a calendar to schedule them.

How ProjectManager Helps Manage Research Projects

These free templates are helpful in a research project, but only to a point. Because they’re static documents, they have to be manually updated and they’re poor tools for collaboration. Rather than deal with the frustrations of using templates to manage projects, upgrade to project management software for greater efficiency and effectiveness. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with all the tools project managers and their teams need to plan, manage and track projects in real time.

Manage Resources to Stay Productive

Once resources have been scheduled on a Gantt chart, project managers can set the team’s availability, including PTO, vacation and global holidays, as well as skill sets, which makes it easier to assign them tasks. After that, there are color-coded workload charts to get an overview of the allocation and see who is overtasked or underutilized. The team’s workload can then be balanced to keep them working at capacity. There’s also a team page to see the daily or weekly activities of the team, which can be filtered by progress, priority and more.

Monitor Progress, Costs and More in Real Time

There are specific features to manage resources and other tools that can monitor them as well as the progress and costs of the project. For a high-level overview, toggle to either the project or portfolio dashboard. It automatically collects live data and displays key metrics such as time, cost, workload and more on easy-to-read graphs and charts. Customizable reports go deeper into the data or can be filtered for a more general survey that can be shared with stakeholders to keep them updated. Even our secure timesheets can help track labor costs and provide a window into how far each team member is in completing their work.

Research Plan Template