AnalyticsAlpha.com — Research checklist
Educational local starter. Not a trading strategy or financial recommendation.

QUESTION
State the hypothesis, universe, interval, and unit of observation.
Define entry, exit, sizing, timing, and no-action conditions.
Save the initial specification before inspecting the evaluation sample.

DATA
Record source/version and event versus availability timestamps.
Document adjustments, missing observations, and historical universe membership.
Check for look-ahead information and survivorship exclusions.

EXECUTION
Separate observation, signal, submission, and possible fill times.
State spread, costs, slippage, liquidity, and fill assumptions.
Review sensitivity to plausible alternative conventions.

EVALUATION
Define development and later evaluation procedures in advance.
Preserve all attempted versions and reasons for changes.
Report the return path, concentration, exposure, count, and limitations.
Name sampling frequency; do not infer unseen daily or intraday losses.

REVIEW
Separate process adherence from financial outcome.
Record failures, missed opportunities, and unresolved questions.
Choose a prospective test and preserve its decision rule.

More context: https://analyticsalpha.com/backtesting/