The last item to align on is the timeline of the study. Some of the previously listed items will have an influence on the schedule, such as the profile of the participants to recruit. The more specific the profile is, the more time the recruiting may require. The study methodology is also relevant, because setting up the required time slots for moderated studies will probably take longer than running an unmoderated study.
Some other questions that influence the schedule are covered in the following sections.
We have kicked off many a study where the product under testing was not yet available even for us to explore because development was ongoing or access still had to be sorted out. The UX researcher cannot start drawing up a discussion guide or a script until they have actually accessed the product and had the opportunity to explore its features for themselves. In this case, the start of the study is dynamic, and depends on when...