What Research Ops Professionals Have Learned from COVID-19

Key Insights

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  COVID-19 forced research teams to shift rapidly from primarily in-person to fully remote research without pause.

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  Updating recruitment scripts to be empathetic and sensitive to participants' changing contexts was critical.

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  Transitioning to electronic NDAs accelerated changes that had been previously delayed.

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  Remote research expanded participant diversity by overcoming geographic limitations of in-person labs.

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  Small research Ops teams must prioritize among multiple operational pillars to avoid burnout.

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  Self-service recruitment and research tools empower researchers and scale support.

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  Remote work flattened team dynamics, creating a more level playing field internationally and across locations.

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  Maintaining team morale requires intentional social activities, like virtual lunches and kudos boards.

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  Proactive internal workshops on defining the 'new normal' help teams adapt thoughtfully.

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  Prioritizing team health and flexibility enables sustainable cope with unexpected disruptions.

Notable Quotes