🔍 Research Planning Template

Our Society Type: (Check one)

• □ Environmental Sustainability Focus
• □ Technology & Innovation Focus
• □ Cultural Preservation Focus
• □ Social Justice Focus

Why did our group choose this focus?

What core values will guide our society? (List 4-5 key values)

What major challenge or problem will our society address?

Assign each group member primary research areas:

How will you ensure everyone understands all research areas?

Contemporary Examples: What modern societies or communities will you study for inspiration?

Historical Examples: What historical societies or governance systems interest your group?

Indigenous Knowledge: How will you respectfully research Indigenous governance and cultural systems?

Our group will ensure respectful research by: (Check all that apply)

• □ Using authentic sources rather than generalizations
• □ Acknowledging the communities we learn from
• □ Avoiding appropriation - seeking inspiration, not copying
• □ Including diverse perspectives, especially Indigenous voices
• □ Checking our sources for accuracy and bias
• □ Asking: "Are we representing this culture/system fairly?"

If we interview community members or experts, how will we prepare respectfully?

Research Phase	Deadline	What's Due	Responsible Person
Initial Research	____________	2-3 sources per assigned area	All members
Research Sharing #1	____________	Share findings with group	All members
Deep Dive Research	____________	Follow-up questions & examples	All members
Research Synthesis	____________	Connect findings to society design	All members
Final Check	____________	Fill knowledge gaps	All members

How will group members share their research findings? (Choose methods)

• □ Regular group meetings (when/where: _______________)
• □ Shared digital document or folder
• □ Brief presentation to group (5 minutes each)
• □ Visual summaries or infographics
• □ Research briefing sheets
• □ Other: _________________________________

What format will you use to organize all research findings?

How will you ensure everyone understands the research from all areas?

Who will coordinate the research sharing process?

Before using any research, our group will ask:

• □ Is this source reliable and accurate?
• □ Does this represent the community/culture fairly?
• □ Are we missing important perspectives?
• □ How does this connect to our society design goals?
• □ What questions does this raise for further research?

If we disagree about research findings or interpretations, how will we handle it?

How will we know when we have enough research to start designing?