Describe your library, lab, or department service. Makeform builds a research request form that captures the question, scope, prior work, output, deadline, and requester details for triage.
Send research requests to email, Slack, Google Sheets, and Zapier.
Sample prompts for the builder
Choose a prompt, tailor it, or send it to the builder. The structure is an example, not a live AI result.
Audience
Students, faculty, and staff requesting librarian assistance
Format
Triage form with topic, sources, and deadline
Prompt size
296 chars
Example form structure
Triage form with topic, sources, and deadline
Requester, department, and role
What research question are you exploring?
Sources or search terms already tried
Deadline and supporting file
Suggested routing tags
Literature search
Data support
Lab consultation
Ask what decision or deliverable the research supports; it reveals the needed depth, format, and timing.
Step 1
Submit
question, scope, context, and deadline
Step 2
Triage
check fit, completeness, and priority
Step 3
Route
assign the right librarian, analyst, or lab
Step 4
Follow up
clarify needs and deliver the next step
Better research intake
Structured intake captures the question, audience, prior work, output, and real deadline before the request reaches a queue.
Capture population, geography, period, sources, measures, and exclusions so researchers can assess scope.
Show dataset, sample, or search-history questions only when relevant to the selected service.
Classify by service or department and notify the owner with the brief and attachments.
One intake pattern
Keep the common intake fields, then tailor the detailed questions to the evidence, material, or analysis your team handles.
Capture the research question, search terms already tried, source preferences, citation needs, assignment context, and consultation availability.
Define the population, measures, reporting period, comparison groups, output format, intended audience, and decision the analysis supports.
Collect method, instrument, sample type, approximate volume, protocol status, training needs, funding reference, and target dates for feasibility review.
Gather market, audience, competitor, stakeholder, priority, and deliverable details so desk research can be compared with work already completed.
Build the workflow
Start with triage essentials, then add targeted branches and a clear handoff.
Define who can ask, accepted request types, deliverables, and essential review details.
Use real services and show dataset, sample, or search-history fields only when relevant.
Confirm receipt, explain next steps, and notify the team selected by service or department.
Check completeness, flag duplicates, clarify gaps, assign an owner, and record the agreed scope.
Form vs email vs generic ticket
Good intake captures the decision, scope, evidence, and timing without irrelevant fields.
Field guide
Use these six sections to make the submission specific enough for triage while leaving room for a researcher to refine the scope with the requester.
Requester and owner
Capture the requester, department, project owner, stakeholders, and preferred contact method.
Question and purpose
Ask for the question, intended use, and audience so researchers can recommend an approach.
Scope and criteria
Reveal service-specific boundaries after the requester selects the type of help.
Previous work and files
Ask what already exists and accept optional files that provide useful context.
Deliverable and timing
Collect the output and the event or decision driving the requested date.
Handling and follow-up
Flag special handling needs, then arrange an appropriate follow-up channel when required.
Related tools
Use a focused generator for adjacent request, project, library, survey, and research-assistant workflows.
FAQ
Practical answers for libraries, labs, departments, and research support teams designing a clearer intake process.
It is an intake form for asking a library, lab, analyst, or department for help. It records the requester, question, purpose, scope, prior work, output, and timing so the team can assess and route the request.
Include requester details, request type, question, intended use, audience, scope, prior work, deliverable, files, and deadline. Add conditional search fields for library help, measures for data work, or samples and methods for lab support.
Ask for the question, purpose, service type, and deadline first. Then show only relevant details with conditional logic. Literature-search requesters should not see sample questions, and lab requesters should not choose a citation style.
Yes. Use request type, department, method, or location as routing fields, then configure notifications in the builder. Match choices to real owners and include “not sure” so requesters need not understand your internal structure.
Only request files appropriate for intake. If material may be sensitive or restricted, flag the need and arrange a suitable follow-up channel. A brief, public source list, protocol outline, or empty data dictionary may be enough for triage.
Ask for the requested date and its reason, such as a meeting or submission. The team can assess priority or propose a smaller first deliverable. Explain review and next contact; selecting “urgent” should not promise completion.
Yes, if they share a front door. Begin with a service selector and common questions, then branch. Make ownership clear in option labels. Separate forms may work better when audiences or handling rules differ substantially.
Yes. Makeform is unlimited free for generating, editing, publishing, and collecting responses with your research request form. The paid tier only removes the Makeform badge. Refine the fields, choices, instructions, and routing before sharing.
Give every research question a clear starting point.
