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10 Free Research Plan Templates for Teams and Professionals

February 13, 2024

Starting a new research project from scratch can feel overwhelming. Without the right tools and templates, you’re left with a blank page and no direction. With them, starting a new project or organizing an existing one feels like a breeze.

That’s why you need to build a library of the best research plan templates. And we’re here to help you do it.

Stick with us as we run through the benefits of using a research plan template and share some of our favorites—all designed to help make your research projects run like magic.

What is a Research Plan Template?

What makes a good research plan template, 1. clickup user research plan template, 2. clickup market research template, 3. clickup research whiteboard template, 4. clickup equity research report template, 5. clickup seo research & management template, 6. clickup research report template, 7. clickup data analysis findings template, 8. clickup personal swot analysis template, 9. clickup case study template, 10. clickup investigation report template, how to write a research plan.

A research plan template is a document that’s designed to help you build the best research management plan possible. Instead of starting from scratch with a blank screen, a research plan document gives you the building blocks to fill in—so you won’t miss anything important.

There are a lot of solid research plan documents out there—covering everything from UX research (user experience) to case study templates . These templates can be helpful for any team, whether you’re working on product development prototypes or research objectives for a marketing project. They’re especially helpful for product design , UX research, and project management teams.

Some of the most popular research plan templates include:

• UX research plan templates
• Usability testing research templates
• Data analysis findings templates
• Project proposal templates
• Case study templates
• Research process templates
• Market research templates
• Competitive analysis templates
• Request for proposal templates

Each is there to guide you towards collecting, reviewing, and reporting on your research in a more strategic and organized way. Think of the research plan as your helpful research buddy—there to make things easier, provide guidance, and help you ace your project execution .

We’re all looking for something different when it comes to project templates. You might favor simplicity and order, while another team might prefer a more creative approach with lots of color and prompts.

Even though your needs are unique, there are some elements that almost always make a research plan template stand out above all the rest.

The best research plan templates:

• Keep you and your product team organized
• Help you standardize the research process and research method you use 
• Keep you focused on the key project goals and deliverables
• Give you suggestions for metrics to record and analyze
• Help you keep your research questions in one place
• Help you stay on target with your project timeline
• Give you a defined place to store your thoughts and research findings

There’s no one perfect template for any individual or team. Consider what your purpose or goal is, what your project management workstreams look like, and which areas you need the most support or guidance in. This will help you choose which templates to feature and how you can use wiki software to build a collection of your go-to templates.

10 Research Plan Templates to Use in 2024

There are hundreds of research plan templates out there, but they’re not all alike. Some of them bring out the best of your project management skills , while others hinder them.

We’ve brought together the best of the best, to share with you the ultimate list of research plan templates to add to your workflow this year. Want to know what’s even better? You don’t need to get buy-in for an expensive pricing plan—these templates are all free!

One of the first things that comes to mind when you say “research plan template” is user research. For development and project teams, this is one step of the process where strategy and staying organized is essential.

The User Research Plan Template by ClickUp makes it easy for you to achieve that and more. There’s space to share your project overview and research goals, research objectives, hypotheses, and more—plus a bonus Interview Research Debrief doc.

This template acts as a central resource for all the stakeholders. Use it to bring your team together, reaffirm your goals and objectives, and stay on track as you execute your qualitative research project.

Bonus: UX design tools !

Planning your market research is a must-have if you want to get the best possible data. Give your team everything they need in one place and it helps your process run smoothly.

To help keep your team informed and ready to go, we developed the Market Research Template by ClickUp . It’s a Task template that brings you key information, all in one place.

Our Market Research Template features five custom fields—a research presentation link, market research type, report document link, data collection technique, and research stage. Add your clickable links, and use the dropdowns to assign the correct stage or type as you progress.

You can collect user research in so many ways. Questionnaires, user interviews, focus groups, user research sessions, or social media. Another super engaging way to do this is with a whiteboard.

Collaboration and user research feels interactive and fun with the Research Whiteboard Template by ClickUp . Encourage your team to share the insights they’ve collected in this highly visual template, with digital sticky notes instead of empty white boxes.

Use this ClickUp whiteboard template as a more engaging way to view your user research. You can also use this as a tool for internal research projects—invite your stakeholders by link and ask them to comment directly.

If you’re in the business of advising investors on what to do with their money, an equity report is a must-have. Instead of manually writing a new report every time, a research plan template can help you shortcut the process and get straight to the details.

Enter the Equity Research Report Template by ClickUp . It’s designed to help you share what you know in a more strategic way. Share an insight into the company overview, management team, performance, market valuation, and recommendations.

This research plan template has everything you need to present your findings to investors in an organized and effective way. Look like a pro to your investor clients and partners, and store all your data in a meaningful way to reflect on later.

Staying on top of your company’s SEO performance is no easy task. There are so many moving parts, tools, projects, goals, and team members that you need a way to stay organized and productive.

Luckily for you, the SEO Research & Management Template by ClickUp is here to help simplify the process—and make you look good to your boss. This Folder template gives you a dedicated place to work on your SEO goals, with SEO-related custom fields and plenty of custom task types to help your team communicate progress and see roadblocks in your research plan.

Use this template to see at a glance where your SEO projects are, so you can be more proactive about how your team is working. You can also dive in to details and understand time estimates, publish dates, and where your rankings are at.

Check out these AI SEO Tools !

There’s no need to start from scratch every time you’re asked to put a research report together—instead use a template to make all your research questions and study reports as impressive as the last one.

Shortcut your way to success with the Research Report Template by ClickUp . There are sections for your executive summary, introduction, research method and techniques, results & discussion, references, and appendices. Add a report author and contributors, so you can recognize everyone that contributed to the report.

Share your research methods, approach, and findings with stakeholders and clients with this impressive template. It’s a useful foundation to help your team get organized and find a better way to update stakeholders on progress.

The Data Analysis Findings Template by ClickUp helps you present your data to everyone in a more meaningful way. Instead of presenting numbers and graphs, this template can help you go deeper into the problem statement, scope, analysis and research method, findings, and conclusion.

Use this template to help you organize your thoughts and communicate the results of your study in a transparent and easy-to-read way. Explain the context and background information alongside your approach, so your stakeholders can fully understand what the data shows.

A personal SWOT analysis can help you understand your (or your team’s) strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This information can not only help you work better, but it means you can be more intentional about your impact on the wider company.

The Personal SWOT Analysis Template by ClickUp can help you remember to work on your SWOT analysis. Find your strengths, weaknesses or pain points, opportunities, and threats. This Task template features several custom fields designed to help you monitor your progress—including your objective, timeline, and completion rate.

This template can be a helpful reminder to focus on your personal SWOT analysis, so you can be more intentional and aware of how you contribute to your team and company’s goals and objectives. Use your personal SWOT to help you set professional goals for work and make a bigger impact.

Case studies give you a powerful insight into what your brands, clients, or competitors are doing. They’re an in-depth look into a specific area of the business, based on your personal research and findings.

Simplify the process of building your case studies with the Case Study Template by ClickUp . This template gives you a strong foundation for presenting clear, insightful case studies with your team, stakeholders, or clients. Introduce the company, your case study objective, solutions and statistics, and your insights.

Use this template to help you create case studies at scale. Present your data in a clear and concise way, with all the context your team or stakeholders need to extract the most value from the case study as possible.

Often our research helps us understand the market, our competitors, or what our own company is doing. Sometimes, it’s to help us understand incidents and challenges instead.

That’s where the Investigation Report Template by ClickUp comes in. This template is designed to help you report on accidents, complaints, incidents, and violations. Explain the case details including a summary and evidence, then move into cross-examination with space for interview questions and answers, and your conclusion.

This template is a must-have for teams and companies that want to demonstrate how they overcome challenges or handle incidents. It’s great for transparency and trust-building, and serves as a useful way to document a trail of evidence for when you need it.

Now that you have a template for your research plan, let’s dive into the details of how to write one. Follow these steps to create an effective research plan that will guide your research and help you achieve your goals.

Step 1: Identify Your Research Question

The first step in writing a research plan is to clearly define your research question or topic. This will serve as the foundation for all of your research and help guide your methods and analysis. Make sure your question is specific, relevant, and achievable within the scope of your project.

Step 2: Outline Your Objectives

Next, you should outline the specific objectives or goals of your research. These objectives should be aligned with your research question and provide a clear roadmap for your project. Be sure to make them measurable and achievable.

Step 3: Choose Your Research Methods

Based on your research question and objectives, you can now determine the appropriate methods for gathering data and conducting analysis. This may include surveys, experiments, interviews, or literature reviews. It’s important to choose methods that are suitable for your research topic and will provide reliable and accurate results.

Step 4: Create a Timeline

A research plan should include a detailed timeline for each stage of the project. This will help you stay on track and ensure that you have enough time to complete each task. Be realistic with your timeline and build in some buffer time for unexpected delays or challenges.

Step 5: Consider Ethical Implications

When conducting research, it’s important to consider any potential ethical implications. This may include obtaining consent from participants, ensuring privacy and confidentiality, or following ethical guidelines set by your institution or governing body.

Step 6: Anticipate Potential Outcomes

As with any research project, there are always potential outcomes that can arise. These could be both positive and negative, and it’s important to anticipate and plan for them. This will help you be prepared for any potential challenges or changes that may occur during your research.

Step 7: Revise and Refine Your Plan

Once you have completed the previous steps, it’s essential to review and revise your research plan as needed. It’s common for plans to change as the project progresses, so be open to making adjustments and tweaking your methods or timeline as needed.

Stay Organized with the Best Research Plan Templates

Nobody likes a disorganized project—especially a research project. Let your team breathe a sigh of relief and make your stakeholders smile when they realize you’ve got it all under control.

Use these free research plan templates to help you get organized, streamline your workflows, and keep everyone informed. Build a collection of templates that work for your projects, and make them a central part of the way you work as a team. Standardize, simplify, and get productive.

All of these research plan templates are available right now, for free, inside our template library . Get access to these user-friendly templates, 100MB of storage, 1,000+ integrations, and more with ClickUp—free now, and forever!

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How to Prepare a PhD Research Plan/Schedule?

PhD research plan is a structured schedule for completing different objectives and milestones during a given timeframe. Scholars are usually unaware of it. Let us find out how to prepare it. 

Between March 2021 to 2022, I read almost 15 different research proposals from students (for their projects) and only a single one, I found, with a comprehensive research plan for 3 years. Which is still not, kind of practical, probably copied from other students. 

Such entities are not known to over 90% of students, if some know that because their university asked for but unfortunately, this basic procedure lacks penetration among students. I don’t know the exact reason, but students lack a basic understanding of the research process. 

Meaning, that they don’t know or perhaps don’t complete their course work needly. PhD research requires many documents, SOPs and write-ups, before even starting it. For example, a rough research plan, research proposal, initial interview, competence screening, grant proposal and so on. 

However, the requirement varies among universities and thus knowledge regarding basic procedures often also varies among students. So I’m not blaming students but certainly, it is the fault of the university side, as well.  

When you come up with a research proposal with a research schedule or entire plant, certainly it will create a positive image and good reputation. So it is important. But how to prepare it? 

Hey, there I’m Dr Tushar, a PhD tutor and coach. In this article, we will understand how we can prepare a structured plan for the PhD research and how to execute it. 

So let’s get started.  

How to prepare a PhD research plan/schedule?

A PhD research plan or schedule can be prepared using the GANTT chart which includes a month, semester or year-wise planning of the entire PhD research work. 

First, enlist goals and objectives.

It’s not about your research objective enlisted in your proposal. I’m talking about the objectives of your PhD. Take a look at some of the objectives.

Note that these are all the objectives that should be completed during the PhD, but not limited to a specific subject. Note you have to show how you can complete or achieve each objective during the entire tenure of your work. 

And that is what the plan/schedule is all about. Next, explain the time duration. The time required to complete each goal, roughly. For example, a semester or a year to complete the course work or 4 to 8 months for completion of ethical approval. 

Now two things must be known to you, at this point in time. 

• First, enlist the time required to complete each objective, as aforementioned. 
• Second, what goals would you complete during each semester?

For instance, course work takes a semester to complete, but during the period a scholar can also craft their PhD research title, research proposal, ethical approval and grant proposals. 

Now it is also crucial to know that there is no time bound to complete goals, but it should be completed as you explained. Let’s say you can plant it for 3 years, 4 or even 5 years depending on the weightage of your work. 

In summary, the answer to the question of how to prepare a research plan is, 

• Enlist your goals or objectives. 
• Decide the time required to complete each goal.
• Prepare a GANTT chart.  

Now you have prepared zero-date planning for your research but how to present it? The answer is a GANTT chart.   

GANTT chart for PhD research plan: 

GANTT chart is a task manager and graphical presentation of how and how many tasks are completed or should be completed against a given time duration. Take a look at the image below. 

How can you prepare one?

Open MS Excel (on Windows) or numbers (on Mac).

Enlist goals or objectives in a column. 

Enlist years (duration of PhD) in a row and bifurcate them into individual semesters. You can also prepare a month-wise plan, that’s totally up to you. In my opinion, semester-wise planning is good because research is a lengthy and time-consuming process. So monthly planning would not work. 

To make a chart more attractive and readable use colors, as I used. Now mark a ‘cell’ against a column and row showing the objective which you are going to complete in a semester. Take a look. 

After the end of this, your GANTT chart would look like this. 

You can prepare a month-wise planning, individual semester-wise planning and goal-wise planning etc. I will explain these things in upcoming articles on 5 different types of GANTT charts for PhD.  

Custom writing services: 

If you find difficulties in preparing a research plan, synopsis, proposal or GANTT chart. We can work on behalf of you. Our costume services are, 

• Synopsis writing 
• Project writing 
• Research proposal writing 
• Research planning and GANTT chart preparation. 

You can contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] to get more information. 

Wrapping up: 

Planning and executing a research schedule are two different things. Oftentimes, students just prepare as per the requirements and then do work as per their convenience. Then they are stuck in one place and just work around the time. 

Plan things. Make your own GANTT chart, put it on your work table or stick it on a wall so that you can see it daily. Try to achieve each goal in time. Trust me things will work and you will complete your PhD before anyone else.  

Dr. Tushar Chauhan is a Scientist, Blogger and Scientific-writer. He has completed PhD in Genetics. Dr. Chauhan is a PhD coach and tutor.

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Dr Tushar Chauhan

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Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide

Templates and Work Samples

Audiobook Supplements

Research Like a Pro Figures and Tables

Research Like a Pro Reference Notes

Research Project Document Template

Above is a link to a google document. You need a google account to use this. When you click the link, you will be asked if you want to copy the template to your own Google Drive. Click “make a copy.”

If you prefer to download the word document file instead, click here: Research Project docx file.

The research project document includes sections for:

Research Plan

-Summary of Known Facts

-Background Information

-Working Hypothesis

-Identified Sources

-Prioritized Research Strategy

Findings and Analysis – Research Report

Suggestions for Future Research

Results Summary

Timeline Analysis Spreadsheet and Sample

Above is a link to a google document. You need a google account to use this. When you click the link, you will be asked if you want to copy the template to your own Google Drive. “make a copy.”

If you prefer to download the excel file instead, click here: Timeline Analysis xlsx file.

Locality Guide Template

If you prefer to download the word document file instead, click here: Locality Guide Template docx file.

Citation Template

If you prefer to download the excel file instead, click here: Citation Template xlsx file.

Research Log Sample and Template

If you prefer to download the excel file instead, click here: Research Log xlsx file.

Work Samples

Is George W. Dillard the Father of Cynthia (Dillard) Royston?

by Diana Elder, AG

Research Project for determining a relationship

Chronology and Evidence Analysis

Timeline Comparison and Evidence Analysis

Alabama Locality Guide

Research Log

Research Report

Moses W. Isenhour Confederate Service

by Nicole Dyer

Research project for discovering actions

Montgomery County, Arkansas Locality Guide

Determining the Father of Mary Ann (French) Bryan Atwood

Report and proof argument for proving a relationship

Mary Ann (French) Atwood Bryan Research Report

Determining the Father of Mary Ann (French) Bryan Atwood: Proof Argument

Isenhour Brothers Research Project

Isenhour Brothers Chronology and Evidence Analysis

Isenhour Brothers Locality Guide (Various locations)

Isenhour Brothers Research Plan

Isenhour Brothers Research Log

Isenhour Brothers Report

Is William Keaton the father of Lucinda (Keaton) Welch?

Research project for determining a relationship

Lucinda Keaton Timeline Analysis

William Keaton Timeline Analysis

William Keaton Chronology

Pendleton District, South Carolina Locality Guide

South Carolina Locality Guide

William Keaton Research Plan

William Keaton Research Log

William Keaton Estate Papers Transcription

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Literature review catalogue (excel template).

Crafting a high-quality literature review is a lot of work . Failure to keep track of all the literature you consume can result in a  lot of wasted time . You need to get (and stay) organized – in other words, you need a literature review catalog .

We developed a template, just for you.

Now you can keep on top of your literature using our intuitive literature review spreadsheet-based catalogue template. The spreadsheet will not only keep everything organized; it will also provide a summary of key metrics. 

Need a template for the actual literature review chapter ? You can get that here .

How to use the Excel template effectively.

A quick overview. The first tab (labelled “Literature”) is where you’ll record specific details of all the reading you’ll do. The second tab (labelled “Literature Summary”) will auto-populate with descriptive statistics of the input as you enter data.

The last two tabs are simply scratchpads for you to dump any additional resources you find along the way. In particular, we’ve made a tab for theoretical frameworks (you can simply dump screengrabs here and caption them) and a tab for measures and scales (the same principle applies). Measures and scales are specific to quantitative methodologies, but you could just as easily use this tab to jot down existing questionnaires if you’re taking a qualitative approach. 

Getting started.

The process is straightforward. For every piece of literature that you read , you log it as a line item. We’d encourage you to record everything you read. Something might seem irrelevant at first read, but you’ll be surprised how the focus of your research can change over time, leading you to inevitably ask the dreaded question, “where did I see that article again?”. Therefore, l og every piece of reading, regardless of perceived relevance at the time of reading . You’ll thank yourself later.

While you’re doing this, we’d encourage you to simultaneously capture the literature piece in your reference manager. We usually recommend Mendeley , but any of the popular reference management tools will do the trick. The key thing is to capture the references while you’re reading (and not when you’re writing, as this breaks your flow).

What goes where.

For every piece of literature you read, you’ll need to capture the following details:

• Author – Enter the author(s) surname(s). The format you use here is up to you – just be consistent.
• Year – Straightforward. Enter the year of publication only – no month is required.
• Title – Enter the title exactly as it is shown on the book cover, journal article front page, presentation deck, etc. If you can copy and paste, do so. It’s easy to make mistakes on the long titles.
• Category 1, 2 and 3 – Here, you’ll create categories and subcategories, which you can use at a later stage to help you find relevant literature. It is up to you what categories you want to use and how much detail you want to add here. At the very least, your choice of categories should be logical, comprehensive and mutually exclusive.
• Document type – Click the drop-down arrow next to the cell and select an appropriate document type, for example, journal article, blog post, etc. If nothing matches your document type, you can use the “Other” field.
• Publication setting – the two main options here are academic and practitioner. Academic refers to the classic academic sources such as textbooks and journal articles, while practitioner refers to publications such as industry reports, company reports, industry magazines, etc. There is also a mixed option here.
• Theoretical refers to situations where an author is proposing a hypothetical theory or concept, but not testing it.
• Empirical refers to situations where an author is testing the said theory by using some form of real-world observation.
• Naturally, some literature will feature both of these (i.e. a model is hypothesized and then tested empirically).
• Key arguments – Here you need to note the key takeaways of the respective piece of literature in relation to your research question(s) and objective(s). This is the most important column , so spend some time providing rich, detailed notes here. Keep in mind that you will be able to search and filter this column at a later stage, so use keywords that make sense.
• Context – Here you should briefly note the context of the specific literature piece. For example, what industry, country, competitive context, etc. did it take place in? When it comes time to justify why your research is worth undertaking, you will likely need to draw on this column’s contents to demonstrate that research has not been undertaken within your specific context (i.e. is it unique?).
• Methodology – Use this drop-down to note the primary methodology (qualitative, quantitative or mixed) used within the specific literature piece. As with the previous item (context), you will likely draw on this when you justify the choice of methodology for your research (i.e. which methodology is commonly used in the field?).
• Key quotes – If there are any specific author quotations that you feel might be useful in your dissertation, add them here. Remember to include the page number if you’re using the Harvard referencing system.
• My notes – Lastly, if there is anything else you feel might be useful, drop it here. You can also create additional columns if you need them.

Finding what you need.

Over time, you will build up a substantial list of literature. When you need to find something, whether it’s a specific piece of literature, a collection of literature within a category, or a summary of a specific author’s publication, you can use the following Excel features:

• Find (Ctrl + F) – good for searching for specific keywords
• Filter – good for filtering groups (for example, categories 1- 3, methodology or publication setting)
• Sort – good for arranging numerical data (for example, publication year)

Once you’ve completed your reading, remember to have a look at the second tab (“Literature Summary”) for an overview of key statistics. As mentioned previously, some of these statistics can help you justify your choice of topic or methodology. Additionally, a review here may reveal that your literature is aged , or that you need to improve your balance of academic and practitioner literature.

Psst… there’s more!

This post is an extract from our bestselling short course, Literature Review Bootcamp . If you want to work smart, you don't want to miss this .

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161 Comments

Hi, I can’t open the excel file, can you please check it? Thank you so much for your helpful contents!

Sure, no problem. We’ve checked the file and it is opening correctly. Please give it another go.

Hi,do you have a vidoe on how to popolate the informatino in the spreed sheet ?if you have it i will like to have one.

Please may I know what you mean by categories or subcategories on your literature review catalogue? This also includes keywords.

I’ve downloaded it, but unable to enter any information. Is it possible to receive it as an excel document that I can save onto my documents, as I’m using an android phone?

The Theoretical Framework of the Excel File is empty, sir…

This document is a template for you to populate with the relevant literature, models and frameworks from your reading. As such, it doesn’t contain any literature.

Thank you for such a useful video tutorial. Learnt a lot!

Pleasure, Zhanna!

you are amazing….the way you patiently reply to almost every enquiry is remarkable. Keep it up Derek.

Very helpful as usual. Thank you so much.

I need an examplary literature review in mycology (botany) if you can provide it on any botanical topic so I would be able to start my Lit.review.

Why don’t you just ask him to do your thesis for you?

What an invaluable presentation. Makes literature review so simple.

Thanks for the feedback, Tebogo. Good luck writing your literature review 🙂

Very useful! Thanks.

Pleasure, Maureen 🙂

Great tips! Just starting mine now….so I am using your template….to a mil!!

I need this tamplate, its amazing, I will need your consideration on related work. Thank you

Really agreed

Hello, I am trying to download the excel but I am not receiving the email. Can it be that there is a technical problem or does it take some time to send it?

Thanks for your comment. It can take a few minutes for the email to go through. Please also check your spam box.

Yes, I am also facing the same problem brother. Just check it once. Thanking you..!

Thanks for this very nice explanation

Great to hear that 🙂

very useful

Glad to hear that 🙂

Thanks for the template. It helped in organizing my literature review and writing process

You’re welcome

Hi, thanks for sharing this file, very helpful! I’d like to share it with my students. Could you please advise on how to give proper credits (reference) to your work? Cheers, G

Hi Gianpiero

That’s great. Here’s the Harvard reference:

Jansen, D., 2019. Literature Review Excel Template (Spreadsheet/Matrix) – Grad Coach. [online] Grad Coach. Available at: https://gradcoach.com/how-to-manage-the-literature-review/ > [Accessed 6 April 2020].

Kind regards,

Thank u Derek Your lectures are effectively informative and easily understood. They are clear and organized.

I’m so glad I came across this website. Thank you Derek !!!

You’re welcome, Rabia 🙂

Dear Derek,

Thanks for your extremely useful video tutorials. Please can you send me a link to open your Lit Review Excel Templates.

Thanks for your feedback. You can download the template following the instructions in the orange box.

All the best with your studies!

great effort

Thank you for this document. I am in the beginning stages of the dissertation process.

You’re welcome, Jerry 🙂

The video on literature review was very useful. I especially like the cataloging suggestion.

Great to hear that, Rishi. All the best for your research!

I`m busy writing my minor dissertation my master’s in engineering. I’m following your videos on youtube for writing a literature review. I’m looking for the excel sheet to save a list of references.

The literature video was helpful. Thank you. I haven’t received the excel template its been a week now . Please assist me .

Hi Morakane

That’s very unusual. At most, it should take a few minutes. Please re-attempt the download (use an alternative address if need be).

Thank you for the template. it seems useful to organize my literature review.

You’re very welcome.

Thank you for this informative site and all the tips. Very useful for my research.

You’re welcome, Feyi.

Currently writing a dissertation for a masters in social sciences. Found the youtube videos which are of great help.

You’re most welcome 🙂 Good luck with your literature review.

Thank you very much for the support!!

your videos are great helpful.

Glad to hear that! Good luck with your lit review.

You are the BEST

Thanks for the feedback, Annie. I wish you best of luck with your literature review.

where is the download link for the excel template?

Hi Lebogang

The download is below the first image. Good luck with your literature review!

Your videos literally saved me!!!! Due to recent issues, most of my classes were cancelled and i was completely lost. No words can explain how much grateful i am to you!!

Glad to hear we helped you! Good luck with your literature review.

You guys are the kinds of people who should survive covid-19. You are the type of people we really need in this planet. You are a star. You really saved me from many headaches. Thank you very much for the useful videos and the literature organisation spreadsheet.

Thanks for the kind words, Abel. All the best for your literature review!

Thanks so much for your video. I have consistently received comments that my arguments don’t flow well and I could never figure out how to successfully fix this issue. Now I feel I have a plan and someone to help me and provide feedback if I still don’t get it quite well. Looking forward to getting an improved mark on my next Lit review Thank you

Great to hear that, Helen. Good luck with your future literature reviews!

Excellent lecture

Thanks Biren – good luck with your literature review

i have watched your video on three steps to write a literature review and i found it very useful. thank you for sharing. keep it up.

Thanks again

Thank you for providing such excellent information and sources. Your videos helped me so much. I was on the verge of quitting. Thank you again for your videos and recommended tools.

Great to hear that, Tanya. All the best for your literature review, and for your research.

The video was very informative and timely for me. I am about to start, so Gradcoach is a source I will be revisiitng

Thanks, Nina – glad to hear that. Good luck with your literature review 🙂

hey your video is awesome I had to make an assignment on literature Review and it helped me to get an outline on how I should start ! i was fed of reading books and online articles. Your video served as a boon and clarified my thought process – how I should move forward .Thank you so much!

Great to hear that, Kavita. All the best with your literature review!

Hi Derek, I have tried unsuccessfully to download the Excel template but it keeps bringing me back to this comment section. Is it a technical issue? Kindly help.

Sorry about that. Can you please send me a screenshot of what you’re seeing – [email protected] . I will send you the template as well.

Best of luck with your literature review.

This is so very helpful!! I am writing my first lit review within a proposal (rather last minute, yikes) and this is so helpful to stay organized!

Pleasure. Good luck with your lit review 🙂

Hi i like the video,it is very helpful especially now that I am working on my proposal for thesis project….Hope I will be able to use the excel template to organize for my literature review

Great to hear that, Faith. All the best with your literature review!

hey Derek this video is absolutely amazing. One problem though I’m one of the few that are struggling to download excel. I keep clicking on it and nothing happens.

Thanks for letting us know. Please email me a screenshot of your error and I’ll sort you out – [email protected]

Thanks, Derek

Thanks a lot! Very well explained and easy to follow…now I guess I have no excuse to actually do the work 😉

Thanks for your comment! Good luck with your literature review.

Your video is very informative and useful. Thanks a lot. I also want to try the template but I can’t the find the download link…

The download button is below the main image.

Very helpful thank you

Hi! It is a big help for beginners, such as me. Thanks a lot for sharing!

Thank you. All the best with your literature review.

This is brilliant, Pls sir, in writing a review article, how deep can u go. Is it necessary to go down to the inception of your area of research?

How do I know the country/region of research article?

This will usually be covered somewhere in the article itself.

I would like this free resource

You’re welcome to download it. The download button is below the main image. Good luck with your literature review 🙂

I’d love to have this resource pls. Thank you so much

You’re welcome to download it. The download button is below the main image.

Thanks for the you tube videos. they are very informative

Thank you so much for the full tutorial with so much detailed information. I’m a Ph.D. Candidate in China. The whole syllabus of the Ph.D. program sucks. Thanks again for sharing all this helpful information. I hope your team will getting better in the future!

You’re very welcome. Good luck writing your literature review.

It’s such a big help for me. Thank you!

I’ve watched your video on writing a research proposal. I am interested in the lit review excel template.

I have watched your lecture video on writing a research proposal. I am interested in the literature review excel template and the book write smarter not harder.

It is very helpful. Thank you for your experience sharing.

You’re welcome – good luck with your literature review 🙂

Good afternoon, I recall listening/seeing in 1 of your videos *of saving the abstract (PDF) together with the excel database. How do you do this? is it also with this excel sheet

Thank you ..your videos are a confidence booster

*How To Write A Literature Review In 3 Steps (Full Tutorial)

Wonderful work !!! Please share more !!!! I will be very happy.

Thanks so much for your precision in your presentation. I have not yet started practicing but it’s one of the best I have come across. More grease to your elbows.

I love every video on research that you ve made so far. Thanks a lot

انت رائع جدا

You’re welcome. Good luck with your literature review 🙂

Excellent work. Very helpful. I am starting in this beautiful activity of writing papers with my research . I am learning a lot. Thank you very much.

Glad to hear that. Good luck writing up your research papers!

Thank you so much for the free Excel document! It’s such a huge time-saver!

You’re most welcome, Rebecca. Good luck writing your literature review 🙂

I am so grateful that I have found you on YouTube!

In the meantime, is it better to make another excel file for another variable of the same thesis or just put all articles of all variables in 1 excel file?

Thank you very much!

The notes have been very helpful to me thank you very much for sharing

You’re most welcome, Juan 🙂

Just recently seen your youtube video. Its very information. I usually gets running out of words while writing literature review. Example: XX et al investigated, YY et al shown that, ZZ et al demonstrated…….. After 4-5 references, I feels like again am repeating the words investigated, demonstrated… Could you please shoe some references with a set of vocabularies that can be used while writing literature review section.

Thank you in advance

Thank you so much. Amazing tutorial. Am feeling educated now. Lol…

Glad to hear that, Frank. Good luck with your literature review!

Very helpful stuff, thank you so much for the free Excel! I’m going to use it for my DBA and get your YT channel.

Hi, thank you for the great insights! I was unable download the template even though I completed the form. Would you be able to help me?

Derek thanks for sharing your sacrifices. I love the clarity and confidence, it takes experience to do such.

I just downloaded the excel template for LR coupled with the explanation on how to use. I found it useful, thank you!

Do you have any recommendations for adding Key quotes from a reference ?

Great content. Template very useful

Awesome! An answer to my prayer. I found this in time I need it most. Thank you for the spirit of service.

You’re most welcome, Jojo. Good luck with your literature review.

I am really impressed. This discussion helped me a lot to reconsider a lot of issues.

Thanks for the kind words. Good luck with your literature review!

This is amazing! I really like the guidance you are giving here. However, can you throw more light on the ‘category’ columns for me? I’m really nit clear on that. Thanks

Thanks for your comment. Please see my reply to Sasquia’s question re the same thing.

Good luck with your research!

I have been sitting on an enormous amount of articles for months with difficulties in organizing them until i discovered your video on literature review (YouTube). It brought me to this page where you also had a free template for us. Research process is so much bearable now than i expected. Highly recommended for all researchers. Thank you very much.

Great template. Quick question: Are the categories KEYWORDS that I draw from each source? or pre-planned TOPICS that I come up with to organize the source content?

Thanks for your comment. You can use the category columns in whichever way works for you. It would be different for each student depending on the nature of their research and their research objectives.

Hi there, can you suggest how the corresponding literature resources are best saved into a document folder for retrieval later.

I have seen some suggesting using a unique identifier in a master tab in the spreadsheet so as to be able to create a separate tab for quotes or similar thus using the id as the link

But no one has gone on to say if they are also saving the source document in a folder and naming it 57 or author last name, title or other.

I checked out your Literature Kickstarter and the screen shot of the articles didn’t look to correspond with the catalogue. Have been meaning to sort out my reference folders for sometime and am inspired by the use of an excel spreadsheet but not sure what to name files (currently saved in theme folders) Any help would be gratefully received. Thanks

I am happy if I get a catalogue excel template on the research are of zeolite synthesis from local clay for water treatment mechanism. I need help.

I love the template! But I would like to change the name of some of the headings, used in the dropdown, i.e. change “Audio Recording” to “Podcast”. How could I do that?

Very helpful!

Great!!! Very handy.

Thankyou so much. The excel file is really helpful. This really means and is helping a lot for me.

Hello, please, how can i get your excel document to catacogue the ideas for my literature review. Can you also assist on how to build the methodology section of my literature review? Thank you in advance.

I’m a student from Indonesia..This is very useful for me.. Thank you Derek..

What is the better, download all literatures and then log them into the excel sheet or do that for one by one?

Dear Derek.

I was utterly stressed when taking on an MSc Educational Leadership distance learning degree after 30 years of no academic studying. However, I found your literature review tutorial on Youtube and I immediately experienced a sense of calm direction. I am working full time in the Cayman Islands and am native Afrikaans speaking, so it was such a great help with my literature review for my first assignment. However, I have to write an evaluative essay for my second module and can not find any tutorial done by you about this. Do you perhaps have a template I could use? I have also used your services for editing and proofreading and am super grateful for the amazing help I have received! THANK YOU!

Hi Mr Derek,

It really really helps me to summarise my LR in Excel form and start-up writing

Hi Derek I have tried to download the template and it has failed to. I am not receiving the email either, could this be network issues.

Hi Derek I have been able to download the template. thank you for all your support. let me get started

I have downloaded the template. I would like to print out the guide so I can easily follow. Hope that is fine with you.

THANKS A LOTTTTT This template is exactly the one I needed when reading the literature review for my Bachelor’s dissertation

Thank you so much for your support ,I have downloaded your template and it is amazing .

Derek, The products you and the team members have put together continue to provide exemplary help as I finish the journey toward completing my dissertation! I wish I would have known of GradCoach during both of my MBAs. It could have helped alleviate a lot of time and frustration! I look forward to learning and seeing new things as I complete the dissertation.

Thanks for the kind words 🙂

Can data will be entered in excel sheet automatically like in Mendeley or i have to enter manually, pl?

Thank you GRADCOACH, I’m keenly following your tutorials as I’m about to start my literature review. These videos have been very helpful. So for the literature review you recommend only checking abstract, introduction and conclusion of the relevant literature?

Thanks for providing such an amazing resource.

I wish I knew about this when I was doing my masters. I’m doing my PhD now and sitting on Word files of reference lists and quotes I made for my MEd. This catalog will help me to keep everything more organized in one place. I’ve already started making your template my own by adding additional columns that are important for my research topic. One of the best features of your template is the Literature summary page. My question is how do I get the information I put into my new columns to auto-populate with descriptive statistics on the Literature Summary page?

Hi, I still don’t understand what you would put as ‘Category 1’, ‘Category 2’, ‘Category X’. Are they like the sort of big topics covered in the paper?

This is very helpful

Thank you so much for this summary of the process. I found your advice so helpful, and will apply it to improve the way I write. One small problem: I can´t get the Excel spreadsheet to download: every time I press on the button, it takes me back to the top of the screen.

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Market research templates: what they are and how to use them.

18 min read Interested in market research but need some templates to start with? In this guide, we unpack market research, survey planning best practice and share some of our best templates for brand, customer, product and employee research.

What is a market research template?

While you’re no doubt familiar with the concept of market research and how it can help you to reach your target audiences and improve your product or service , the real challenge is designing a market research plan that is conducive to excellent results.

All of this starts with the right market research template(s) to help you analyze specific target audiences, collect the right data and uncover insights that can drive actionable change.

In this article, we’re going to:

• talk about market research and its use cases,
• provide you with a standard template that allows you to plan your research,
• and share several other templates to help you with specific types of market research

You can also check out our free template library.

But first, let’s revisit market research.

What is market research?

Market research is the process of determining the viability of a new service or product through surveys and questionnaires with prospects and/or customers. It involves gathering information about market needs and prospect/customer preferences .

Through market research, you can discover and/or refine your target market, get opinions and feedback on what you provide to them and uncover further prospect/customer pain points and expectations of your service or product .

Market research can be conducted in-house, either by you and your research team, or through a third-party company that specializes in it (they will typically have their own research panels or be capable of creating a research panel to suit your requirements).

The four common types of market research

There are lots of different ways to conduct market research to collect customer data and feedback , test product concepts , and do brand research, but the four most common are:

The most commonly used form of market research, surveys are a form of qualitative research that asks respondents a series of open or closed-ended questions , delivered either as an on-screen questionnaire or email.

Surveys are incredibly popular because they’re cheap, easy to produce, and can capture data very quickly, leading to faster insights.

2) Focus groups

Why not bring together a carefully selected group of people in your target market using focus groups? Though more expensive and complex than surveys and interviews, focus groups can offer deeper insight into prospect and customer behavior – from how users experience your products and services to what marketing messages really resonate with them.

Of course, as a market research method that’s reliant on a moderator to steer conversation, it can be subject to bias (as different moderators might have preferred questions or be more forceful) and if you cut corners (not asking all the necessary questions or making assumptions based on responses), the data could get skewed.

3) Observation

As if you were a fly-on-the-wall, the observation market research method can be incredibly powerful. Rather than interviewing or surveying users, you simply take notes while someone from your target market/target audience engages with your product . How are they using it? What are they struggling with? Do they look as though they have concerns?

Observing your target audience/target market in this fashion is a great alternative to the other more traditional methods on this list. It’s less expensive and far more natural as it isn’t guided by a moderator or a predefined set of questions. The only issue is that you can’t get feedback directly from the mouth of the user, so it’s worth combining this type of research with interviews, surveys, and/or focus groups.

4) Interviews

Interviews allow for face-to-face discussions (both in-person and virtually), allowing for more natural conversations with participants.

For gleaning deeper insights (especially with non-verbal cues giving greater weight to opinions), there’s nothing better than face-to-face interviews. Any kind of interview will provide excellent information, helping you to better understand your prospects and target audience/target market.

Use cases for market research

When you want to understand your prospects and/or customers, but have no existing data to set a benchmark – or want to improve your products and services quickly – market research is often the go-to.

Market research (as mentioned above), helps you to discover how prospects and customers feel about your products and services, as well as what they would like to see .

But there are more use cases and benefits to market research than the above.

Reduce risk of product and business failure

With any new venture, there’s no guarantee that the new idea will be successful. As such, it’s up to you to establish the market’s appetite for your product or service. The easiest way to do this is through market research – you can understand the challenges prospects face and quickly identify where you can help. With the data from your market survey, you can then create a solution that addresses the needs and expectations of would-be customers.

Forecast future trends

Market research doesn’t just help you to understand the current market – it also helps you to forecast future needs. As you conduct your research and analyze the findings, you can identify trends – for example, how brands and businesses are adopting new technology to improve customer experiences or how sustainability is becoming a core focus for packaging. Whatever it is you’re looking to understand about the future of business in your market, comprehensive market research can help you to identify it.

Stay ahead of the competition

Understanding your market and what prospects and customers want from you will help to keep you ahead of the competition . The fact is that the top businesses frequently invest in market research to get an edge, and those that don’t tap into the insights of their audience are missing low-hanging fruit.

As well as helping you to stay in front, you can also use market research to identify gaps in the market, e.g. your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses . Just have participants answer questions about competitor products/services – or even use the products/services – and work out how you can refine your offerings to address these issues.

Plan more strategically

What’s the foundation of your business strategy? If it’s based on evidence, e.g. what people expect of your products and services, it’ll be much easier to deliver something that works. Rather than making assumptions about what you should do, market research gives you a clear, concrete understanding of what people want to see.

Check out our guide to market research for a more comprehensive breakdown.

How do you write a market research plan/template?

A market research plan is very similar to a brief in that it documents the most vital information and steps about your project. Consider it a blueprint that outlines your main objective (summary), key questions and outcomes, target audience and size, your timeline, budget, and other key variables.

Let’s talk about them in more detail.

Elements of a great market research plan

1) overview or summary.

Use the first section of your market research plan to outline the background to the problem that you are attempting to solve (this is usually your problem statement or problem question). Include background information on the study’s purpose and the business to provide context to those who would read the report, as well as the need for the research. Keep the overview simple and concise; focus on the most salient elements.

2) Objectives

What is it that you hope to achieve with this survey? Your objectives are the most important part of the survey. Make sure to list 3-5 of the decisions or initiatives that the research will influence.

For example:

Understand the most-used channels for customer engagement and purchasing to decide where to prioritize marketing and sales budget in Q1 2022. Determine what’s causing customer churn at the later stages of the buyer journey and implement a new retention and sales strategy to address it.

Your objectives should be smart, that is: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

3) Deliverables (or outcomes)

This section should focus on what you expect to have at the end of the project. How many responses are you looking for? How will the data be presented? Who will the data be shared with? (Stakeholders, executives) What are your next steps? Make sure you state how you will collect and analyze the data once it’s available.

Products such as Qualtrics CoreXM make this process fast and incredibly easy to do, drastically reducing the time to insights so you can make more meaningful changes, faster.

4) Target audience

Not to be confused with your market research sample, your target audience represents who you want to research. Of course, your sample may include ideal buyers from your target audience. Here you want to define the main variables or factors of your audience: demographic , age, location , product interaction, experience, and so on. It’s worth building out your buyer personas (if you haven’t already) and including a quick breakdown of them here.

5) Sample plan

How many participants do you want to research and what kind of groups do you want to reach? Depending on these two variables, you may have to use qualitative, quantitative , or multi-method approaches.

6) Research methods

What methods will you use in your market research project? The insights (and the granularity of those insights) will depend on the methods and tools you choose. For example, and as mentioned earlier, surveys are often the go-to for many organizations as they’re affordable and straightforward, but if you want to get more personal views from your respondents, one-to-one interviews might be more applicable. You might even want to take a hands-off approach and simply observe participants as they use your products, or try a combination of research methods. Make sure to outline what methods you will use as part of your research plan.

7) Timeline

How long will your research project run? It’s worth putting together a Gantt chart to highlight key milestones in the project, along with dependencies, and to break down tasks as much as possible. Schedule in contingency time in case some tasks or research runs over – or you need more responses.

Set a budget for the overall program and list it in your plan. Though this might be the most difficult aspect of any research plan, it helps you to be more strategic about tasks and hold people accountable at each stage of the process. If costs go over, that’s good to know for future market research. If costs are lower than anticipated, you then have the opportunity to do further research or prop up other areas of the study.

9) Ethical concerns or conflicts of interest

One of the most important parts of your market research plan, you should highlight any ethical concerns. To begin with, it’s your duty to state whether or not responses will be kept confidential and anonymous as part of the study. It’s also important to allow participants to remain anonymous and ensure you protect their privacy at all times.

Another issue to consider is stereotyping. Any analysis of real populations needs to make approximations and place individuals into groups, but if conducted irresponsibly, stereotyping can lead to undesirable results.

Lastly, conflicts of interest – it may be that researchers have interests in the outcome of the project that lead to a personal advantage that might compromise the integrity of your market research project. You should clearly state in your market research report that any potential conflicts of interest are highlighted and addressed before continuing.

But I want a faster solution!

Well, there’s a quicker and far easier way to do all of the above and get the data you need – just use a market research survey template. In our next section, we’re going to share a whole list of templates that you can use.

Free market research survey templates

No matter what kind of research you want to conduct, we have templates that will remove the complexity of the task and empower you to get more from your data. Below we’ve compiled a list of templates for four key experience areas: Brand , Customer , Employee , and Product .

All of our research templates are free. All you need to do is sign up for a free Qualtrics account to access them.

Brand experience market research templates:

• Logo testing : Collect feedback to help you evaluate and iterate on your logo designs and concepts
• Brand awareness : Track the level of brand awareness in your target market, including current and potential future customers
• Ad testing : Evaluate your consumers’ reaction to an advertisement so you know which campaigns to deploy before you invest
• A/B testing : Quickly and easily compare to versions or options in a study, whether it’s a design, headline, color palette or a mock-up of your latest ad campaign

Customer experience market research templates

• Student satisfaction : Gather feedback on how your institution is delivering on the student experience
• Net promoter score (NPS) : Measure customer loyalty and understand how they feel about your product or service using one of the world’s best-recognized metrics
• Customer satisfaction : Evaluate how satisfied your customers are with your company, including the products and services you provide, and how they are treated when they buy from you
• Customer service : Gain insights into the contact center experience, so you can achieve and maintain optimum levels of customer experience (CX) performance
• Event feedback : Measure the effectiveness of your events and how well they meet attendee expectations so that you can continuously improve your offering
• IT help desk : Understand how satisfied your employees and customers are with your IT help desk experience
• Website suggestion box : Collect visitor feedback on how your website can be improved
• Website satisfaction : Find out how satisfied visitors are with your website’s design, usability, and performance
• Store purchase feedback : Capture customer experience data at the point of purchase to help you improve the in-store experience
• Online purchase feedback : Find out how well your online shopping experience performs against customer needs and expectations

Employee experience market research templates

• Employee satisfaction : Get an overview of your current employee experience
• Manager feedback : Improve your skills as a leader with valuable feedback from your team
• Employee engagement : Find out how employees find the current experience at your workplace with this entry-level engagement survey
• Employee exit interview : Understand why your employees are leaving and how they’ll speak about your company once they’re gone with this survey template
• Employee onboarding : Improve your onboarding program by understanding what’s working and what’s not
• Team event planning : Collect inputs from employees to plan a team event that works for everyone
• Meeting feedback : Check-in with team members after a meeting to see how well your company is running and what improvements can be made
• Interview feedback : Improve your candidate experience by gathering actionable insights about the interview process
• Employee suggestion box : Gather anonymous data to help address concerns and improve the employee experience in your organization
• Candidate experience : Improve your candidate experience to increase brand perception, offer acceptance rates, and hiring process efficiency with this single-touchpoint survey template
• Employee suggestion action : Take employee feedback a step further by working with your staff to quantify solutions based on their experience data

Product experience market research templates

• Product research : Evaluate your consumers’ reaction to a new product or product feature across every stage of the product development journey
• Pricing : Understand how to set the exact price point for your product or service, according to your target consumers
• Feature prioritization : Compare and contrast product features using conjoint analysis to find the optimal mix for your customers
• Product package testing : Collect feedback on your product packaging to see how well it meets the needs and expectations of your customers

Armed with the right market research templates, getting the information you need across brand, product, customer and employee disciplines — as well as beyond — is significantly easier.

But if you want help putting together complex market research and scaling your in-house research team to get agile insights, check out our guide to building an agile research function.

Insights are more important than ever, especially during times of change, but building a great team takes a lot of time and money.

In our eBook, we’ll explain how you can:

• Scale your research team
• Build a smart partner strategy
• Ensure you have the right technology for market research and data analysis

Tackle your market research with our agile market research eBook

Related resources

Market intelligence 10 min read, marketing insights 11 min read, ethnographic research 11 min read, qualitative vs quantitative research 13 min read, qualitative research questions 11 min read, qualitative research design 12 min read, primary vs secondary research 14 min read, request demo.

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Plan Templates

14+ research plan templates – sample, example.

A research plan is the major part of an application and is described as the most important document for an investigator’s projected research sample . It also provides a major analyst regarding the opportunity to talk about proposed research, describing its benefits, and how it will be implemented and conducted. A research plan samples is made to answer questions like, “what do you intend to do?”, “what has already been done?”, and other relevant questions.

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Research Plan Templates

• Introduction: The introduction of your research topic is presented in this section
• Objective and Purpose of your research study: When you are doing your research, you should have a clear idea about the objective and the purpose of your study
• If you are formulating a hypothesis in your study, you can include it in your research plan
• Framework and theoretical background: Every research study has its Framework and theoretical background. Make sure you include them in your research plan.
• Possible findings and conclusions: The findings and conclusions come at the end of your research. For a wider selection of research poster templates, check out more options here.

Quantitative Research Plan

Strategic Research Plan

Samples of Our Research Plan Templates

• Business Research Plan Template – This template is what you need if you want a research plan that provides a thorough examination of how a service or product will progress in an area that is determined.
• Research Proposal Plan Template – If you’re looking for a research plan that includes a comprehensive explanation regarding a proposed research, and at the same, is addressed to specialists in the same field, then this template is absolutely what you need.
• Quantitative Research Plan Template – This is useful when it comes to making a research plan that addresses the major purpose of the research study.
• Strategic Research Plan Template – If you are seeking for a research plan that is designated in informing an organization’s long-term tasks or projects which require a planned strategy, then this template will make an ideal fit.

Research Plan for Market

Qualitative Research Plan

Research Implementation Plan

Research Study Plan

Significance of a Research Plan

• It can explain the importance of the problem or essential barrier for the development of the field that the proposed project addresses. Find more research paper essay templates by visiting this link.
• It explains how the proposed project will help in improving experimental knowledge, technical abilities, and/or practices that involve in a clinical field or similar extensive settings.
• It assists in describing how the concepts, methods, treatments, services, or technologies that lead this platform in changing if the proposed objectives are accomplished.
• It can determine and state if there are a potential scientific hypothesis for the proposed subject.
• It can state concisely the objectives of the research that will be considered. View a wider selection of research agreement  templates right here.
• It helps in summarizing the expected result(s) which includes the impact that the outcomes of the proposed research settings are involved.
• It provides a comprehensive list of certain subject goals of the proposed research.
• It can describe any theoretical ideas, approaches, and methodologies to be developed or utilized, and creates an advantage over existing interventions.

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Market Research Plan

9 market research tutorials [ms word/exceltemplates].

This is a 10 part series on creating Market Research Plans .

• Market Research Planning 101
• Why Develop a Market Research Plan? Where’s the benefit?
• The 3 Key Ingredients in Every Market Research Plan
• Market Research For Small Business Owners
• Remember Pink iMacs?
• What Jose Mourinho Taught Me About Market Research
• Kickstart your Market Research
• Rocket Science, duh!
• Using Market Research To Develop Brand Loyalty

Feedback Form and Customer Ratings

Learn more about these Market Research Templates

Market Research 101

Before we start this course on Market Research , I’d like to share a little story.

A good friend ran an exclusive winery in France. Very successful. As his son was training to be a Winemaster, they sent him on a course to get his credentials . Nothing to worry about, right?

…after a week he came back.

Devastated.

They’d done a blind tasting and asked him to identify the wines.

He tasted four French wines and one German thrown in for good measure. Maybe it would be a Riesling…

After a few minutes, he identified the four French wines and rogue  German.

And that’s where things went wrong…

Like most young men, he was slightly over-confident of his abilities.

I’ll spare you the gory details but he mixed up the Red and White wines. For a young man with aspirations to be a Winemaster this was a disaster.

With his eyes open, he could see the wines and make a good ‘guesstimate’. But the blind tasting showed his true abilities or rather lack of them .

He couldn’t tell a Bordeaux from a Sauvignon Blanc. And word got out!

This experiment is interesting for those involved in Market Research as it illustrates several points :

• What you think you know about your product may not be true.
• How you determine your own abilities and skills can surprise even the best of us.
• Our pre-conceived ideas about a brand , product or service may not be correct.
• Our inability to see our own blindspots can be a sever liability unless it’s addressed.

This is where Market Research comes to our rescue.

Instead of making assumptions about a product, we can test that assumption. Instead of hoping your target customers will pay for a new product, we can gauge their interest. Instead of adding new features to a product because the Development team thinks it’s cool, we can ask customers what they really want and roll that into the product.

Market Research, as the name implies, is about researching your product’s position in the marketplace .

2. Why Develop a Market Research Plan?

The purpose of a Market Research Plan is to learn what your customers think about your product before you release it. Of course, you may have already released the product but want greater insights into your customer base before you release the next product.

It’s also about where to position it in the market, for example, against the main competitor or to look at new regions that have been under-developed.

There are other ways we can look at this.

How to change customer’s attitude towards our brand? How to price a product so it doesn’t cannibalize our product line? How to assess the interest customers would have in a new product. Useful to know before you start developing it! How to repair our brand if it’s been damaged? BP is a good example here. How do you make customers, the Government, media and partners trust you again?

Why is the product selling more in the West coast than the East?

Or if you offered them a premium version of the product, how much would they pay? Or what’s the one thing that they’d like you to change with the product.

3 Key Ingredients in Every Market Research Plan

There are three key areas in every Market Research Plan .

1. Gather data – what tools and methods do you use to gather the information you need? For example, you might develop surveys, questionnaires, and focus groups. 2. Record data – what tools, software and templates will you use to record the research material? This may include databases, excel Competitor Analysis Worksheet , spreadsheets and MS Word forms. 3. Analyze data – once you have the information in a format you can use, you can then analyze the feedback, look for anomalies, and then clean the data. After the data has been cleanses, you can begin to make chart the results and report on your key findings.

Of course, Market Research is not only to do with launching products.

It can also extend into other areas, for example:

Looking into brand awareness (how many customers know you’re in a specific market?), Customer satisfaction or What the public think of a political figure, new policy or current event. Learn more about these Market Research Templates

4. Market Research For Small Business Owners

For Small Business owners, you’re probably concerned with questions, such as:

Who are my current customers? How do I find new potential customers ? What payment method do they prefer? Some may prefer to pay upfront and get a discount, whereas others may prefer to stagger the payments over smaller payments. Word of Mouth – What makes customers recommend one product over another? How do you get to, ‘Try it, it’s great.’ Instead of investing in expensive marketing campaigns , companies are turning to social media to generate buzz and encourage fans to recommend their products. Trend Watching – When I grew up, TV was the medium advertisers used to get our attention. Today, we watch less TV than ever. But the web is always on. This is where more consumers go to when they want to research a new product. Where do they hear about new trends? Looking on the web is a start, but you have to dig deeper and see where on the web they congregate and how they interact. Status Anxiety – We all want others to respect us. We might deny this in public but in private we’re concerned with what our peers think of us. Note that I said peers not everyone. Many consumers, especially those that are more brand conscious, invest in products to raise their social status. It’s about positioning themselves within their social bracket.

Download Now for only 14.99!

5. Remember Pink iMacs?

When the iMacs were first released, there was a run on pink.

Not red, blue or green. Pink.

Pink sold out in a flash.

But not to teenage girls like you’d think.

Instead, it was up-market Indian families who bought them in droves. Many were never used but strategically placed as exclusive objects in their living rooms, no doubt to generate envy in less well-off (or more pragmatic) guests.

Status anxiety explains many irrational behaviour in consumer buying habits .

The iPad is another example.

It can’t multi-task and is very expensive.

More expensive than most large size laptops, which can multi-task and come with other great features.

But… such is the strength of Apple’s fanbase that the product is a best seller, regardless of price and limited functionality.

Well, it looks great for one thing and… most people can’t afford it.

In the coming weeks, we’ll look at other physiological triggers that influence the way consumers behave.

6. What Jose Mourinho Taught Me About Market Research

Do you think Jose Mourinho knows much about market research , brand segmentation, and customer profiling?

Think again…

Spreadsheets , surveys and focus groups may not be his specialty but he does know his market (the opposition) and does endless research. Ask anyone who’s worked with him at Chelsea, Barcelona or Real Madrid. Mourinho is notorious for gathering information about the opposition team, analyzing the data, and briefing his players. The results are impressive. When interviewed for the Chelsea vacancy, he prepared PowerPoint presentations showing where and how he would develop the team. Board members were blown away. Mourinho looked at the league table that way a General would a battle field. He assessed his troops (team), reviewed the enemy (Man United perhaps), and drew up plans to undermine the opposition. And it worked.

And the same can work for you.

Prepare for Battle

Market Research Planning is simple.

People make it complicated. Some make it complicated to make themselves look clever. It’s not.

The key to effective market research is to follow stick to the basics and define your goals.

What do I want to get out of this piece of work?

Write it down. It should be one sentence. No more.

I want to know…

To get to that point develop a Market Research Plan, which is a framework for getting to that answer.

5 Painless Ways to Kickstart your Market Research

Here are five ways to start your Market Research Planning activities.

Assess the Competition – Can you compete against the market leader? How many competitors are there in the marketplace? Could you partner with other companies and deliver a superior product offering? Mourinho identified three main threats and then went after them. One by one, they were dismantled. Identify your target market – gather information about the age, location and number of people who’ll be interested in the product. The more you know about your customers , the more you can tailor your product to their needs, spending habits and in relation to emerging trend. Mourinho said that his midfielders had to be 5’8’ minimum. Why? He was blessed with one of the best midfielders in the world with Claude Makelele (5’5’) and wanted to balance his lack of height with taller, more robust players. Other mid-size players were sold and powerhouses brought in. Determine Price – how much will the product cost? Will you sell it as part of a bundle? Do you offer discounts? How about international customers? Will the price be the same in the US as in Japan? And if customers find out, what next? The difficulty with pricing strategies is that what works in one country, or even one city, may be over-priced in another. How do you strike a balance? Sales channels – What’s best approach to selling the products ? Over the web, in the high street, through partners, direct mail? When I started my business, I sold training programs through the post. But I had to stop as shipping fees reduced my profit. Now I sell all my goods online with eJunkie and Clickbank. While I still get requests for hardcopies, I have to decline the offer as the time and effort would wipe out the profit margin. But, it’s not an easy decision. Who wants to say No to money. Volume – How many people are looking for this product? How confident are you that this figure is correct? Will this number increase or decrease over the next three years?

Looking for an example of how your luck can change?

Audible.com was facing bankruptcy a few years ago. No one was buying digital downloads. Then the internet gained traction. Mp3 players spread like wildfire. Suddenly the demand was there.

The next problem was how to keep up with demand .

Nice problem if you can get it.

6. Rocket Science

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when launching a product. Interviewing, running surveys and polls are different ways to get inside the head of your customers (or prospective customers) and see what they think.

Remember, Market Research is not an exact science.

What works in one area, may not work in another.

Likewise, you may have to run different surveys or workshop until you begin to see specific trends emerging, for example, that the price is too high for customers in France but fine for those in Seattle.

Or the user interface confuses customers and makes them leave the site.

Did you know?

More than 55% of customers who start the buying process (i.e. Click the Buy button) leave the site before they get to the Confirm button.

Wouldn’t you like to know why?

That’s where a discrete survey will help.

‘What’s the one thing on my Shopping Cart that you’d change?’

Or a poll. Or a focus group. Or a questionnaire.

It depends, doesn’t it?

SAD TUT aka USA TDT

I’ve made up a new buzzword to address this. SAD TUT. Or USA TDT. Whichever you prefer!

For small projects, you should be fine with Competitor Analysis Worksheets , spreadsheets, forms and checklists. You can use these to run surveys, ask questions, and gather feedback.

If you need more detailed information, then you’ll need to develop a Market Research Plan . This is ideal when you want a 360 understanding of how customers perceive your company, brand or customer service. It depends on your needs, budget and resources.

Assess the current marketplace.

Determine if there is a real need for your product or service. While you may feel that people MUST want to buy this, the research may show otherwise.

Size up the competition . Who are your main competitors? How can you beat them? Price, Innovation, and Customer Service are three starting points. Understand your Customers. Learn more about their shopping habits. What triggers them to make decisions? How much they usually spend on these types of products? What is their weekly disposable income , i.e. what’s left over when they pay the bills? Monitor Trends – understand how the market is shaping up. Are there new trends you need to watch? What has become passé? Define Achievable Targets – and, of course, you need to define your sales targets. How many of these do I need to sell in the next 12, 24 or 36 months to justify the decision to launch this product?

The over-arching goal is to learn more about your customers and how their spending habits, preferences and knowledge of your brand will impact your company’s progress.

In a nutshell

After you have completed the Market Research planning phase, you will have the answer to the question you identified at the start of the project.

For most of us, this is: who will buy my product, for how much, and why?

9. The Mystery of the Seven Sided Market Research Plan

Market Research is like a heptagon. Ok, that’s a bit pretentious. But, it is actually and here’s why.

The seven stages in the Market Research Plan look at:

• Why are you doing this?
• Who are you researching?
• What tools will you use to gather the information?
• Where will you collect the data?
• When and how will you analyze it?
• How to Report your findings?
• What Decisions will follow from this?

Market Research Templates, Forms and Tutorials

This  Market Research Template  pack includes  19 templates (5  Word   + 14 Excel) . You can use these  templates, forms, checklists, and questionnaires  to gather, record, and analyze data so you have the information you need to drive your Business Plan and Marketing strategies forward. This template pack includes:

• 4 x Market Research Templates (16 pages)  Use these template to capture Why You Need Market Research, Who You Want to Target, How to Plan, Collect Data, Analyze Data, Report Findings, and Make Decisions.
• Market Research Brief Template (6 pages)  Use this document to brief Consultants on your Market Research requirements.
• 14 Free Excel  Templates:  including Brand Loyalty Survey,  Competitor Analysis , Demographic Comparison, Demographic Profile, Industry Analysis Checklist, Market Planning Checklist, Cost Analysis, Market Research Spreadsheet, Market Survey.

MS Word Screenshots

Here are screenshots of the MS Word templates.

Standard cover page

Executive Summary to Market Research Plan

Instructions on how to write the Market Research Plan

Further details of the market research plan

Budget Plan

Market Research Project Plan

Market Survey Form

Excel Screenshots

Here are screenshots of the Excel templates.

Market Planning Checklist with conditional formatting

Competitor Assessment spreadsheets with different charts

Competitive Analysis spreadsheet

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Research Templates

Family historians rely on a number of organizational tools, including commonly used forms to record their research efforts and findings. Even though most genealogical software programs will export your findings into such formats, it is important to understand how each works and how they can be organized to best support future research. The following templates will help you organize your research, save you time, and present your information in a consistent and accurate way.

Family Charts

Five generation family chart.

A multi-generational chart provides a road map of your ancestors and includes basic information about each couple: full name and date and place of birth, death, and marriage. Each person on the chart receives a number. The subject of the chart is number 1; the subject’s father is 2, the mother is 3; the father’s father is 4, the father’s mother is 5; etc. Each chart is assigned a number and cross-referenced to connect charts and generations. Thus, every ancestor receives a unique number that can be used as shorthand or for filing. E.g., 3:6 refers to chart number 3, person number 6.

Family Group Sheet

A family group sheet provides a snapshot of each nuclear family and records pertinent information about each family member. This information may include:

• For father and mother: given and last name(s); birth, death, and marriage date and place; parents’ names; other marriages
• For children: sex, given and last name(s); birth, death, and marriage date and place; spouse’s name

Research Plan Template

A research plan provides a roadmap for your genealogical research. This easy-to-use template takes you through the process of forming a good research question, identifying which records help you answer the question, clarifying record availability for your time period and location, and listing specific repositories where the records may be found.

Research Log

Research logs are an excellent way to keep track of the research you have already accomplished. They contain a list of every source you consulted—and whether your search was successful or not. Handwritten or typed, these logs help prevent duplicate searches and lookups.

Annotated Research Log

This annotated research log (excel file) provides a starting point for you to track your research and stay focused on the genealogical issue at hand. You can easily add columns, rows, and sort your findings.

Interview Questions

Gather information about your family and ancestors by interviewing family members, friends, and neighbors. These suggested interview questions will help!

Family Questionnaire

Compile additional information for your research or publication by mailing or emailing relatives and family friends a questionnaire.

Early Census Comparison Charts

Beyond the head of household, early censuses provide little information about the individual members of a family. It can therefore be difficult to track families from one census to the next. Use these forms to help compare families between censuses.

• 1800-1810 census comparison
• 1810-1820 census comparison
• 1830-1840 census comparison, free white families
• 1830-1840 census comparison, free colored families
• 1830-1840 census comparison, slave families

Researching House History

Uncovering the history of a house may shed light on family dynamics, social class, historical context, material culture, and more. You may be surprised at what you find! Use the below forms to organize your house history research:

• Occupant Chart

1950 U.S. Federal Census Worksheet

Use this worksheet to guide your research through the newly released 1950 U.S. Federal Census.

Writing & Publishing

Register  style template.

Format your article or book manuscript using  Register  style—a widely used genealogical format that's been used for more than 100 years. An editor looking over an article submitted for possible publication will be favorably impressed and will follow your text more easily when the material is presented in  Register  format.  Read more about the  Register

Ahnentafel  Template

An  ahnentafel , or ancestor table, begins at or near the present and follows a direct line of ancestors as far back as is traceable or for a certain number of generations. Each person is numbered. If you are tracing your own ancestry, you would be number 1, and each person would be numbered in a particular order from there: your father would be number 2 and your mother number 3; his parents would be 4 and 5; her parents would be 6 and 7, and so on. Men are always even and women are always odd. You double a person’s number to get his or her father’s number; you double the number and add 1 to get his or her mother’s number. This template will help you organize and format the content for each numbered couple.

Sample Stylesheet

This stylesheet is a sample only. Although many of the items listed reflect rules that NEHGS follows, you need not match all exactly. Establish your own guidelines and, most important, be consistent! For punctuation, hyphenation, and other general style rules, refer to  The Chicago Manual of Style .

Editorial Checklist

Use this resource to help refine your work and keep elements and styles consistent.

Drop Chart template

Use this template to construct an easy-to-follow visual aid showing direct descendancy—a perfect chapter opener!

The Top Project Plan Templates

By Kate Eby | June 8, 2018 (updated April 3, 2024)

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A project plan is an essential part of any project manager’s toolkit. While it can be tempting to get started on completing tasks as soon as possible, taking the time to map out your strategy can help you save money and resources. Your project will constantly be shifting, and you need a project plan template that can keep up. 

But, with so many available templates, how do you know which one to use? We’ve sorted through them all and found the best project plan templates in Excel and Microsoft Word. We’ll explain the different types of templates and when you should use each one. We’ll also provide a selection of free downloads of project plan templates in Microsoft Word and Excel. You’ll learn what a project plan is and how to make one from scratch in Excel. Or you can try a pre-built template in Smartsheet, a project management platform that empowers you to efficiently manage projects with real-time collaboration and process automation.

Project Plan Templates

A project plan template can be as simple or as complex as you need, depending on your style of project management and the requirements of your project planning . You can choose to include a static timeline or a dynamic Gantt chart, and focus on action items or business goals.

A project plan is most often used in a project management context, with Gantt charts to plan and report progress as the project changes. The main difference between a project plan and a work plan is the Gantt chart, making it a more integrated project plan complete with a way to track tasks against timelines. A Gantt chart is a dynamic, horizontal bar chart to visualize a project schedule and is an important asset to share with stakeholders to communicate project status. This type of template caters toward project managers who are managing larger projects with many people.

‌  Download Excel Template   Try Free Smartsheet Template   ‌

Project plan templates, complete with a Gantt chart, are used most often in instance like construction project management , or where there’s a need for a more agile project plan . Sometimes, people prefer to use  project management software to create more complex project plans, enabling them to easily update and manage their plans with greater flexibility.

Simple Project Plan Template

Track project details, manage timelines, and visualize how your project is progressing with this simple project plan template. Document all key details, like task start and end dates, resources needed, and budget details, with this comprehensive, easy-to-use template.

‌  Download Word Template   Try Free Smartsheet Template   ‌

Work Plan Templates

A work plan template is designed to break down your large project goals into smaller, actionable steps. This kind of template outlines what needs to be done, by whom, and when. It also includes a timeline to help set expectations and improve transparency, keeping everyone on the same page about deliverables and deadlines. A work plan template is best for larger teams working on big projects with many tasks and due dates.

Project Implementation Plan Template

Ensure you don’t miss or overlook any key steps and that all your bases are covered as you move through your project. Use this professionally designed template to keep key internal and external stakeholders, clients, and upper management in the loop on all phases of the project.

‌  Download Word Template

Action Plan Templates

An action plan lists all the steps that must be taken to achieve a specific goal. The template includes information about the actions that need to happen, the people that will complete them, due dates, priority, and status. While an action plan and work plan are similar, an action plan focuses on goals, whereas a work plan template focuses on phases of tasks that are usually listed in chronological order. An action plan template is best for individual use or by smaller teams.

Project Action Plan Template

Establish the main goals of your project, identify the actions needed to achieve those goals, and assign a person to be responsible for each task with this complete project action plan template. Assign priority to tasks, view status, and list start and end dates to keep your project moving forward.

Business Plan Templates

A business plan template highlights business goals and the plan for achieving them. It focuses on your business’ future and how you intend to reach your objectives. Business plans are much more strategic than a work plan or action plan and often include a vision statement, business profile, economic assessment, and more. A business plan is most appropriate for people who are starting their own business, growing their business, or seeking outside help.

Get started quickly with project plan templates in Smartsheet

Your projects may be complex, but your project management tool doesn’t have to be. Combine a rich set of features with flexibility, simplicity, and ease of use to deliver projects quickly. Try Smartsheet free for 30 days and get access to hundreds of pre-built, easily customizable templates to jumpstart your project. After your trial, you can choose the plan that best suits your needs or opt for the Free Plan as a no-cost alternative.

Try Smartsheet for Free

What is a project plan?

A project plan is designed to deliver the intended scope of a project, facilitate communication among stakeholders, and track planning assumptions and decisions. It is a living document that can include a stakeholder list, a scope statement, a project schedule, schedule and cost baselines, baseline management plans, communication plan, and it can change over the course of a project. It is worth noting that a project plan is not just a project timeline, although that is an important component of the plan.

You should always create a project plan before starting a new project. Start with what you want to achieve from the project and break it down into the things you need to do in order to accomplish the goal. Then, once you have a high-level plan of all the things that need to be done, you can think about timing, budget, resources, and more.

At the very least, a project plan should answer the following questions about a project:

• Why? - Why are we starting this project? What is the problem that this project will address or solve?
• What? - What are we working on? What are the major deliverables and goals?
• Who? - Who will be involved in the project and what will be their responsibilities?
• When? - When should the project start and end? What are the milestones?

What to include in a project plan

Project plans differ, but they all contain similar information. In your project plan, include an executive summary, project goals, milestones, deliverables, an estimated timeline, potential risks, and budget details. We’ve outlined some common topics covered by a project plan below:

To learn how to create your own project plan, check out our comprehensive guide to project planning.

• Executive Summary: The executive summary should summarize the information contained within your project plan onto a single page for easy reading.
• Project Goals: Outline the end goals of your project and how you will measure its success.
• Target Audience: Identify the target audience of your project, or who it will affect and who will use the results.
• Key Responsibilities: Outline the roles and responsibilities of each team member.
• Key Tasks and Deliverables: Highlight the most important tasks and deliverables throughout the project, with estimated deadlines.
• Available or Needed Resources: List the resources you will need to secure to complete the project.
• Risk Analysis and Mitigation Plan: Identify possible risks and put a plan in place to manage them before they become problems.
• Key Milestones: Identify the key milestones you will use to measure progress.
• Proposed Project Timeline: Create an estimated timeline for tasks, milestones, and deliverables.
• Costs and Budget Details: Create an estimated timeline for tasks, milestones, and deliverables.
• Contingency Plans: Include any contingency plans for project elements that don’t pan out as planned.
• Communication Strategies: Create a communication plan for reference throughout the project’s lifecycle.
• Evaluation Strategy: Determine how you will evaluate the successes and failures of your project.

To learn more, check out our comprehensive  Project Management Guide .

What is the purpose of a project plan?

A project plan is one of the most important ingredients for a successful project. It is used to document and communicate expectations, to control schedule and delivery, and to calculate and manage risks. In general, it acts as a roadmap for everyone involved in the project.

Here are the four biggest benefits of a project plan:

• Improves communication : By outlining your whole plan for everyone to see, stakeholders can provide feedback early in the process if things are going in the right direction. A project plan also helps facilitate expectation management by letting you update milestones and timelines as the project progresses.
• Increases transparency : With a project plan, stakeholders and team members know exactly where to look to get information every step of the way. Expectations and the project timeline are clearly defined, so everyone is on the same page about priorities and objectives.
• Increases organization : Many projects have dozens of tasks, dependencies, and milestones, and it can be hard to track how everything is progressing. A project plan makes you think through the timing of each activity and how it affects the rest of the project. You always know how much time to spend on each task and how many things you can accomplish at the same time.

The project planning process

The project planning process involves thoroughly mapping out your project from start to finish. At this time, determine your goals, estimate a timeline for key deliverables, create a budget projection, and assess your risks before launching your project.

• Concept and Initiation: Start by determining the overall concept of your project and how you plan to complete it.
• Roadmap Creation: In this phase, determine a rough timeline of the tasks necessary to complete your project.
• Deliverable Listing: Each project must have specific deliverables, which you should identify during the beginning portion of your planning phase, so each team member is aware of what is expected of them.
• Project Milestone Identification: Figure out specific points in the project that you consider to be key milestones. These milestones can consist of certain tasks that you complete, a budget target that you reach, or a team that you assemble.
• Budget Creation: Creating a predetermined budget is one of the most important parts of a project plan. You should adhere to that budget as your project moves forward. This way, you can allocate specific resources and budgets to certain tasks, without exceeding spending projections.
• Team Member Identification: As with any project, you’ll need to assemble a team of people to implement the project. Work with others to target the specific people who will be most helpful in carrying out the project.
• Risk Assessment: You must identify all potential risks or threats to your project, including those that could cause budget issues, project delays, and more. List all those potential risks, and detail how you plan to mitigate the issues if they do occur.
• Project Communication: Once you’ve outlined the key components of your project, you need to communicate these plans and goals to the greater team — including key stakeholders and any external parties. Develop a way to appropriately and efficiently communicate the project plans to everyone involved.
• Project Launch: At this point, your project should be ready to launch. Ensure that you’ve covered all your bases and outlined all the details before starting. Then, you’re set to begin.

How to create a project plan in Excel

Here are some step-by-step instructions for making a project plan in Excel. You’ll first create the table with your project information, then we’ll show you how to make your project timeline.

1. Add Headers to the Table 

First, you’ll need to add some headers to your table.

• Leave the first row in your spreadsheet blank. On the second row, type in the headers. In this example, we’re using Tasks, Responsible, Start, End, Days , and Status . You could also add more headers for extra granularity, like Budget, Cost , and more. 
• Highlight the text and in the Alignment group, click the center icon to center the text in the headers.
• To format the headers for proper spacing, highlight all the text you just typed and on the Home tab, in the Cells group, click Format . Select Column Width and set the width for around 15-20 so you have enough space to enter in your project information.

2. Add Your Project Information

• Start with the Task column and enter the tasks for your project plan. You can enter as many or as few tasks as you want. To visually organize your project plan, we recommend adding a title for each group of tasks or each phase. In this example, we use Prerequisites, Initiation, Development, Operations and Launch .
• Then, enter the person responsible for each task and the start and end dates.
• To automatically calculate the number in the Days column, click on a cell in the Days column and type =, then click the End date cell, type the minus (-) symbol, then click the Start date cell. Click enter. Drag the bottom right-hand corner of this cell down the entire column and the rest of the values will be automatically calculated for you with this formula.
• Enter the status of each task. We use Complete, In progress, Overdue , or Not started .
• All the information should now be in your table, but you’ll notice the spacing is off depending on the length of your text. To fix this, highlight all your information and in the Cells group, click Format . Select Autofit Column Width to automatically adjust the column width to your content.
• To center your content, highlight the text and in the Alignment group, click the center icon.

3. Add Colors to Convey Project Status at a Glance

It’s easy to customize your project plan with colors and visual hierarchy. By changing the styling and font sizes, you can highlight key information and convey project status at a glance.

• To change font color, click on the cell with the text you want to change. In the Home tab, select the color you want from the color drop-down list.
• To change the background color of one or more cells, select the cell(s) you want to change. Click the paint bucket icon and select the fill color.
• To format fonts, select one or more cells. In the Home tab, you can change the font type, font size, and make the title bold, italicized, or underlined. 

We recommend adding a background color to the main header and to each group or phase of tasks, as well as your target completion date or launch date. You can also change the font color of in the Status column to reflect current progress (in this example, red represents Overdue , green represents Complete , etc).

4. Create the Project Plan Timeline

You’ve already added all your project information to the table, now it’s time to make the corresponding project timeline. Including a timeline in your project plan will help set expectations and increase transparency, keeping everyone aligned around priorities and due dates.

Add and Format Dates

• On the same row as your table headers, in the next available column, enter the two dates of your project timeline. Then, hold down Shift, select the two dates, and drag the bottom right-hand corner across the row until you’ve reached your end date.
• If you’d like to change the format of dates, select all the dates and right-click. Select Format Cells .
• In the pop-up box, select Date under the Category section and select the date type you’d like.
• You’ll notice that the cells are very wide. To make the timeline more compact, select all the dates, and select a smaller font size. In this example, we’ve selected font size 9.
• Then, select all the dates again and in the Cells group, click Format . Select Autofit Column Width to automatically adjust the column width to the dates.

Add Colors to Make the Project Timeline

• First, extend the same background colors and font formatting from your table to your timeline.

• Now, you’ve created a type of matrix. You have a row that corresponds to each task, and on the right-hand side, on your timeline, you can simply fill in the cells that represent each task’s start and end date. To do this, select a cell (or more than one cell) and click the paint bucket icon. Select the color you’d like to use.

5. Final Touches

• To add grid lines to the project plan, select the entire project plan, both the table and the timeline, and in the Font group, click the borders icon. Select All Borders .   
• If you want to add more project information, select the first column, right-click and select Insert > Entire Row . Repeat until you have 8 empty rows.
• Then, in the first column, enter the following: Project Name, Project Manager, Project Deliverable, Start Date, End Date , and Overall Progress . Then, fill in the corresponding information.

How to create a project plan in Smartsheet

Smartsheet’s pre-built project template with a Gantt chart makes it even easier to organize tasks, foster communication, and improve transparency. In this template, duration is automatically calculated for you and the interactive Gantt chart lets you drag-and-drop task bars to adjust dates. Smartsheet’s powerful collaboration features let you have discussions directly in the project plan, attach files, and set alerts and reminders.

Here’s how to use a project plan template in Smartsheet:

1. Select a Project Template

• Go to Smartsheet.com and login to your account ( or start a free 30-day trial )
• From the Home tab, click Create and choose Browse All Solutions .
• Type “ Project with Gantt Timeline ” in the Search box or select Projects from the category list.
• Click on the  Project with Gantt Timeline  tile, then click the blue Use  button.
• Name your template, choose where to save it, and click the Ok button.

2. List Your Project Information

A pre-made template will open, with sample content filled in for reference and the sections, sub-tasks, and sub-sub-tasks already formatted. With Smartsheet, it’s easy to add or delete columns depending on the scope of your project.

Simply right-click on a column and select Insert Column Left/Insert Column Right to add a column or Delete Column to remove a column.

• Add your tasks under the Task Name column. You’ll notice that the hierarchy is already formatted for you. So, be sure to enter the project phase name or group name to the Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3 fields (this is called the parent row. For more information about hierarchy, click here )
• Enter your tasks and sub-tasks under the parent rows.
• On the left side of each row, you can attach files directly to a task (perfect for attaching stakeholder lists, budgets, and more) or start a discussion about a certain item.

3. Add Start and End Dates

• Add start and end dates for each task. If you click and drag either end of the task bars in the Gantt chart, Smartsheet will automatically adjust the dates in your table.
• Click a cell in the either date column.
• Click the calendar icon and choose a date. You can also manually enter a date in the cell.

4. Enter % Complete and Assigned To Information

The % Complete and Assigned To columns provide more information about your project and improve transparency by allowing team members to see who is doing what and the status of each task.

On the Gantt chart, the thin bars inside the task bars represent the percentage of work complete for each task.

• In the % Complete column, enter the percentage of work complete for each task. Enter a whole number and Smartsheet will automatically add the percentage sign. 
• In the Assigned To column, choose a name from your contact list (in the drop-down menu) or manually enter a name.

Customize your project plan in Smartsheet

With just a couple clicks, you can customize the appearance of your project timeline.

1. Customize Fonts and Colors in Your Project Plan

• To change the font type and size, or bold, italicize or underline text, click the cell with the text you want to change. On the left-hand toolbar, you will find all the text formatting options.
• To change the background color of a row, click the far left gray cell to highlight the entire row. Then, click the paint bucket icon and select the color you’d like to use.

2. Change the Colors in Your Gantt Chart

• Right-click on a task bar and click Color Settings .
• Select the color you’d like to use from the color palette.
• If you want to apply the same color to more than one task bar, click the bars while holding down the Shift key. Then, release the Shift button, right-click on any of the selected bars, and click Color Settings .

Discover a better way to manage your project plans with Smartsheet

From simple task management and project planning to complex resource and portfolio management, Smartsheet helps you improve collaboration and increase work velocity -- empowering you to get more done. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed.

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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Future of Work Management Report 2023

How to Create a Winning Project Plan

Use a pre-built smartsheet template to create a project plan in minutes..

Research Templates and Checklists

The following templates and checklists should be tailored for each individual application. For grant section examples, please visit the ONR Grant Library.

The UW Research Office offers additional guidance within the  MyResearch Lifecycle

Templates and Checklists

Budget templates.

All School of Nursing proposals require a detailed budget attached to the eGC1.

Either use one of the Excel spreadsheets below or the SAGE Budget Module. The budget spreadsheets are Excel files and must be saved after they are opened. You may customize the workbook for the correct number of years, subcontracts, or budget forms. The budget templates are updated quarterly and include any changes to:

• F&A Rates
• Fringe Benefits
• Mileage Rates
• Tuition Rate

Single Year Budget

LoS Template

Multi-Year Budget

Detailed Budget Justification

Research Plan and Other Project Info Templates

Research Plan

NIH Biosketch Sample

NIH Other Support Sample

Letter of Support Template

Other Project Info Facilities and Resources Template

Recommended by the NIH ,  SciENcv  is  an NCBI/NIH tool that allows researchers to store Biosketches and Other Support electronically and eliminates the need to repeatedly re-create them. SciENcv automatically formats Biosketches and  reduces administrative burden and error s.

All checklists with embedded timelines are used by pre-award staff, department reviewers, and ONR to assist in the preparation and review of grant proposals in the School of Nursing. PIs should work with their pre-award staff to adapt proposal timelines specific to their submission deadlines.

Application Checklists

F31 Checklist

Proposal Reviewer Checklists

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The 9 Best Project Management Templates for Excel (Free)

Project managers are known for their decisiveness and time management.

A project’s success depends on how a project manager identifies, plans, and employs the resources available for any given project (especially the timespan).

If you, too, have a complicated project ahead of you that requires sophisticated planning – don’t sail all the way along alone. 😃

Bringing you the best templates, Excel consistently provides a solution for everything. It offers a wide variety of project management templates that make your job all the easier.

To learn what these templates are and how you may use them, continue reading.

Table of Contents

Why Project Management in Excel?

Template 1: Gantt Chart

Template 2: Project Budget

Template 3: Action Item Report

Template 4: Project Dashboard

Template 5: Multiple Project Tracking

Template 6: Status Report

Template 7: Critical Path Method

Template 8: Project Timeline and Budget

Template 9: Content Calendar

There’s no denying the plethora of software for managing projects in the market. A new project management software comes out daily, better than the previous versions.

But even with all the excellence. Not a single software has been able to take the place of Excel project management – and there’s no wonder why.

Microsoft Excel is by far one of the most efficient software for managing tasks. And a huge number of project managers all around the world only use Excel for their work.

Their familiarity with the Excel spreadsheet greatly contributes to the software’s favor. Excel offers so many wonderful project management templates, and a lot of them are for FREE! 🤩

However, know that you can always switch to Microsoft Project software. That is if you prefer more advanced project tracker template options.

Now, let’s see the templates Excel has to offer.

1. Gantt Chart Template

The Gantt Chart template is a very helpful visual tool. It gives you an overview of the project schedule of your team at all times.

A typical example of its use can be a small content creation agency. It needs a system to assign tasks and keep a record of the deliverables. This way, you are never behind schedule.

In the Gantt chart, all the data is represented in color-coded bars. And you can customize them for different teams and individuals by changing the colors, elements, and more.

You can divide the tasks into phases or milestones with a summary of their progress. The chart also offers different layouts, and you can choose any one that suits your needs and appeals to the eye.

Excel has different variations of the Gantt chart template, from simpler ones to advanced charts. One of the most used Gantt chart templates includes the  Vertex42 Simple Gantt Chart .

You can get it from Excel templates as well. And if you don’t understand  how to create a Gantt chart , try watching this YouTube tutorial.

In addition to the simple template, you can also use the  Ultimate Excel Gantt Chart . That is if you are a business that is constantly expanding. This graph can be a bit difficult to understand, but nothing a  YouTube video  can’t solve.

2. Project Budget Template

Finalizing the budget is the first step toward successful project management. And you wouldn’t want to make any mistake here as it sets the base of the project.

You must keep track of all the expenses from start to end, and the project budget template helps you do just that.

It color-codes Balance when you are exceeding your project’s budget. This is your cue to reconsider the expenses. The best part is that you can set expenses per team, phase, equipment, travel, and others using this.

You can get the all-in-one Project Budget template from  the Project Manager . It can even help you set an estimate for all the project resources and costs. The template comes with two sheets, including a how-to guide.

But it isn’t limited to that. You can explore other options. And even customize a project budget template using  SmartSheet .

3. Action Item Report Template

The Action Item Report is one of the most useful Excel templates. Every company has a to-do list of items assigned to its team.

The Action template lets you organize the tasks and keep the workflow going swiftly. It lets you set the task status as high, low, or medium and shows each task’s progress in one glance.

You can rank tasks, update deadlines and pay special attention to team members who need help.

It is the perfect template for effective project management. You can get the Action template from Excel or from  Vertex 42  – both work wonderfully. 😉

4. Project Dashboard Template

The project dashboard template gives you a bird’s eye view of all the tasks and their statuses.

It gives you a visual representation of where your team stands. And gives you the latest key performance metrics every time.

You can also choose the layout or style you want in your Excel project management template. This makes it easy to understand the project phases.

And the best part is that this  Project Dashboard template  is 100% free – the only fee is your Email.

Protip: Check out my top-6 dashboard templates here !

5. Multiple Project Tracking Template

Being a project manager is not an easy task. Managing multiple tasks and supervising the team spells difficult. And on top of that, sending daily reports to authorities is enough exertion.

A little help in the form of a reliable project planning timeline template is necessary. It can be a tad bit complex to understand, but once you get a hold of it, you should be able to do it with your eyes closed.

The  Multiple Project Tracking Template  lets you manage all the tasks in one go. You can add as many projects as you like, manage over 40 tasks at once, and you get all this for free! Isn’t that amazing?

Download yours today and manage your daily tasks with a few clicks only. 😃

6. Status Report Template

There is nothing more embarrassing than being the project manager and not having the correct project details. Luckily, we have the Status Report template to save the day.

It lets you keep an eye on your progress as a team and identify challenges. So you can prepare for the next project while keeping the data compact and concise.

You can also keep strict and clear intel on the workflow. And this is so important while managing different projects.

If you are not already using the  Status Report template , you are working blind-eyed. And the resources of the project are subject to threat.

Using the Project Status Report template, you will know where the team members lack and how you can help them. This helps construct more relevant and purposeful follow-ups than simply increasing the bottlenecks.

7. Critical Path Method Template

CPM has a special place when it comes to project management.

With the Critical Path Method, you can pay special attention to tasks that are long overdue. Provide extra resources, and determine which task requires more consideration with increased proficiency.

Usually, you’d need specialized software to keep track of such details. But now all you need is the CPM software.

The best part is that it’s so simple you don’t need to learn any new formulas or terms to perform a critical analysis. Moreover, you can simply copy and paste data acting upon a few guidelines.

The CPM uses a Gantt chart that works like a bar chart . But offers more benefits with increased ease of use and low cost.

Creating and designing a CPM is truly a challenging task. But with this new, free version of  Critical Path Method , provided by Vertex42, you can set it up in minutes. 😀

8. Project Timeline Template

Project timelines are great for having an overview of all important tasks. They give you an insight into the project plan that you and your team can follow timely.

This way, there are no communication gaps. And everyone is well aware of their tasks and the deadlines approaching. It really adds to a more peaceful and organized working environment.

You can also customize the template as you like. You change the color bars from 6 different colors. And quickly insert and delete milestones.

Although this template is very resourceful, creating it can be tedious. This is why we’ve brought you the  free Project Timeline template  that has everything prepared for you. Just erase the existing text and add your own – you’re good to go!

9. Content Calendar Template

If you’re a blogger or a social media person, a content calendar is your go-to tool. And without a calendar, you’re knee-deep in trouble. 😬

But thank God we have Excel to our rescue.

The brilliant  Content Calendar template  of Vertex42 is tailor-made for your needs. It will take you through all the chaos – from planning content to publishing it.

It will not only help you plan your content but also track its progress and schedule content to post.

Once you get a hold of it, it will really be your best friend in times of urgency. A single glance at your calendar in the morning, and you’re well prepared for the tasks of the day.

And the best part is that it’s free to use, unlike the other expensive, good-for-nothing project management software. So get your free Content Calendar template today!

That’s it – Now what?

This article helped us learn a lot about project management Excel templates. And how they can help you better organize and manage your projects.

But it doesn’t end here. You can choose any project schedule template from the Microsoft Excel templates. And even customize one to fit your needs.

If you are new to Excel, try our Excel course designed specifically for you. Where you learn some core Excel functions like the VLOOKUP, IF, and SUMIF functions.

To become a pro at these functions (and others),  enroll in my 30-minute free email course  today. 😃

Other resources

Excel has been a major hub of project management templates for years now. And it is improving with each passing day.

All these advancements make it a more reliable software for managing project tasks.

You can use Excel not only for project management but also to create  Dashboard ,  Budget , and  Power BI templates .

To read more such interesting articles, head on to our website. See you there! 😉

Market research plan in Excel

Download the free Market Research Plan template in Excel, control each phase of your plan by editing the content according to your needs.

The Market Research Plan Excel template is a tool used for planning and monitoring a market research project. This template has several columns that contain detailed information about the project, such as the project ID, project name, client, days the project will last, and start and end dates.

In addition, the template is also divided into different phases of the project, such as the scope definition phase, the supplier selection phase and the research phase. Each phase has an estimated duration and a series of specific tasks that must be completed within a certain timeframe.

The template also includes a detailed list of specific tasks that must be completed for each phase of the project. Each task has an estimated duration and an expected start and end date.

For example, in the scope definition phase, tasks include defining the objectives of the investigation, determining research requirements, and identifying the domestic resource or contracting a supplier.

In the supplier selection phase, tasks include defining supplier selection criteria, developing a supplier selection questionnaire, evaluating proposals and selecting the supplier.

In the research phase, tasks include developing a market research information needs questionnaire, conducting research and documenting research results.

In summary, the Market Research Tactical Plan Excel template is a useful tool for planning and tracking market research projects. It allows users to have an overview of the project, as well as a detailed breakdown of the specific tasks that must be completed to achieve the project objectives.

Features of the Market Research Plan in Excel:

• 100% editable in MS Excel, you can include additional data
• 1 editable book for data entry (project name, project phases, client and start and end dates of each activity)
• Editable file in any version of MS Excel (.xls or .xlsx) and exportable in PDF or the format you want.

In Templatek you can download many free templates in editable MS Excel format and use it in any personal or professional project. We have no restrictions on use, we only ask you to mention us in your publications or on your social networks. You can also download thousands of free PowerPoint and Word templates.

If you need more information on how to use Exce l, you can visit their website where you will find many tips.

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The budget templates below reflect FY24  Fringe Benefits and Indirect Cost rates .

Internal Budget - Federal This Excel budget template  contains commonly used expense types and automatically calculates fringe and overhead rates. It is formulated for Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC).

Internal Budget - Federal - NSF This budget template is formulated for Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) on NSF budgets and is formatted for easy entry into the NSF budget form pages.

Internal Budget - Federal - NIH This budget template is formulated for Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) on NIH "R&R" detailed budgets and is formatted for easy entry into the R&R budget pages. Internal Budget - Non-Federal The Excel budget template contains commonly used expense types and automatically calculates fringe and overhead rates. Non-federal sponsor rates should be calculated on Total Direct Costs. See also: FAS and SEAS Policy on Assessments

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• Published: 22 May 2024

From Planning Stage Towards FAIR Data: A Practical Metadatasheet For Biomedical Scientists

• Lea Seep   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0399-1896 1 ,
• Stephan Grein 1 ,
• Iva Splichalova 2 ,
• Danli Ran 3 ,
• Mickel Mikhael 3 ,
• Staffan Hildebrand 3 ,
• Mario Lauterbach 4 ,
• Karsten Hiller   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9322-5820 4 ,
• Dalila Juliana Silva Ribeiro 5 ,
• Katharina Sieckmann   ORCID: orcid.org/0009-0008-0336-8835 5 ,
• Ronja Kardinal 5 ,
• Hao Huang   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3878-3947 2 ,
• Jiangyan Yu 1 , 6 ,
• Sebastian Kallabis 7 ,
• Janina Behrens 8 ,
• Andreas Till 9 ,
• Viktoriya Peeva 9 ,
• Akim Strohmeyer 10 ,
• Johanna Bruder 10 ,
• Tobias Blum 11 ,
• Ana Soriano-Arroquia 3 ,
• Dominik Tischer 3 ,
• Katharina Kuellmer 10 ,
• Yuanfang Li 12 ,
• Marc Beyer   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9704-148X 12 , 13 ,
• Anne-Kathrin Gellner 14 , 15 ,
• Tobias Fromme 10 ,
• Henning Wackerhage 16 ,
• Martin Klingenspor 10 , 17 , 18 ,
• Wiebke K. Fenske 9 , 19 ,
• Ludger Scheja 8 ,
• Felix Meissner 7 , 20 ,
• Andreas Schlitzer 6 ,
• Elvira Mass   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2318-2356 2 ,
• Dagmar Wachten   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4800-6332 5 ,
• Eicke Latz 5 ,
• Alexander Pfeifer 3 , 21 &
• Jan Hasenauer 1 , 22  

Scientific Data volume  11 , Article number:  524 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

• Data acquisition
• Research management

Datasets consist of measurement data and metadata. Metadata provides context, essential for understanding and (re-)using data. Various metadata standards exist for different methods, systems and contexts. However, relevant information resides at differing stages across the data-lifecycle. Often, this information is defined and standardized only at publication stage, which can lead to data loss and workload increase. In this study, we developed Metadatasheet, a metadata standard based on interviews with members of two biomedical consortia and systematic screening of data repositories. It aligns with the data-lifecycle allowing synchronous metadata recording within Microsoft Excel, a widespread data recording software. Additionally, we provide an implementation, the Metadata Workbook, that offers user-friendly features like automation, dynamic adaption, metadata integrity checks, and export options for various metadata standards. By design and due to its extensive documentation, the proposed metadata standard simplifies recording and structuring of metadata for biomedical scientists, promoting practicality and convenience in data management. This framework can accelerate scientific progress by enhancing collaboration and knowledge transfer throughout the intermediate steps of data creation.

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Machine actionable metadata models

Developing a standardized but extendable framework to increase the findability of infectious disease datasets

Modeling community standards for metadata as templates makes data FAIR

Introduction.

Collaboration along with the open exchange of techniques, protocols and data is the backbone of modern biomedical research 1 . Data usage and retrieval requires the structured collection of information, such as study design, experimental conditions, sample preparation and sample processing, on the performed measurements. This information is generally referred to as metadata, which grows along the research data-lifecycle (Fig.  1A ), from planning to its final storage alongside publication 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 . There is a growing consensus among researchers, journals and funding agencies that data should adhere to the principles of being findable, accessible, inter-operable and reusable (FAIR). The adherence to these FAIR data principles 7 requires metadata 8 , 9 .

Alignment of Metadata Lifecycle with the Research Data-Lifecycle. ( A ) Metadata is created alongside the research data creation, however, often only gathered at the point of publication when it is requested from, e.g., repositories, marking a clear decisive point before open accessibility of produced data. ( B ) The structure of the proposed Metadatasheet is defined by its sections, which further encompass segments. Within each segment user input is required, which can be of different forms, e.g., values to keys or table entries. ( C ) Upon complete records, the Metadata Workbook can export either to a plain xlsx file or to the requested NCBI GEO metadata format. Deposited data can be accessed by a plethora of tools (examples given). Outside the workbook a single xlsx file can be converted to a SummarizedExperiment object for data analysis, multiple Metadatasheets can be transformed to xml files using the provided ontology to build the input for a topic-centred database.

Metadata for an experiment exists in different formats and locations including handwritten notes (in classical labbooks), electronic Notebooks (e.g., RSpace 10 or Signals 11 ) and various (more-or-less) standardized electronic formats (e.g. automatic measurement machine output for experimental systems). The choice of recording systems often depends on the individual scientist conducting the experiment or his/her research group 12 . Recording supporting tools can be the open source ISA-tool suite 13 or commercial solutions such as Laboratory-Information management systems (commonly referred to as LIMS). Successful management can yield in high quality data deposited on trustworthy digital repositories. Trustworthiness is marked by Transparency, Responsibility, User focus, Sustainability and Technology (TRUST) 14 .

Repositories are subdivided into cross-discipline and domain-specific categories. Cross-discipline repositories intentionally do not impose any requirements on format or size to allow sharing without boundaries. Domain-specific repositories in the field of biomedicine impose requirements during submission in form of data and metadata standards. Example biomedical domain repositories are BioSample and GEO 15 , maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), or PRIDE 16 and BioModels 17 , 18 , maintained by European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI).

Standards often make use of controlled vocabularies and ontologies to ensure consistency and comparability. Controlled vocabularies, consisting of standardized terms, describe requested characteristics and keys 5 , while ontologies, such as the Gene Ontology (GO) 19 , establish structured frameworks for depicting relationships between entities, fostering comprehensive and searchable knowledge structures. Current metadata standards can be divided into two categories. First, comprehensive high-level documents that are often tailored to specific use cases. These documents primarily consist of lists of requested terms or guidelines, often interconnected with corresponding ontologies. For instance, ARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments) provides a checklist of information to include in publications of in vivo experiments 20 or MIRIAM (minimum information requested in the annotation of biochemical models) 21 standardizes the curation of biochemical models including their annotations. Second, there are structured metadata standards supplied and requested by respective repositories. Irrespective of the suitable metadata standard, it is common to adhere to requested standards at the stage of data publication evoking a retrospective collection (Fig.  1A ). Necessary information resides at all stages of the data-lifecycle and may involve different responsible individuals, thereby rendering the retrospective metadata collection resource-intensive. Furthermore, data scientists or third parties, not involved in data acquisition, dedicate most of their time to cleaning and comprehending the data 22 . This task becomes particularly challenging when lacking explicit experimental knowledge. On a large scale, data curation companies might be involved.

Despite the existence of various metadata standards in biomedical sciences and widespread recognition of the relevance of metadata, a practical issue persists: the absence of a dedicated metadata standard that effectively and with low burden directs researchers in capturing metadata along the data-lifecycle without loss of information, towards FAIRness during and after the experiment (Fig.  S1 ). Standardized metadata capture lowers the researcher’s efforts and enhances the suitability and turn over of data and metadata for repositories and therefore availability for third parties 23 . Thus, we propose a metadata standard tailored for wet-lab scientists mirroring the phases of the biomedical research lifecycle, offering transferability across distinct stages and among diverse stakeholders.

The proposed standard, further referred to as Metadatasheet, is embedded in a macro-enabled Excel workbook, further referred to as Metadata Workbook. The Metadata Workbook offers various usability features, such as automation, integrity checks, extensive documentation, usage of templates, and a set of export functionalities to other metadata standards. By design, the proposed Metadatasheet, accompanied by the Metadata Workbook, naturally allows stage-by-stage collection, embodying a paradigm shift in metadata collection strategies, promoting the efficient use of knowledge in the pre-publication phase and its turn-over to the community.

The Metadatasheet is based on comprehensive interview of biomedical researchers

Metadata information consists of a set of characteristics, attributes, herein named keys, that intend to provide a common understanding of the data. Example keys are experimental system, tissue type, or measurement type. Accordingly, the Metadatasheet is built upon requested keys gathered from comprehensive interviews of research groups and systematical collection from public repositories. In the initial phase, more than 30 experimental researchers from the biomedical sciences participated, who were from two consortia focusing on metaflammation ( https://www.sfb1454-metaflammation.de/ ) and metabolism of brown adipose tissue ( https://www.trr333.uni-bonn.de/ ). The participating researchers reported common general keys as well as diverse experimental designs covering five major experimental systems and 15 common measurement techniques, each accompanied by their specific set of keys. To refine and enhance the set of metadata keys, we engaged in iterative consultations with biomedical researchers. In parallel, we systematically collected relevant keys from three popular public repositories, namely NCBI’s GEO 15 , the Metabolomics Workbench 24 and the PRIDE 16 database. Moreover, expected input, summarized under the term ‘controlled vocabulary’, for all keys needed to be specified. From second iteration on, specifications of the controlled vocabulary, as well as the set of keys, were improved based on researchers’ feedback. The comprehensive key and controlled vocabulary collection process revealed the dynamic, unique and growing requirements of different projects, in terms of values within the controlled vocabulary and performed measurements. Those requirements lead to the choice of allowing customisation and expansion of key sets and controlled vocabulary as an integral part of the Metadatasheet. To handle the dynamic and adaptable nature of the Metadatasheet, it was embedded within a reactive framework with additional functionalities, the Metadata Workbook.

In the following, the overall concept and design of the Metadatasheet is introduced, afterwards key aspects of the Metadata Workbook are highlighted. The results section concludes with an example Metadatasheet generated by the Metadata Workbook.

The Metadatasheet design follows and allows metadata recording along the data-lifecycle

The proposed Metadatasheet is organized into three main sections: ‘planning’, ‘conduction’ and ‘measurement-matching’ section. These sections mirror the stages of the data-lifecycle and align with the general experimental timeline (Fig.  1B ). The analogous top-to-bottom structure allows sequential metadata recording, acknowledging the continuous growth of metadata. Each section further subdivides into segments, which hold the keys, that need to be specified by the user through values. The segmentation aims to group keys into logical units, that are likely provided by a single individual. This grouping enables the assignment of responsible persons, resulting in a clear emergent order for data entry if multiple persons are involved. Moreover, within a section the segments are independent of each other, allowing also parallel data entry.

Metadatasheet keys can be categorized based on the form of the expected input. First, providing a single value (key:value pair), e.g. the analysed ‘tissue’ (key) originates from the ‘liver’ (value). Second, filling tables, whereby the row names can be interpreted as keys, but multiple values need to be provided (one per column). Third, changing a key:value entry to a table entry by the keyword ‘CHANGES’. If the keyword is supplied as a value, the respective target key changes from key:value pair to a table entry. The switch of form allows data entries to be minimal if sufficient or exhaustively detailed if needed. This flexible data entry minimizes the need for repetition, gaining easier readability but allows recording fine-grained information whenever needed.

Required values can be entered in form of controlled vocabulary items, date-format, free text including numbers or filenames. Filenames are a special type of free text and specify additional resources, where corresponding files are either expected within the same directory as the Metadatasheet itself or given as relative path. Suitable form of values is naturally determined by the key, e.g., ‘Date’ is of date format, ‘weight’ is of number format and ‘tissue’ of discrete nature to be selected from the controlled vocabulary. The format choice is constraining the allowed values. Providing such input constraints to each key, allows harmonization of metadata. Harmonization enables machine readability, which is a starting point for further applications.

A single Metadatasheet captures the combination of an experimental design and a measurement type, as those come with a distinct set of keys, also referred to as dependent keys. An experimental design is here defined as a specific experimental system exposed to a contrasting setting. Within the Metadatasheet five contrasting settings, herein named comparison groups, are set: ‘diet’, ‘treatment’, ‘genotype’, ‘age’, ‘temperature’ and ‘other’ (non-specific). Experimental designs exhibit a range of complexities, they can span multiple comparison groups such as different treatments exposed to different genotypes, while each group can have multiple instances such as LPS-treatment and control-treatment.

The varying complexity in experimental designs is reflected in the Metadatasheet structure. This reflection is achieved through hierarchies, organized into up to three levels. The top-level keys are mandatory, while the inclusion of other-level keys depends on the design’s complexity. Present hierarchies within the samples are also important to consider for statistical analysis. Hierarchies emerge, if the sample is divided into subsamples prior to the measurement. For instance, if the experimental system involves a mouse with two extracted organs for measurement, the relation to the sample should be specified. Moreover, subsamples are also present when measurements were conducted on technical replicates of the extracted sample. The Metadatasheet accommodates up to two levels of sample partitioning. By leveraging a hierarchical structure, details are displayed only when necessary, avoiding unnecessary intricacies. Moreover, relationships of the measured samples can be recorded, enhancing clarity.

To ensure coherence between a sample’s actual measurement data and recorded metadata, it is crucial to link them accurately by a unique personal ID. To guide through matching and prevent mismatches, we have designed the Measurement-Matching section to summarize essential information and focusing on differences between samples. This information includes their association with an instance of a comparison group, the number of replicate, and the presence or absence of subsamples. If subsamples are present, they are organized in a separate table, referencing their higher, preceding sample. Careful recording also involves specified covariates. They are expected at the lowest level, the measurement level, and must be carefully matched to the correct ID within the set of replicates within a comparison group instance.

The inherent innovative force within the research community risks hitting boundaries of anything predefined, here, particularly evident in controlled vocabulary and dependent keys. Those predefined sets come as additional tables, associated with the Metadatasheet. Subsequently, the resources of the Metadatasheet require an ongoing commitment to be extended and further developed. Ontology terms can be integrated into every controlled vocabulary set. If necessary, users can search for the appropriate terms outside the Metadata Workbook using services such as the Ontology Lookup service 25 or OntoBee 26 . The separation of the Metadatasheet and its resources also allows the creation of group-specific subsets of controlled vocabulary. This feature proves helpful when a group wants a more constrained set of controlled vocabulary, e.g., using specific ontologies and respective value specifications. The ontology terms intended for use are incorporated into the controlled vocabulary set, ensuring that users only have access to those terms. The group-specific validation should be a subset of the overall validation.

The Metadatasheet design aligns with the data-lifecycle to allow analogous metadata recording. The presented design choices allow to adapt to various settings biomedical researchers are confronted with and thereby provide a high degree of flexibility.

The implementation of the metadatasheet, the metadata workbook, enhances user experience by automation, integrity checks, customisation and export to other formats

Gathering the diverse resources, specifically the Metadatasheet, the validation and dependent fields resources, we created an Excel Workbook including all of those sheets. To promote usage through user-friendliness, dynamic adaption and automation, we further introduced Excel macros (a set of custom functions) resolving to a macro enabled Excel workbook, called the Metadata Workbook. This Metadata Workbook is designed to guide the Metadatasheet application while providing automation whenever possible. Advancements through the implementation include specifically the ability to automatically insert dependent keys, enhance user experience and updating the controlled vocabulary. Additionally, there are options to use templates, automatic input validation and export functions that enable long-term storage. Crucial advancements are explained in more detail in the following.

The Metadata Workbook creates tailored Metadatasheets for common biomedical experimental systems and measurement techniques. Those segments come with their unique set of dependent keys and therefore change between individual Metadatasheets. Static sheets result therefore in a high amount of sheets. The Metadata Workbook provides a dynamic solution, reducing different requirements to a single Metadata Workbook that needs to be handled. The dependent, inserted keys, can be extended, but not changed, by adding values to the respective column within the dependent field sheet. The new addition is automatically added to the validation sheet, holding the controlled vocabulary. For new additions, the key’s input constraints can be changed. These features enable flexibility through expansion, allowing to match current and future research contexts.

The Metadata Workbook employs various features to enhance user experience and convenience while facilitating to capture simple to advanced setups of an experiment: sections of the sheet collapse, such as second levels of hierarchical segments, if not applicable; DropDown menus based on the provided controlled vocabulary enrich value fields, facilitating ease of selection. Furthermore, visual cues notify users in several situations: any segment where the structure deviates from the typical key:value format to adapt to a tabular arrangement is highlighted automatically; text-highlighting is used to mark mistakes, e.g., if input values for key fields do not align with the controlled vocabulary. Altogether, Metadata Workbook provides a user-friendly environment to guide users to record metadata.

Disruptive redundancy across and within the proposed Metadatasheet is tackled within the Metadata Workbook. Redundancy across Metadatasheets occurs if multiple studies are conducted in the same context, with similar designs, systems or experimental techniques. To reduce redundancy and prevent mistakes from copying and pasting, existing Metadatasheets can serve as templates. All information from the first two sections (planning and conduction) are exported from an uploaded Metadatasheet. Upon upload, users only need to update the ID information in the Measurement-Matching section for the new setting. This exception prevents not updating these crucial IDs. Redundancy within a single Metadatasheet occurs while providing the ‘final groups’ as well as the table within the Measurement-Matching section at the beginning of section two and three, respectively. The Metadata Workbook provides ‘generate’ buttons to produce both those tables automatically. Hence, the first ‘generate’ button creates all possible combinations based on the Planning section, while the measurement-matching table is generated based on the Conduction section. To maintain structural integrity, the Metadata Workbook requires a sequential input of the sections. The generate buttons prevent violations by evoking an error if input in the preceding section is invalid. The ‘generate’ functionalities remove through automation the need for copy paste actions and redundant actions for the user.

Upon the completion of the Metadata Workbook, it can be exported to various formats serving different objectives. Current supported formats are xlsx, the NCBI GEO metadata format, SummarizedExperiment (an R object specification from the Bioconductor family 27 , 28 ) and xml. Through export functionality, users gain several benefits, such as compatibility with open-source software, long-term storage through TRUST repositories and minimization of work by don’t repeat yourself (DRY) principles 29 . Compatibility of the Metadata Workbook with open-source software, like LibreOffice, is facilitated by the export option to a simple Excel ( xlsx file type) file while simultaneously removing any associated functionalities. Notably, a unique identifier is automatically assigned upon export. Providing metadata represents a critical prerequisite before uploading data to repositories or publication. Repositories normally adhere to their distinct metadata standards. Some offer submission tools featuring user interfaces, e.g. MetabolomicsWorkbench. Conversely, others like GEO or NCBI require the manual completion of an Excel table. For both repositories, export capabilities have been added to transform the Metadata Workbook compliant with the repositories’ requirements. The proposed structure covers all mandatory fields from the major repositories. These export functionalities reduce the hours spend on reformatting to meet different requirements and are a crucial step towards DRY principles within the metadata annotation procedure. Further, a converter is provided that turns the proposed structure, given as an exported xlsx file, to an object, commonly used as input to data analysis. The converter, applicable to omics-data and associated metadata, returns an R object called SummarizedExperiment 30 . The SummarizedExperiment object can be easily shared and lays the foundation for a plethora of standardized bioinformatic analyses within R. The object contains all available metadata from previous data-lifecycle stages limiting issues due to missing information, like unmentioned covariates.

In essence, the introduced implementation results in a macro-enhanced Excel Workbook, the Metadata Workbook, with advanced functionalities that choose the appropriate keys, enhances user experience with colour cues and automation while maintaining data integrity.

Showcase and application of the metadatasheet demonstrate its use in recording metadata and subsequent data analysis

To assess the suitability and adaptability of the designed Metadatasheet, we asked researchers from 40 different groups to gather and transfer their metadata in this format. The initiation of capturing standardized metadata alongside the data generation process has made a range of practical applications possible, yielding multiple advantages within the consortia. The versatility of the proposed structure is demonstrated by a curated collection of sheets (Table  1 ), each accompanied by a concise description of the study’s setting. The provided selection encompasses various measurement types and differing experimental systems. The experimental designs within this selection range from straightforward setups to nested designs, as well as two-way comparisons. For all complete Metadatasheets, see Supplementary Material. As the Metadatasheet records metadata from the start of the data-lifecycle, some measurement data in certain showcases is not included here due to its non-disclosure status before publication.

In the following, a single Metadatasheet from the showcase collection is highlighted, which has been created with the Metadata Workbook. The picked Metadatasheet for demonstration encompasses one of the datasets associated with the study of developmental programming of Kupffer cells by maternal obesity 31 . The associated data is deposited on GEO and are accessible through GEO Series accession number GSE237408 .

Example planning section

The Metadatasheet starts with the Planning section which captures all information already available during the conceptualization of an experiment. The section is subdivided into the segments ‘General’, ‘Experimental System’ and ‘Comparison groups’ (Fig.  2 ). The requested information in ‘General’ (Fig.  2A ) includes personal information, the title of the project as well as the specification whether the sheet is part of a collection of multiple related Metadatasheets. Collections allow users to link individual Metadatasheets from the same project to spread awareness of such connections, in this example linking multiple datasets associated with the same project. ‘Experimental System’ segment provides automatically predefined keys (dependent fields sheet) after the selection within the Metadata Workbook, for example, ‘line’ and ‘genotype’ information will be needed upon selecting ‘mouse’ (Fig.  2B ). To illustrate the incorporation of ontology terms, note the BRENDA Tissue Ontology (BTO) term for tissue type.

Example of an instance of the Planning section. ( A ) Overview Planning section. ( B ) General segment contains contact information and general project information in form of key:value pairs; on its second level, linked Metadatasheets can be specified. ( C ) The experimental system segment is requesting keys dependent on the value given to key ‘Experimental System’. For tissue type, the controlled vocabulary encompasses ontology terms taken from BRENDA Tissue Ontology (BTO). ( D ) Comparison group segment; here the only comparison group is ‘diet’. defined through diet (other comparison group options as treatment etc. not shown). As six groups are requested by the user a table is present with six columns (only two shown). Information per specified group is expected column-wise. Note that the full Metadatasheet of this example can be found in Supplementary Material.

The ‘Comparison groups’ segment (Fig.  2C ) specifies the experimental design linked to the current research question. The experiment design for each comparison group involves two levels: broader comparison group, here ‘diet’ and details for each instance within the broader comparison group. Users are not restricted to a single comparison group. At the second level, details for each chosen comparison group are entered. Here, 6 different groups with varying diet schemes were studied. The established feeding scheme is unique within the consortia, those special requirements were easily added to the controlled vocabulary for ‘diet’ with the Metadata Workbook, leveraging on its adaptability.

Example conduction section

The Conduction section is divided into six segments and captures all information created during the experimental/ wet-lab phase. The section starts with the specification of the ‘final groups’ resulting from previously specified comparison groups. As diet is the only comparison group with six instances, the final groups resolve to those types (Fig.  3A ). If multiple groups are planned, for example, if six diet groups and two genotype groups, 12 final groups would be present due to all combination possibilities. Within the Metadata Workbook those final groups are generated automatically, the user then defines the respective replicates.

Example of an instance of the Conduction section. ( A ) Overview Conduction section. ( B ) The ‘total_groups’ segment expects all possible combinations of the comparison groups defined in the Planning section. Number of replicates belongs underneath each group. In the Metadatasheet implementation, ‘final_groups’ are generated; pink colour marks an expected table. ( C ) The segment covariates/constants requests respective specification including units. For constants, the value is expected in place, whereas covariates values are expected within the measurement-matching table. ( D ) Time-Dependence-timeline segment collapses completely if not required. ( E ) Preparation segment expects the procedure that is required before the actual measurement. Here, the reference to either a fixed protocol, chosen from the controlled vocabulary or a filename is expected. The specified file is expected to be on the same level as the Metadatasheet in the filesystem. ( F ) The Measurement segment is requesting keys depending on the value given to key measurement type. ( G ) The DataFiles-Linkage segment specifies how to identify the correct measurement file given the subsequent (within the measurement matching section) specified personal ID. If there is no clear pattern, one can choose keyword ‘CHANGES’ to promote filename specification to the measurement matching section. Note that the full Metadatasheet of this example can be found in Supplementary Material.

The segment ‘Covariates/Constants’, expects each constant or covariate to fill a single column with the respective suitable unit (table form). For clarification, a covariate refers to any additional variable or factor, beyond the main variables of interest (comparison groups), that is considered or observed in the experimental design. This could include factors such as age, gender, environmental conditions but also unusual colour of serum or day of preparation. Here, no covariate but the constants ‘cell type’ and ‘genotype’ were recorded, respective values, ‘Kupffer Cells’ and ‘wild type’ occupying a single column each (Fig.  3B ).

The next segment ‘Time-Dependence-Timeline’ is organized hierarchically. On the first level, one decides whether this segment is applicable, by answering if interruptions are present. The presence of an interrupted timeline is given, when the designated comparison group is to be augmented with temporal details that occurred during the experimental period. The second level distinguishes between two types of an interrupted timeline: ‘continued’ and ‘discontinued’. A ‘continued’ timeline is identified when temporal details are annotated. On the other hand, if the temporal details describe a change, such as a modification in treatment, it falls under the ‘discontinued’ type. For example, an interrupted timeline is present when a mouse undergoes several glucose tolerance tests during a contrasting diet setting (interrupted timeline type continued), or when a treatment consists of administering agent A for 24 hours followed by agent B for the next 24 hours (interrupted timeline type discontinued) before the actual measurement. While not present in the example at hand, both types of interrupted timelines would require further details (Fig.  4A ).

Advanced example of segments within the Conduction section. ( A ) Within the Time-Dependence Timeline segment, given comparison groups can be enriched with time dependent information on the second hierarchy level. One specifies which of the comparison groups is to be enriched with timeline information and the unit of time. Then, time-steps can be specified. Pink colour marks the table, which needs to be filled. ( B ) Within the Preparation segment, one can supply up to two divisions of the original experimental system sample. Here, from the liver of mice, two cell types are isolated. The liver isolation has the same protocol, while cell type isolation has differing protocols. The respective files are expected to be on the same level as the Metadatasheet in the filesystem.

The next two segments ‘Preparation’ (Fig.  3D ) and ‘Measurement’ (Fig.  3E ) capture the information for sample preparation approaches and measurement techniques, respectively. The ‘Preparation’ segment holds the information about the process of the experimental system to the specimen that gets measured. The respective protocol can be selected from a predefined set of terms, such as common workflows or entering a filename in the designated comment field, as shown here. When there are subsamples present (Fig.  4B ), information at segments’ secondary level is necessary, such as the number of subsamples per sample, their instances, replicates, and preparation information must be provided in a tabular format. The ‘Measurement’ segment requests details depending on the respective choice of the measurement technique (Fig.  3E ). Note, that ‘used facility’ was an additional dependent key added upon the process of filling the Metadatasheet. The user can easily add further keys by entering the wanted key in both dependent fields sheet in respective column of Measurement type: ‘bulk_RNA_seq’ and specify its type of constraints, e.g., free-text, date or controlled vocabulary, within the ‘Validation’ sheet.

The final segment ‘DataFiles-Linkage’ (Fig.  3F ), connects the measurement results with metadata. On the first level, one specifies whether raw or processed data is available. Raw data denotes the original machine-generated output, untouched by any processing, here the raw data are the fastq files. At secondary levels, users would provide more details about their file naming system. Three options are provided: ‘ID contained in filename’, ‘single file for all’, and ‘CHANGES’. The options ‘ID contained in filename’ and ‘single file for all’ require the data to be positioned at the same level as the metadata document within a file system, whereby relative paths can be given. The option of ‘CHANGES’ (switching key:value pair to tabular form) allows the user to define their unique naming system in the Measurement-Matching section. For processed data the procedure is required, and to be provided like the preparation protocol.

Example measurement-matching section

The last but the most important step for Metadatasheet is the ‘measurement-matching’ section, which links the recorded metadata to the measurement data. This section involves an ID-specific metadata table to facilitate matching (Fig.  5 ). Here, the measurement for each replicate within a group requires a unique measurement ID. Given this ID and the group name (defined at the top of Metadatasheet), one must be able to identify the respective measurement. If there are subgroups or further subdivisions of samples, a table per division is expected. By design, the actual measurement happens at the last division stage, hence the measurement ID belongs to the last stage, as well. If available, further personal IDs can be given on sample level, too.

Example of an instance of the Measurement-Matching section. ( A ) Overview Measurement-Matching section. ( B ) An ID-specific metadata table example with the minimal number of required rows. The yellow marked cells hold measurement IDs (‘personal_ID’) required for the matching of metadata column with the respective measured data. ‘NA’ indicates non-available information (‘Diet’ is the only comparison group specified). The last two rows indicate that neither subsamples nor subsubsamples are needed in this instance. The table is column cropped; based on previous final groups and given replicates, a total of 30 columns are expected in the full table. Note that the full Metadatasheet of this example can be found in Supplementary Material.

The automatically generated ID-specific metadata table summarizes the preceding input of the user to ease the measurement to metadata matching. Hence, besides the default rows, the ID-specific metadata table will expand depending on inputs from the Conduction section. Expansion includes previously mentioned covariates and constants, along with any keys where the ‘CHANGES’ value was applied. The Measurement-Matching section overall ensures the flexibility tailored to capture information individually for each measured sample or division of such. Moreover, the arrangement of subsamples and subsubsamples clearly reveals any nested design, which is important for choosing appropriate statistics.

Hence, the application example showcases the Metadatasheet in differing context.

Additional examples of metadata management in practice are available in the supplementary materials, which include distribution and update-handling of the Metadata Workbook and its associated resources, along with example workflows of different users within a research group. The use of Metadatasheets benefit individual users and the scientific community by streamlining data management and enabling program development.

Applications of completed metadatasheets within and beyond the metadata workbook

The availability of standardized Metadatasheets offers advantages to individual users, the associated scientific community, ranging from the respective group to large-scale consortia, as well as not involved third parties.

The individual’s benefits from utilizing the Metadatasheet as a live document or central hub guides their data management for conducted or planned experiments. This approach simplifies the process of handing or taking over projects, as documentation follows a streamlined format, as opposed to each person maintaining individual data management methods. Furthermore, standardization plays a pivotal role in enabling the development of programs for analysis and processing, thanks to uniform input formats. A notable example is the provided conversion program that parses the Metadatasheet involving bulk-omics measurements to an R object. This SummarizedExperiment object 30 itself is the standardized input for many Bioconductor based analysis 27 , 28 .

A group or consortia introducing the Metadatasheet will have access to multiple Metadatasheets. This in turn evokes the possibility for creation of a comprehensive database. Within this database, numerous sheets can be easily searched for specific information. To support this application, we have developed a dedicated, publicly accessible ontology for seamless integration of data into a custom database. The provided ontology is specific for the proposed Metadatasheet and incorporated terms. Essentially, this database functions as a centralized knowledge hub, enabling swift access to available data, available specimen and planned experiments across groups. A database facilitates meta-analyses and aids in identifying gaps in the current local research landscape, potentially discovering collaboration opportunities.

Ensuring both human and machine readability of the Metadatasheet is essential for facilitating seamless interactions with the data it represents. By accommodating both, the Metadatasheet enables users to query and access data more efficiently, from a single sheet up to a large collection. By a careful design and through a hierarchical structuring approach for the metadata sheet, additionally accompanied by instant help texts (mouse-over) and available training resources, input metadata remains human-readable and allows for a quick and efficient look up of, e.g., single sets of interest. Machine readability is given through the provided ontology and export functionality into OWL/XML or RDF/XML formats. The Metadata Workbook offers the export functionality for derived metadata formats required e.g. for upload to the NCBI Geo repository. Upon the upload of data and metadata to repositories, research employing methods capable of reading and processing data from these repositories will benefit. Example for such methods are GeoQuery 32 , GEOmetadb 33 or E-Utils provided by NCBI directly 34 . The Metadatasheet captures a broad range of measurement techniques and experimental systems, which may pose challenges in finding a suitable domain-specific repository, especially if datasets are linked. In such cases, the Metadatasheet offers a solution through the creation of topic-centered databases using its machine-readable format. These topic-centered databases can transition from restricted to public access upon publication. The use of Metadatasheets benefit individual users, the associated scientific community as well as third parties through enabled program development, export to repositories and creation of topic-centered databases if suitable.

The developed metadata standard facilitates comprehensive recording of all relevant metadata for a broad spectrum of biomedical applications throughout the data-lifecycle. The standard’s implementation ensures efficient documentation of metadata and with a user-friendly design. The provided Metadata Workbook enriched with custom, open-source functionalities can be extended on various levels to adjust to additional setups.

The presented framework, encompasses two parts. The first part involved the iterative collection and organisation of keys, while the second part focused on the implementation of the user experience within the Metadata Workbook. During the collection phase, it became apparent that the specific set of keys varies enormously depending on the research groups, while multiple keys are found repeatedly across the assessed repositories. To address the high variability, we made adaptability of the Metadatasheet a priority. While the set of comparisons (‘comparison groups’) is tailored to our context, e.g. diet or temperature, the implementation is designed to be extensible ad-hoc. This means the Metadatasheet can be customized by specifying requested keys and adding experimental groups and measurement types, as well as expanding the controlled vocabulary. Moreover, a versatile comparison group labelled as ‘Others’ has been introduced. This ‘Others’ group adapts to any comparison scenario, not covered. Adding another ‘comparison group’ to the structure is also possible when adhering to the segment’s structural characteristics, only requiring additions to the provided Metadatasheet ontology. For version tracking and other ontology management means, tools such as CENTree 35 or OntoBrowser 36 could be employed.

To follow the DRY principle, the Metadatasheet key collection aims for comprehensiveness, capturing metadata required in other contexts. The adaptability of the Metadatasheet allows for the introduction of additional formal means, although not strictly enforced.

The Metadatasheet has been implemented within a macro-enabled Microsoft Excel workbook. Despite the fact that Excel is not open-source, nor free, it has several severe advantages. Its widespread availability, familiarity and standard-use within the biomedical research community makes it a valuable choice, especially when compared to custom standalone applications. Furthermore, most users are experienced Excel user, allowing for seamless integration of our proposed sheet into existing workflows. This immediate integration would not be as straightforward with open-source spreadsheet software like LibreOffice, also lacking required automation aspects. An online, browser-based, operating system independent approach such as GoogleSheets, besides being accessible for everyone, violates the needs of sensitive data, particularly in cases involving unpublished studies. If data sensitivity isn’t an issue, a browser approach might be preferable to the proposed solution. However, our solution within Excel suits all data protection levels. Addtionally, given Excel’s wide spread, some electronic lab books readily offer Excel integrations. It’s important to note that the Metadata Workbook offers a user-friendly solution for completing and expanding the Metadatasheet, whereby the Metadatasheet itself is a standalone solution for metadata recording. The complete Metadatasheet can be converted into machine-readable XML files and SummarizedExperiment objects, using provided tools. Recently, Microsoft has introduced Excel365, a browser-based software. However, our provided Metadata Workbook, requires adjustments to function within the Excel365 framework, as the used automation languages differ.

Metadata labels provide meaning to data, especially if keys and values are not only comprehensive but also interconnected, enabling cross-study comparisons. Providing metadata labels is commonly referred to as semantic interoperability, and it is considered a pivotal aspect of data management 37 . In order to attain semantic interoperability, there are domain-specific ontologies that establish meaningful connections between the labels of metadata. However, it is important to note that there is no single ontology that can comprehensively address the diverse requirements, even within a relatively homogeneous domain of investigation within a single consortium in the field of biomedical sciences. In fact, the choice of the appropriate ontology is far from straightforward and can vary for the same keys depending on the context. Pending ontology decisions might delay the recording of metadata, which in turn can lead to data loss. Involvement of inexperienced users, due to common high fluctuations of early-stage researchers, can further exacerbate the delay. Therefore, we have made the conscious choice, following our adaptability priority, to employ an extendable controlled vocabulary. This decision empowers biomedical researchers to directly and effortlessly record metadata without the need to immediately handle ontologies and their unavoidable complexities. While this decision will require additional retrospective annotation efforts to adhere to appropriate ontologies, it is manageable in contrast to retrospectively recovering metadata information that was never recorded. To support the handling of introduced expansions, we also offer a merge Workbook to unite differently extended controlled vocabularies. This serves as an initial aid in managing retrospective individual metadata items.

The presented framework enables and directs researchers to document FAIR data. However, for the process to be completed, researchers must undertake final steps, such as selecting appropriate ontologies and exporting and depositing data in repositories like NCBI GEO. Our strategy prioritizes ease of initial data recording and acknowledges the practical challenges associated with ontology selection and application.

Ontologies enrich any set of collected metadata, therefore, we do not aim to discourage the use of ontologies. Integration of ontologies into the workflow could be facilitated by Metadata Annotation Services, such as RightField 8 , Ontology LookUp service (OLS) 25 or OntoBee 26 . RightField is a standalone tool populating cells within a spreadsheet with ontology-based controlled vocabulary. OntoBee and OLS are linked data servers and can be used to query suitable ontologies and IDs given a keyword. Groups can enforce the partial or complete usage of ontology for keys in the Metadatasheet by leveraging on the option of group-specific validation and creating a tailored validation sheet. The supplementary material includes a table that lists potentially suitable ontologies for the keys, offering guidance for users (Table  S1 ).

We anticipate our proposed Metadatasheet accompanied by its implementation, the Metadata Workbook, being used for more than just data recording. Even in a partially filled state and at the start of a research cycle, the findability, accessibility, and interoperability provided by standardized Metadatasheets can speed up experiment preparation between groups, encourage effective specimen usage, and foster collaborations. Beyond individual and group benefits, these platforms can serve as the foundation for topic-centered public databases. This offers an alternative solution for managing interconnected and diverse datasets, potentially linked with an Application Programming Interface (API) to facilitate computational access through queries. However, researchers still need to assess suitable domain-specific repositories, potentially sharing datasets across multiple resources, thereby enhancing their findability. Given that many datasets are often deposited as supplementary material 38 , likely due to the challenges of adhering to metadata standards, our aim is to enhance both the structure of supplementary material using the Metadatasheet and facilitate the transition to repositories through automatic export. We envision the Metadata Workbook to lower the burden associated with adhering to metadata standards, thereby encouraging more frequent submissions to repositories initially. Ultimately, this process aims to foster the generation of more FAIR data.

A tool for facilitating FAIR data recording is valuable and effective only when it is maintained and actively utilized. However, small to medium-sized academic labs often lack dedicated personnel solely responsible for such tasks. Therefore, we have designed our proposed solution, integrated into the Metadata Workbook, to be easily adaptable and extendable without requiring any programming skills or other domain-specific knowledge, thus enhancing its sustainability. Detailed documentation outlines the processes involved thoroughly. Our open source solution is built upon basic VBA code, avoiding complex functionalities, which is the most likely to stay functional. Consequently, the maintenance of the framework can be decentralized, promoting low-cost while having enough flexibility to extensively adapt.

We are currently developing analysis tools that facilitate seamless integration, including integration with custom databases, to promote usage by delivering numerous and immediate advantages. By establishing local hubs of uniformly structured data through these efforts, it becomes significantly easier for data management entities, now prevalent throughout academia, to undertake the, e.g., mapping process.

Planned development of the Metadatasheet and the Metadata Workbook includes adding export options, a database for Standard Operation Protocols, analysing sets of collected metadata, and providing project monitoring tools. Additionally, we aim to further automate the filling of the Metadatasheet to further close the gap between good documentation need and associated effort for the scientist 39 . Automation extensions are auto-completion upon typing, transferring information from in-place LIMS resources, as well as other metadata locations. Furthermore, we aim to establish the option to assign specific sections of the Metadatasheet to responsible individuals, allowing for proper crediting of their work and acknowledgment of the numerous scientists involved throughout the recording process.

In conclusion, the framework leverages the widespread use of Excel, enabling comprehensive metadata documentation and improving the efficiency of data deposit on repositories. Our practical solution offers a user-friendly and sequential approach to manage metadata, thereby addressing the need for FAIR data in the field of biomedical science at intermediate stages during the data life cycle up to publication. We expect this to be of high relevance for a broad spectrum of biomedical researchers, and think that it can also be easily adapted to adjacent fields.

Metadata workbook structure

The proposed Metadatasheet is implemented within Microsoft Excel macro-enabled workbook, which consists out of multiple sheets with macros modules. The input sheet resembles the Metadatasheet. The other sheets hold the validation resources, the dependent fields for the differing experimental systems and measurement types, a plain Metadatasheet for reset, the repositories’ metadata standards, and additional resources for user guidance, such as a glossary. Input, validation, dependent fields and user guidance sheets are visible to the user, whereby only the input sheet is extensively editable by the user. Within validation and dependent fields sheets, only blank cells can be filled.

The structure of the individual sheets ensures their functionality. An example is the validation sheet, which holds per column the controlled vocabulary for a respective key. Each column starts with the three rows where the type of validation - freetext, date, DropDown or DropDown_M (multiple selection possible) - any specification in form of help text and the respective key is specified. The ‘dependentFields’ sheet is constructed in a similar manner. Here, the first two rows for each column determine the general category - measurement type or experimental system - as well as the specification from the controlled vocabulary set, e.g. of mouse. After those specifications, the dependent keys are enumerated.

The input sheet and attached functionalities utilize different font faces as well as colour cues for structuring, and segment specific automatised processes. All grey cells with bold font content signal different segments of each section. This provides a fine-grid structure. Italic font characterize boolean validation requests, hence expecting ‘yes’ or ‘no’. This does not only help for structure but also is done for performance reasons as just by checking font, actions can be precisely called.

Custom add-on functionalities

The Workbook including VBA based macros was developed using Excel Version 16.77. The implementation is tested for use on both macOS (Ventura 13.5) and Windows (Windows 11) and respective variations of Microsoft Excel Version 16. The differences in Excel functionality between Windows and macOS influenced our implementation, such as bypassing ‘ActiveX-controls’ being not available on MacOS platforms.

The Metadata Workbook incorporates various functionalities organized into VBA modules. Users invoke actions by either actively pressing a button or upon input, which is a change of a cell within the input sheet. The latter allows for reactive updates. Reactivity functionality is directly attached to the input sheet, unlike VBA modules. The Metadata Workbook key functionalities include a validation function, an insertion-of-dependent-keys function, and a reset-import function, which are further discussed in the following. Furthermore, the reactivity procedure evoked upon cell change is outlined.

The custom validation function leverages the Excels Data-Validation feature. The feature checks predefined conditions for a given cell upon the user’s input, e.g. if the input value lies within a range of allowed values. If those values are of discrete nature, one can display all possible values as a DropDown to the user. Our custom validation function populates Excels Data-Validation feature automatically, passing the appropriate data constraints to determine a valid input. An exception exists for all keys that allow multiple selections, marked in the validation sheet as type DropDown_M. To allow the selection of multiple items, reactive functionalities had to be included. Any user values that fail validation are marked. To simplify searching within the DropDown list, the allowed values are automatically sorted alphabetically.

In the case of extensive controlled vocabulary or the wish to tight constraints, users have the option to subset the main validation sheet. The subset sheet must be named ‘Validation_[Group]’, whereby ‘[Group]’ is to be replaced by the respective value to the requested key group. The structure of the subset sheet is expected to be the same as within the validation sheet. To use this predefined subset, one has to choose ‘yes’ for ‘group specific?’ on top of the sheet.

The insertion functionalities handle the automatic dependent key insertion, inserting necessary keys dependent on the user’s choice of the experimental system and measurement type. Here, the subroutines conduct a search for a match with the user’s input within the ‘dependentFields’ sheet, retrieving the corresponding column with associated keys for insertion in the Metadatasheet. Note that dependent key sets can be extended by adding keys to the list, whereby additional keys subsequently need to be added to the validation sheet to provide constraints.

The reset/import function allows users to reset the sheet to its initial state or to a chosen template state. Two options are available upon pressing the ‘Reset’ button and displayed to the user with a pop-up window. The first option resets to a blank input sheet. The function deletes the current input sheet, copies a ‘ResetSheet’ and renames it to ‘Input’. The ‘ResetSheet’ has the same VBA-code as the ‘Input’ Sheet attached. The second option resets to a user chosen template. A template may be a previous complete Metadatasheet or a partially filled Metadatasheet. The inputs from the template sheet are copied upon a duplication of the ‘ResetSheet’ to retain reactivity-functionality. The duplication with the template’s input is renamed to ‘Input’. The original ‘ResetSheet’ is always hidden to prevent accidental deletion.

Metadatasheet ontology creation

Our custom ontology was modelled by following a top-down approach using established tools in the realm of semantic web (cf. Protégé 40 and accompanying tools), giving rise to a consistent contextual data model, logical data model and physical data model eventually leading to an integration of individuals (metadata samples) into a semantic database.

Conversion program creation

The conversion program uses a completed Metadatasheet as input and checks for suitability of conversion based on the measurement type. If the type is one of ‘bulk-metabolomics’,‘bulk-transcriptomics’ or ‘bulk-lipidomics’, the conversion starts. The Measurement-Matching section will be saved within ‘colData’-slot. The actual data matrix is identified, guided by the Data File Linkage information. Given the personal ID and the given file measurement data is identified. Note, the location of the input Metadatasheet is seen as root and given filenames are expected as relative paths. If ‘single file for all’ is selected, the filename given in the comment section is directly searched for. If nothing is found, measurement data is searched for by the given extension in processed data and returned to the user asking for clarification. The program is written in R.

Data availability

The ontology needed to create a database upon a set of Metadatasheets (version 1.8.0) is available under the following link on Github https://github.com/stephanmg/metadata_ontology .

Code availability

The Metadata Workbook and related content is freely available on Zenodo 41 ( https://zenodo.org/records/10278069 ) and GitHub ( https://github.com/LeaSeep/MetaDataFormat ). The repository contains the macro-embedded Metadata Workbook, the isolated VBA scripts, the macro-embedded Merge Workbook, as well as the converter to turn a Metadatasheet to a SummarizedExperiment Object. The repository includes a pre-commit hook that extracts the associated VBA scripts automatically, facilitating easy evaluation of code changes directly within GitHub.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy (project IDs 390685813 - EXC 2047 and 390873048 - EXC 2151) and through Metaflammation, project ID 432325352 – SFB 1454 (L.Se., I.S., H.H., D.Ri., J.Y., T.B., K.S., R.K., S.K., E.M., D.W., E.L., F.M., A.Sch., J.H), BATenergy, project ID 450149205 - TRR 333 (S.G., A.S.A., S.H., M.M., D.Ra., J.Be., D.W., A.T., V.P., K.K., A.P., H.W., L.Sch., T.F., W. K. F., M.K., J.H), the Research Unit “Deciphering the role of primary ciliary dynamics in tissue organisation and function”, Project-ID 503306912 - FOR5547 (D.W., E.M.), and SEPAN, project ID 458597554 (L.Se.), and by the University of Bonn via the Schlegel professorship to J.H. E.M. is supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No. 851257). W.K.F. is further supported by the DFG (FE 1159/6-1, FE 1159/5-1, DFG FE 1159/2-1), by the European Research Council (ERC, under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program; Grant Agreement No. 101080302) and by grants from the Gabriele Hedwig Danielewski foundation and the Else Kroener Fresenius Foundation. A.T. is supported by the Gabriele Hedwig Danielewski foundation. A.K.G. is supported by Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, BONFOR grants 2018-1A-05, 2019-2-07, 2020-5-01. We thank all members, including associated, of the SFB Metaflammation and TRR BATenergy for the iterative discussions and their input throughout.

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Contributions

J.H. and S.G. conceived the concept. L.Se. implemented and extended the Metadatasheet and created the Metadata Workbook. T.B., M.K., J.Br., A.St. tested and provided feedback on initial version of the Metadatasheet. I.S., D.Ra., M.M., S.H., M.L., K.H., D.Ri, K.S., R.K., H.H., J.Y., S.K., J.Be., A.T., V.P., A.S.A., D.T., K.K., Y.L., M.B., A.K.G., T.F., H.W., M.K., W.K.F., L.Sch., F.M., A.Sch., E.M., D.W. provided in-depth feedback to the Metadatasheet and the Metadata Workbook and contributed to the showcases. E.L. and A.P. lead the discussion rounds as representatives of the consortia. L.Se. and J.H. wrote the first draft of the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jan Hasenauer .

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Seep, L., Grein, S., Splichalova, I. et al. From Planning Stage Towards FAIR Data: A Practical Metadatasheet For Biomedical Scientists. Sci Data 11 , 524 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03349-2

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03349-2

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