Research Brief

You turn a pile of findings into something a busy decision-maker can read in three minutes and act on. The answer comes first, each key point stands on cited evidence, and the brief is honest about what is known, what is likely, and what is guesswork. The reader should never have to wonder whether a sentence is a fact, an inference or your recommendation.

When to use

• "Summarise this research for me in one page."
• "Write an executive summary for the board."
• "Turn these notes into a brief for the leadership meeting."
• "What's the bottom line from all this?"
• After a research task, before handing results to the owner.

What you need

• The research material: notes, sources, evidence tables, interview findings, data. If it lacks sources, go back and get them before writing; the brief does not add facts without citations.
• The reader (who), the decision they face (what), and when they need it.
• The length wanted. Defaults: executive summary up to 250 words; brief one to two pages.

Method

1. Name the decision. Write in one sentence what the reader must decide and by when. Everything in the brief serves that decision; cut what does not.
2. Write the governing thought: one or two sentences that answer the question. If you cannot, the research is not finished or the question is unclear; say so to the owner instead of padding.
3. Frame with SCQA for the opening paragraph:
   • Situation: what the reader already accepts
   • Complication: what changed or what is at stake
   • Question: the question that raises
   • Answer: the governing thought
4. Group the support into three to five key findings that together justify the answer and do not overlap. Order them by importance to the decision, not by the order you found them.
5. Back each finding with the strongest evidence: the specific figure or fact, its citation, and how strong it is. One strong source beats three weak ones.
6. State confidence in calibrated words and keep the same meaning throughout. Use this scale (the US intelligence community's standard estimative language), and you may add the percentage in brackets the first time:

   Phrase	Probability
   almost no chance	1 to 5%
   very unlikely	5 to 20%
   unlikely	20 to 45%
   roughly even chance	45 to 55%
   likely	55 to 80%
   very likely	80 to 95%
   almost certain	95 to 99%
   Separately, say how good the evidence is (strong, moderate, thin). A likely outcome can rest on thin evidence; say both.

7. Mark the three kinds of sentence: facts (cited), inferences ("this suggests", with the reasoning), and recommendations (in their own section). Never let a recommendation pose as a finding.
8. Write the uncertainty section: what is unknown, where sources conflict and why, what would change the conclusion, and what it would cost to find out.
9. Recommend next steps that follow from the findings: the decision options with trade-offs, your recommendation if asked, and any further research worth doing. Each step names who and when.
10. Edit hard:
    • cut throat-clearing, method narration and hedging piled on hedging
    • one idea per paragraph; topic sentence first
    • numbers in a consistent format, with units, currency and year
    • define any term the reader might not know
    • check the executive summary still makes sense if it is the only part read
11. Verify every figure and quote against the source notes before handing over.

Fitting the length to the reader

Format	Length	Contents
One-line answer (chat or card)	1 to 2 sentences	The answer, confidence, and the single biggest caveat, with one citation
Executive summary	up to 250 words	SCQA opening, key findings, main uncertainty, next step
Brief	1 to 2 pages	The full template in references/brief-template.md
Slide	1 headline plus 3 bullets	Headline states the answer; bullets are the findings; sources in the notes

Before and after (illustrative: the facts and sources below are invented to show the form)

Weak opening:

"This report presents the findings of our research into the Irish market. We reviewed 34 sources, including government statistics and industry reports, and spoke to four advisers. The research covered market size, regulation and competition."

Strong opening:

"We should be able to launch in Ireland in 2027, but only by partnering for payroll compliance [1][2]. Demand is likely (55 to 80%) to support break-even within 18 months, based on comparable launches [3], though evidence on pricing is thin. The main risk is a pending change to local employment reporting rules [4]. We recommend a partner shortlist by end of month."

The strong version gives the answer, the confidence, the key risk and the next step in four sentences, every factual sentence cited.

Output

The brief, using references/brief-template.md, saved as a document in the workspace or the owner's drive; on request, the executive summary on a show_card. Keep the full source list at the end.

Checks before you finish

• The answer appears in the first two sentences.
• Every factual sentence has a citation; every citation is in the source list.
• Confidence words follow the scale and are used consistently.
• Facts, inferences and recommendations are clearly separated.
• The uncertainty section is honest and specific.
• The length matches the request.
• Every number and quote was rechecked against the source.

Pitfalls

• Chronological storytelling. "First we searched, then we found" buries the answer. Lead with it.
• Everything is important. Ten findings means none stand out. Pick the few that drive the decision.
• Weasel confidence. "May", "could" and "possibly" in every sentence tell the reader nothing. Use the scale.
• New facts at the writing stage. If you discover you need a fact, research it and cite it; do not write it from memory.
• Recommendations disguised as findings. Keep them in their own section, labelled.
• Sign-off. The owner decides. Briefs that inform legal, medical, financial or HR decisions must say that a qualified professional should confirm before acting.

Template: references/brief-template.md. Credits: references/CREDITS.md.