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Choose the scope that fits the decision.
Five research support areas, organized by what the client needs to understand or decide. They can be commissioned as a bounded scope rather than an assumed end-to-end development program.
B & R Ford Properties, LLC
Research & Development / Cape Girardeau, Missouri
A research brief clarifies the task. A feasibility study compares possible routes. An experiment plan specifies how to learn something. A prototype specification defines what needs to be represented. A decision review connects the findings to the next commitment.
These scopes serve product owners and development teams considering equipment concepts, tools, or changes to a working method. The appropriate starting point depends on the question and the evidence already available. Describe your current situation ↗
Research briefs
Define the decision, the people affected, and the constraints before deciding how much development work to commission.
Possible outputs: Problem and decision statement; Requirements and constraints register; Questions, assumptions, and scope boundaries.
Feasibility studies
Examine whether an approach appears workable within the conditions that matter to the client, and identify what remains unproven.
Possible outputs: Defined options and comparison criteria; Evidence and dependency register; Feasibility assessment with next-step questions.
Experiment planning
Connect a development question to a comparison, an observation method, and a documented interpretation of the result.
Possible outputs: Testable question and study boundary; Procedure, observations, and recording template; Interpretation rules and follow-up conditions.
Prototype specifications
Describe what needs to be represented, what can be simplified, and what someone should learn from the resulting model or demonstrator.
Possible outputs: Prototype purpose and fidelity map; Behavior, interfaces, and exclusions; Review scenarios and build handoff notes.
Decision reviews
Organize the findings, limitations, and open actions so the client can choose a proportionate next step.
Possible outputs: Evidence-to-question summary; Limitations and unresolved actions; Decision record and next-scope recommendations.