Research Literacy Framework™:
Embedding research thinking into research democratization programs
The Research Literacy Framework™
Denise da Costa Graeff and Jim Dalglish created the Research Literacy Framework as the first model specifically built to help organizations get research democratization right.
The framework places research thinking at the center – the habits, principles, and skills that separate rigorous research from research theater – and surrounds it with four elements that make democratization sustainable.
This framework helps inform what research to conduct, how to do it with rigor, who should be doing it, and when it needs to happen.
Research democratization is everywhere. Most organizations are already doing it. Very few are doing it well. This framework exists because we couldn't find one that addressed the full picture – and neither could the practitioners we interviewed.
Together, Denise and Jim are building the Research Literacy Framework™ and writing a book on research literacy and the impact of AI on how organizations conduct, govern, and act on research.
Denise da Costa Graeff
Denise da Costa Graeff is a UX research leader with 14+ years of experience building and scaling research programs across enterprise banking, fintech, HCM, and SaaS. She brings the embedded researcher's perspective – the view from inside the organization, where research democratization is lived every day.
Jim Dalglish
Jim Dalglish is a digital strategist, UX researcher, and information architect with over 20 years of consulting experience helping enterprises, universities, and nonprofits build smarter digital experiences. He brings the consultant's perspective – the view from outside the organization, where research is often the first thing clients cut and the last thing they understand.
Without Research Thinking, Your Democratization Program Isn’t Research. It’s Research Theater.
UXPA Boston 2026 – May 8, 2026 – Revere Hotel, Boston
64% of companies report having a democratized research culture – but most can't tell whether the research they're producing is any good. In this talk, Jim Dalglish and Denise da Costa Graeff share findings from UX professionals conducting democratized research, introduce the Research Literacy Framework™ – a four-element model for making democratization actually work – and debut the Research Democratization Maturity Diagnostic.
This is ongoing research for an upcoming book on research literacy and the impact of AI on organizations.
We Want to Hear from You…
We're building this framework in public – and your perspective matters. Whether you've lived research democratization, survived it, or are just trying to figure out what it means for your team, we want to know.
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