This paper describes the major characteristics and arguments on the formative research method, and a set of prescriptions for conducting formative research for procedural instructional design theory. For the major characteristics, there are descriptions to find the similarity and difference between the formative evaluation and formative research. For the major arguments, the issues of objectivity, trustworthiness, and construct validity of formative research. In the part of the prescription, there are fully detailed prescriptions useful to conduct formative research easily and efficiently with examples in order to add more detailed prescription and deeper intuition to Reigeluth and Frick``s paper on formative research.