I've started a hybrid research/analysis role at a new company, and so far it's been wonderful. Now that people have gotten to know me, I've been getting a lot of analysis requests. Some of them are very simple (is our data ok?), some are more complex (can you analyze this data and answer research questions, and then do some back and forth as the data is analyzed and answer additional questions?). I also have my own research projects.

In addition to the workload backlog, a second issue is that the biologists asking for help aren't always straightforward about what they need. Some people aren't sure what they need, others get confused or forget key information when they make the request, etc. I have a couple of managers who are doing their best to filter requests and manage my workload, but we aren't sure what to do (from a procedural standpoint) when someone initially says they're looking for something straightforward and then it turns out that what they actually need is a bit more complicated than they realized.

We've been trying to use project management software, but it leaves a lot to be desired. For one thing, it's hard to have a list of tasks and due dates for research projects. Second, a lot of the due dates on my tasks are flexible and arbitrary, but some of them really aren't. Managers try to keep us updated with the urgency of different projects, but it's a lot to keep track of; and the managers don't always know everything. Third, the software buy-in isn't 100%, so we tend to get requests through email/chat/whatever. Finally, the project management software itself is difficult (for me) to navigate, and things tend to be ordered by due date rather than the date I'm actually asked to do them in.

We're a well-meaning group of people and we're not playing politics, we're just trying to do the best we can to work towards a common goal, while also trying to establish boundaries.

So my question for those of you in similar situations is how does your organization manage these issues? And from a social/political perspective, how do you push back against unreasonable requests?