Research brief template
Fill in the short form to generate a one-page research brief you can copy into an email, a document or a ticket. A good brief says which decision the research supports, what you need to learn, who to ask, how, and by when.
A research brief states the decision the research supports, the objective, the audience, the method, the timeline and the deliverables, usually on one page. Fill in the fields below to generate the text, then copy it. Fields you leave empty are marked [To be confirmed] so gaps are easy to see.
Your research brief
The text updates as you type. Fields left empty show [To be confirmed] so gaps are easy to spot.
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What goes in a research brief?
These are the five elements that matter most. The generator adds background, key questions, deliverables, budget and stakeholders around them.
Decision
The choice someone will make with the answer, who makes it and by when. If you cannot name a decision, the question is probably curiosity, and it is worth asking whether the research is needed. Example: "Whether to launch a lower-priced tier, decided by the head of product on 15 December."
Objective
What you need to learn, in one or two sentences, phrased so that you would know when you have it. Keep it to a few key questions: every extra question lengthens the study and thins the answers. Example: "Estimate how many customers would buy a lower-priced tier and at what price."
Audience
Who you need to hear from, defined so that someone could check whether a person qualifies, for example by role, behaviour, region or company size. Say how many people you need and which groups must be large enough to analyse on their own.
Method
How you will collect the evidence, and why that fits the objective. Surveys measure how many people think or do something; interviews and focus groups explain why. Use the sample size calculator to size a survey.
Timeline
Kick-off, fieldwork and final readout dates, plus the dates when stakeholders must approve the questionnaire and when the decision is needed. Work back from the decision date and leave time for recruitment, fieldwork and analysis.
What does a finished brief look like?
This fictional example was produced by the generator above, using the same fields.
RESEARCH BRIEF: Pricing study for a new subscription tier (example) 1. Background Churn among small-business customers rose last quarter and cheaper rivals have launched. 2. Decision this research will inform Whether to launch a lower-priced tier, and at what price. The head of product decides by 15 December. 3. Research objective Estimate how many small-business customers would buy a lower-priced tier and what they would give up to get it. 4. Key questions Q1. What do customers pay for the current plan, and how do they rate its value? Q2. Which features do they use and which could be removed? Q3. At what monthly prices does the tier look too cheap or too expensive? 5. Audience Current customers with 1 to 49 employees who have used the product in the past 90 days. 6. Method Online survey (quantitative) Sample: 400 completes (95% confidence, ±5 points), quotas by company size 7. Timeline - Kick-off: 3 November - Fieldwork or data collection: 10 to 20 November - Final readout: 1 December 8. Deliverables Findings deck, data tables and the questionnaire. 9. Budget and constraints Budget agreed with finance; the survey must take under 10 minutes. 10. Stakeholders and approvals Head of product (decision); head of finance (budget); customer success (customer list).
When is a one-page brief not enough?
A short brief is a starting point for a conversation between the person who needs the research and the person who runs it. It is not a full proposal or protocol. Expect to go further when:
- The study is large or multi-market. Tracking studies, several countries and large panels need detailed specifications for sampling, translation, weighting and reporting.
- The research is regulated. Clinical, children's or other sensitive research may need a formal protocol, consent procedures and ethics review.
- The questionnaire or discussion guide is the point. The brief says what to learn, not how to word each question. Those come next.
- Several stakeholders disagree about the decision. Resolve that first. A brief that hides disagreement leads to findings nobody can use.
Frequently asked questions
What is a research brief?
A research brief is a short document that sets out why research is needed and what it must deliver. It usually covers the decision, objective, audience, method, timeline and deliverables, so that everyone involved agrees before work starts.
How long should a research brief be?
Aim for one page. A brief that runs much longer is usually a proposal or a questionnaire in disguise. The goal is to agree on the question and the decision, and the detail can follow.
What is the difference between a research objective and a decision?
The decision is the choice the business will make, such as launching a product. The objective is what you must learn to make it well, such as how many customers would buy it. Starting from the decision keeps the research useful.
Who should write the research brief?
The person who needs the answer usually drafts it, and the researcher reviews it with them. Writing it together exposes unclear objectives and unrealistic timelines early, when they are cheap to fix.
Does my data leave my browser?
No. The brief is assembled in your browser as you type, and nothing is sent, saved or logged. Copy it to keep it.
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Formulas and references
The standard sources behind the formulas on this page:
- The structure follows common practice in market research: decision, objective, audience, method, timeline and deliverables. There is no single standard format; adapt the fields to your organisation.
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