Start with the decision
What will this research help you decide? A brief is stronger when it connects the study to a real choice: whether to change a programme, understand an experience, or investigate a relationship. Write down who needs the answer and what they will do with it.
Define the questions
State a small number of questions that the work must answer. Keep them separate from the activities. Conducting interviews is an activity; understanding how participants experience a service is a question.
Describe the context and available evidence
Share the setting, target population, existing reports, and the data you already hold. Identify permissions, access constraints, language considerations, and any relevant ethics requirements.
Agree on useful deliverables
A technical report may be necessary, but your team may also need an instrument, an anonymised dataset, a slide deck, or a short decision brief. Specify what you need, the intended audience, and the review process.
Be realistic about time and resources
Allow time for scoping, permissions, tool development, piloting where appropriate, analysis, and review. A clear budget range helps align the design with what can be delivered responsibly.