Research Study Assumptions Log
This is a practical guide to building a assumptions log for a research study project — a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated, adapted to the realities of planning and delivering a research study.
What a Assumptions Log is
A assumptions log is a register of the assumptions the plan depends on, to be validated. For the full concept and how it works in general, see Project Assumption. On a research study project it plays the same role, tuned to this kind of work.
Why it matters for a Research Study project
Research Study projects live or die on planning and delivering a research study. A well-built assumptions log gives the team a shared, explicit reference for exactly that — reducing ambiguity, aligning stakeholders, and making problems visible early enough to act. Skipping it, or doing it generically, is how research study projects drift into avoidable delay and cost.
What to include
- Assumption
- Impact if wrong
- Owner
- Validation status
Research Study-specific considerations
Tailor the assumptions log to the risks that most often derail research study projects:
- Funding and scope constraints
- Ethics and compliance
- Uncertain outcomes
Example
On a real research study project, the assumptions log would be shaped by planning and delivering a research study. In particular, it should explicitly account for the project’s biggest risks — funding and scope constraints, ethics and compliance, uncertain outcomes — rather than treating them as afterthoughts.