The Cost-Free Research Request Tracker
This system gives you a clean way to capture, score, and prioritise research requests without relying on paid tools. It keeps everything in one place, cuts down low-value work, and helps you focus on studies that shape real product decisions.
How it works
Each request gets added to the tracker with three anchors:
who’s asking
the decision they need to make
the action they will take once they have the answer
From there, the impact score tells you whether the request deserves time now, later, or not at all.
How to calculate the impact score
The score uses three factors scored from 1-5:
Users affected
Revenue or retention risk
Timeline urgency
Add the three numbers to get a total out of 15.
Users affected
1 = niche edge case
3 = mid-sized segment or one workflow in a larger journey
5 = a large group, high-volume workflow, or core funnel step
Revenue or retention risk
1 = cosmetic or preference-level work
3 = moderate impact on activation, conversion, or support load
5 = clear risk to revenue, renewal, churn, compliance, or a high-cost problem
Timeline urgency
1 = no clear deadline or unclear decision date
3 = decision needed this quarter
5 = blocking a launch, tied to a committed roadmap item, or linked to an urgent KPI
Example scores
B2B example:
A PM needs to decide whether to change API usage limits for enterprise accounts.
Users affected: 5 (top-tier customers)
Revenue risk: 5 (renewal blocker)
Urgency: 5 (renewal cycle approaching)
Total = 15/15
B2C example:
Marketing wants to update push copy for abandoned carts.
Users affected: 4 (large group)
Revenue risk: 3 (conversion lift, not a blocker)
Urgency: 3 (campaign launch soon)
Total = 10/15
A score above 12 is high priority.
Scores between 8–11 are mid-tier and reviewed weekly.
Scores under 8 rarely move forward unless tied to another project.
How to use the intake questions
Before you add a row, direct stakeholders to the intake questions. The answers reveal whether a request is tied to a real decision, whether skipping it carries consequences, and whether the stakeholder is ready to act. If they can’t answer these questions, the request doesn’t enter the tracker.
How to run your week with it
Sort by impact score
Review the next action column each Monday
Follow up on items with clear decisions only
Close anything stalled with no owner action
Keep updates inside the tracker instead of ad hoc Slack threads
What’s inside the template
A complete request tracker
Built-in examples
A scoring model with clear rules
A method selector
Intake questions you can use to help with clarity
If you’re handling many requests across product, design, support, and marketing, this system gives you clarity fast. It protects your time and helps you focus on work that actually changes what teams ship.
Grab the tracker here
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