Organize Research Projects in Dovetail
Organize a project around a bounded study or question, then make sources and findings easy to trace. A tidy repository is useful only when another researcher can understand the audience, method and decision context.
Before you start: Have project-creation capability under your plan and an agreed access model. Decide where sensitive source material can be stored.
Worked example: A study of new workspace owners should separate interview evidence from ongoing support feedback and record the specific onboarding question it investigates.
Step-by-step guide
Define the study boundary
Write the audience, question and decision. Keep unrelated work out rather than making one project a permanent catch-all.
Choose a clear name
Include the task or audience and a useful time reference. Avoid names that only make sense to the original researcher.
Set the overview
Record objectives, method, recruitment context and source conventions. Distinguish the study brief from findings that have not yet been established.
Add source context
Give imported material stable references and relevant metadata. Preserve the link between a participant, session and the evidence without exposing unnecessary identifiers.
Check access
Review who can read and edit the project before importing sensitive data. Test the intended collaborator’s view.
Create the handoff route
Link the study overview to its findings and next decision. Assign an owner for maintaining conclusions as new evidence arrives.
Common mistakes
One project holds everything
The original question and access boundary become unclear.
Names without context
Future researchers cannot judge relevance.
Overview becomes unsupported conclusion
Keep the brief separate from findings.
Tips
Use stable source identifiers.
Keep a short method and limitations section.
Review access before importing recordings.
Sources and verification
Based on product documentation checked on 2026-10-24. This is a documentation-based guide, not a hands-on benchmark. Features and availability can change.