The empirical research conducted in the COVINFORM project is centred around assessing COVID-19 impact, response, and lessons learned across diverse local contexts. This includes an exploration of how national and local COVID-19 responses have impacted human behaviour, social dynamics, economic wellbeing, and physical and mental health outcomes; how local responses to COVID-19 were adapted to and shaped by the local health, socioeconomic, political and community contexts; and which policy failures, unintended consequences, trade-offs and promising practices can be identified in COVID-19 responses. Within this broad scope, the WP5 empirical research is focused specifically on exploring COVID-19 impact, response and lessons learned from a public health perspective. Building on the desktop research conducted for D5.1, the WP5 empirical research will allow for in-depth exploration of specific issues. This report outlines the research design of the empirical research activities for WP5. This includes the overarching research questions; a description of the research methods used for data collection; the WP5 sampling plan; and guidance on data analysis. The aim of this deliverable is to streamline the empirical research that will take place across study sites and provide a clear set of expectations and guidelines. Based on extensive conversations with COVINFORM partners, D5.2 links with other deliverables to ensure coordination and consistency across the project’s work packages and empirical research sites.