Abstract
This article presents a case study examining whether the creation and use of research plans enhance the effectiveness of legal research by law students. Despite their emphasized role in legal research pedagogy, research plans are often underutilized by students in their summer jobs, clinical work, and post-graduate employment. Through a three-part study, the authors surveyed upper-level students about their use and impressions of research plans, analyzed performance outcomes from a research simulation involving a legal hypothetical, and evaluated five years of assessment data from a 1L Legal Research course. While the experimental study did not yield statistically significant results, students who used research plans tended to spot more legal issues and achieved higher average scores. A logistic regression model analysis of 1L assessments demonstrated a strong correlation between higher research plan scores and stronger performance on substantive legal research tasks. In addition to quantitative data, student feedback received from a survey highlighted the organizational, strategic, and confidence-building benefits of research plans. Though not conclusive, the findings support the pedagogical emphasis on research planning and suggest that such plans can improve legal research outcomes. The article concludes by advocating for continued instruction and further empirical study of research plan usage and effectiveness.
Recommended Citation
Striepe, Thomas "TJ" and Nolan, Savanna L., "Effectiveness of Research Plans: A Case Study" (2025). Faculty Datasets. 10.
https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/datasets/10
Results of survey about research plans
1L Final Assessment Data - Blind.pdf (61 kB)
1L Final Assessment Data
Data use by the article - Effectiveness of Research Plans: A Case Study.