Statement of Work Template for Research Projects (UK 2025)

When You Need This Contract

Research project SOWs must define the research questions, methodology, data collection approach, analysis framework, and deliverable format with precision. The SOW should address participant recruitment and consent management for primary research, data protection for personal data collected, intellectual property ownership of research findings and datasets, and the important caveat that research findings cannot be guaranteed to support any particular hypothesis or business decision.

Key Clauses

• Research questions and objectives clearly defined
• Methodology specification covering qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods
• Participant recruitment and consent management procedures
• Data protection and GDPR compliance for research data
• Findings ownership and publication rights

What to Watch Out For

• Not addressing participant consent and data protection requirements for primary research, creating GDPR compliance risk
• Guaranteeing research findings that support a particular conclusion, which undermines research credibility

Sample Clauses

• Sample methodology clause: 'The research shall employ a mixed-methods approach: Phase 1 - Quantitative survey of [X] respondents from [target population], recruited via [method], achieving a confidence level of [95%] with a margin of error of [+/- 5%]. Phase 2 - Qualitative depth interviews with [X] participants selected from the survey sample based on [criteria]. Analysis shall use [specified analytical framework].'
• Sample findings clause: 'The Researcher shall present findings objectively and impartially. The Client acknowledges that research findings reflect the data collected and may not support any particular hypothesis or business decision. The Researcher shall not be required to alter or suppress findings to align with the Client's preferences or expectations.'