research brief format

• Scroll to top
• Light Dark Light Dark

Cart review

No products in the cart.

7 Essential Steps: How to Write a Research Brief That Gets Results

• Author Survey Point Team
• Published February 17, 2024

In this blog, we’ll explore seven essential steps to learn how to write a research brief that not only guides your project but also resonates with your audience. Research briefs are the unsung heroes of successful projects. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or a newbie, crafting a well-structured brief can significantly impact the quality of your work.

Crafting a research brief that yields results is crucial. Explore the seven essential steps to write an effective research brief, ensuring success in your projects. Learn from experts and avoid common pitfalls.

Embarking on a research journey requires a well-crafted roadmap. A research brief serves as the compass, guiding you through the intricate terrain of data and insights. In this article, we will explore the seven essential steps to create a research brief that not only meets but exceeds expectations, ensuring the desired results.

Table of Contents

The Importance of Research Briefs

Why Research Briefs Matter

Research briefs are the cornerstone of successful projects. They set the tone, define objectives, and guide researchers toward meaningful outcomes. A well-structured brief not only saves time but also ensures the collected data aligns with the project goals.

How to Write a Research Brief: Understanding Your Objective

Defining Clear Research Goals

The first step in creating a research brief is understanding the project’s objective. Clearly define what you aim to achieve, ensuring every subsequent decision aligns with this overarching goal. Clarity at this stage is paramount.

Target Audience Analysis

Identifying and Understanding Your Audience

Knowing your audience is key to effective communication. Dive deep into demographic details, preferences, and behaviors. Tailor your research brief to resonate with the intended audience, enhancing its impact.

Crafting a Clear Research Question

Formulating Effective Research Queries

A well-defined research question is the compass that guides your entire project. Craft a question that is clear, concise, and directly aligns with your objectives. This foundational step ensures focused and purposeful research.

Literature Review

Building a Solid Foundation

Before venturing into uncharted territories, review existing literature. This not only provides valuable insights but also prevents redundancy. Acknowledge the work of others and identify gaps your research can fill.

Research Methodology

Choosing the Right Approach

Selecting the appropriate research methodology is pivotal. Whether qualitative or quantitative, the chosen approach should align with your objectives. Justify your choice, considering the nature of your research question.

How to Write a Research Brief: Data Collection

Ensuring Quality Information

Collecting data is where the rubber meets the road. Implement a robust data collection strategy, ensuring the information gathered is relevant, accurate, and aligns with your research question. Quality over quantity is the mantra.

Analysis and Interpretation

Extracting Meaningful Insights

Analysis is the heart of research. Interpret the collected data, drawing meaningful conclusions. Your insights should directly contribute to answering your research question and, consequently, achieving your objective.

Crafting a Compelling Title

Making Your Research Brief Stand Out

A captivating title is the first impression your research brief makes. It should be concise, intriguing, and reflective of the study’s essence. Crafting a compelling title sets the stage for your audience’s engagement.

The Power of Effective Communication

Conveying Your Message Clearly

Beyond the data, effective communication is crucial. Present your findings in a clear, concise manner. Utilize visuals, charts, and graphs to enhance understanding. Make your research brief accessible to a broad audience.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Mistakes That Can Derail Your Research

Avoiding common pitfalls is as important as following the right steps. Identify and steer clear of potential pitfalls that could compromise the integrity and effectiveness of your research brief. Learn from others’ mistakes to enhance your own success.

Real-life Success Stories

Learnings from Notable Research Briefs

Drawing inspiration from successful research briefs can provide valuable insights. Explore real-life success stories, understand the strategies employed, and apply these lessons to elevate the impact of your own research briefs.

How to Write a Research Brief: FAQ

Can I write multiple research questions? Certainly, but ensure they all align with your main objective. Quality over quantity is crucial in research.

How do I choose between qualitative and quantitative methods? Consider the nature of your research question. Qualitative methods delve into depth, while quantitative methods focus on breadth.

Is a literature review necessary for all research briefs? Yes, a literature review establishes the context for your research and prevents duplication of efforts.

How do I make my title captivating? A captivating title is concise, intriguing, and reflective of your study’s essence. Use language that sparks curiosity.

What are common pitfalls in research briefs? Common pitfalls include unclear objectives, biased data collection, and inadequate analysis. Be vigilant to avoid these pitfalls.

Can I use the same research methodology for every project? Adapt your research methodology to align with each project’s unique objectives. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach.

Wrapping Up the Research Brief Journey In conclusion, crafting a research brief that gets results requires a strategic approach. By following the seven essential steps outlined in this article, you can navigate the complexities of research with confidence. Remember, a well-prepared brief not only guides your journey but ensures the destination is one of success.

Survey Point Team

Related posts.

• Posted by Survey Point Team

How K12 Data Analytics Can Help You Achieve Your School’s Goals in 2024

Discover Why Data Science is Right for You: 7 Compelling Reasons to Dive In Today

Python vs R for Data Analysis: Which One Should Learn in 2024?

• Business & Enterprise
• Education, Learning & Skills
• Energy & Environment
• Financial Services
• Health & Wellbeing
• Higher Education
• Work & Welfare
• Behavioural insights
• Business Spotlight – IFF’s business omnibus
• Customer experience research
• Customer satisfaction measurement
• National statistics and complex surveys
• Stakeholder research
• Tenant satisfaction measures
• Our approach
• Trusted partner
• Equality, diversity & inclusion at IFF
• Sustainability at IFF
• Charity giving
• Meet the team
• News & resources
• Case studies

How to write an effective research brief

Whether you’re launching a simple survey or planning a large-scale project the quality of your brief will hugely impact on the value you get from the research. While it can take a little time and effort creating a research brief, it will undoubtedly be time well spent – getting you better results and return on your investment and saving you valuable resources on further clarification. At best, a poor brief will be a time drain on you and your team. At worst, the findings will fail to meet your objectives, costing you time and money.

We’ve seen a lot of research briefs over the years. Some of which have been well thought through and clear, helping us prepare a detailed proposal and deliver an effective project and subsequent results. And others which have been not so good, lacking clarity or detail.

Using this experience, we’ve put together a ‘how to’ guide on writing an effective research brief, to help you ensure success on your next project.

1. Preparation is key

As with any project, before you start it’s crucial you think through what you want and need to deliver. Here are some things you should consider:

• Why are you conducting the research? What exactly are you looking to understand?
• Who are you looking to understand better? Who do you need to speak to answer your research questions?
• Who are your internal stakeholders? Have you discussed the project needs with the people in your organisation who will use the findings or who are invested in the research?
• How will the findings be used?
• When do you need the findings?
• Have you agreed a budget with either your procurement team, or the relevant person in your organisation?

2. Be clear on your objectives

This is one of the most important parts of your brief to convey to the reader what you want out of the project and ensure you get results which deliver.

Projects should have around three or four overarching aims which set out what the project ultimately wants to achieve.

These might be things like:

• Assess the impact of……
• Examine views of…..
• Evaluate the effectiveness of….

In addition to project objectives, you should also include the key questions you want the research to answer. These should support you in meeting the aims of the research.

For example, if the project aim is to assess the impact of an intervention, your research questions might include:

• Who did the intervention target?
• What did the project deliver?
• What elements were successful, and why?
• What were the main enablers and barriers?

3. Remember your audience

Research agencies or organisations who will be responding to your brief might not know anything about your business. So, make sure you include enough background information in your brief to enable them to understand your needs and deliver effectively. And avoid use of jargon or acronyms which could lead to errors or confusion.

4. Structure your research brief

Before you start to populate your brief it’s worth considering all the information and sections you need to include, to structure your thinking and ensure you don’t miss anything important.

This might include some, or all, of the following:

• Background info
• Introduction
• Aims and objectives
• Research Question(s)
• Issues / Risks
• Methodology
• Timing and Outputs
• Project Management

5. Make it thorough, yet succinct

While it’s crucial to include all the relevant information to enable bidders to respond effectively, no one wants to read reams and reams of information. To avoid the key information getting lost in the details use annexes to add supplementary information which could be useful.

6. Consider how prescriptive you want to be on the methodology

The extent to which you want to specify the methodology will depend on the project you aim to deliver. There are benefits and risks to being overly prescriptive or offering free reign. If you outline in precise detail how you want the research to be conducted, you will hamper any original ideas from those invited to tender and might limit the impact on the research. Whereas, if you’re less prescriptive, allowing room for creativity, you risk not getting the project or results you want, or receiving proposals on a scale which you can’t resource.

Generally, it is useful to allow those invited to tender some scope to develop the methodology they propose to use. Exceptions might be where previous work has to be very precisely replicated or some other very precise commitment about the nature of findings has been given to stakeholders.

7. Define your timelines

As a minimum, you need to include when you want the project to start and end. But you should also include the timetable for procurement. When planning this, don’t underestimate the time and resource needed to run a procurement exercise. Make sure your evaluators are available when you need them and have enough time blocked out in their diary.

You’ll likely also want to include milestones for when you expect outputs to be delivered, such as deadlines for a draft report (providing opportunity for review and feedback) and the final report; allowing sufficient time between the two to enable your stakeholders to consult, for you to feedback and for the contractor to revise the report.

8. Set expectations on cost

You will most likely have budgetary constraints, with a figure for what you are prepared to spend. To save you and your bidders time, and to set realistic expectations, you should include an indication within your brief. This will prevent you receiving proposals which are way out of the ballpark; enable bidders to plan a project which delivers on (or at least close to) budget; and will prevent any nasty surprises, further down the line.

By following these tips you’ll be well on your way to creating an effective research brief which delivers on time and on budget.

If you’d like more guidance download our “step-by-step” guide, which includes a template and information for what to include in each section to ensure success.

Download the guide now.

Ready to level up your insights?

Get ready to streamline, scale and supercharge your research. Fill out this form to request a demo of the InsightHub platform and discover the difference insights empowerment can make. A member of our team will reach out within two working days.

Cost effective insights that scale

Quality insight doesn't need to cost the earth. Our flexible approach helps you make the most of research budgets and build an agile solution that works for you. Fill out this form to request a call back from our team to explore our pricing options.

• What is InsightHub?
• Data Collection
• Data Analysis
• Data Activation
• Research Templates
• Information Security
• Our Expert Services
• Support & Education
• Consultative Services
• Insight Delivery
• Research Methods
• Sectors We Work With
• Meet the team
• Advisory Board
• Press & Media
• Book a Demo
• Request Pricing

Embark on a new adventure. Join Camp InsightHub, our free demo platform, to discover the future of research.

Read a brief overview of the agile research platform enabling brands to inform decisions at speed in this PDF.

InsightHub on the Blog

• Surveys, Video and the Changing Face of Agile Research
• Building a Research Technology Stack for Better Insights
• The Importance of Delegation in Managing Insight Activities
• Common Insight Platform Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
• Support and Education
• Insight Delivery Services

Our services drive operational and strategic success in challenging environments. Find out how.

Close Connections bring stakeholders and customers together for candid, human conversations.

Services on the Blog

• Closing the Client-Agency Divide in Market Research
• How to Speed Up Fieldwork Without Compromising Quality
• Practical Ways to Support Real-Time Decision Making
• Developing a Question Oriented, Not Answer Oriented Culture
• Meet the Team

The FlexMR credentials deck provides a brief introduction to the team, our approach to research and previous work.

We are the insights empowerment company. Our framework addresses the major pressures insight teams face.

Latest News

• Insight as Art Shortlisted for AURA Innovation Award
• FlexMR Launch Video Close Connection Programme
• VideoMR Analysis Tool Added to InsightHub
• FlexMR Makes Shortlist for Quirks Research Supplier Award
• Latest Posts
• Strategic Thinking
• Technology & Trends
• Practical Application
• Insights Empowerment
• View Full Blog Archives

Discover how to build close customer connections to better support real-time decision making.

What is a market research and insights playbook, plus discover why should your team consider building one.

Featured Posts

• Five Strategies for Turning Insight into Action
• How to Design Surveys that Ask the Right Questions
• Scaling Creative Qual for Rich Customer Insight
• How to Measure Brand Awareness: The Complete Guide
• All Resources
• Client Stories
• Whitepapers
• Events & Webinars
• The Open Ideas Panel
• InsightHub Help Centre
• FlexMR Client Network

The insights empowerment readiness calculator measures your progress in building an insight-led culture.

The MRX Lab podcast explores new and novel ideas from the insights industry in 10 minutes or less.

Featured Stories

• Specsavers Informs Key Marketing Decisions with InsightHub
• The Coventry Panel Helps Maintain Award Winning CX
• Isagenix Customer Community Steers New Product Launch
• Curo Engage Residents with InsightHub Community
• Tech & Trends /
• Research Methods /
• Strategic Thinking /

How to Write a Market Research Brief (+ Free Template)

Emily james, market research room 101: round 2.

On Thursday 9th May 2024, Team Russell and Team Hudson duelled in a panel debate modelled off the po...

Sophie Grieve-Williams

• Insights Empowerment (29)
• Practical Application (170)
• Research Methods (283)
• Strategic Thinking (191)
• Survey Templates (7)
• Tech & Trends (387)

A market research brief is a document a client produces detailing important information about their unique situation and research requirements. This information should include (but is not limited to) the context of the situation in which the decision to conduct research was made, the initial objectives, and the resulting actions that hope to be taken after the research has concluded.

This brief would come before the typical market research plan (see our example here ), and so any information that is contained within the brief will be subject to modification once in-depth chats between the client and the research agency have been conducted.

This is one of the most important initiating steps for market research as it provides the necessary information that researchers need to understand your needs as much as you do yourself. There is a lot to be said for being on the same page at this early stage of the research experience. While different agencies will prioritise different aspects of the research project, 90% of the brief will follow the same lines, so a draft should always be made and then it can be easily edited to the agency’s requirements.

Why Create a Market Research Brief?

Writing up a brief is essential for the clear communication of your research requirements. Clear communication from the very start is essential if a positive working relationship is going to bloom between the parties involved. This brief outline of a business’ unique scenario communicates information that researchers need in order to achieve a high level of understanding which they can use to create and further refine a detailed plan the research experience.

Key Components

Just looking at the many template designs out there, we can see that a research brief has a few key aspects that everyone agrees are important:

1. Contextual Information

Now this can be interpreted in two ways, both of which should be included within the market research brief. The first interpretation is contextual information relating to the business hiring the research agency. What does the business do? What are it’s values? How is it run? And then the second interpretation is contextual information relating to how the need for research arose. What are the steps that took place towards the realisation that research was needed? This timeline could span months or just days, but even so, the detail must be included for the researcher to get a full understanding of the situation at hand.

2. Description of Research Purpose

At this point, a description of the product (or service) which is to be researched is needed; whoever is carrying out the research will need to know as much detail as possible about the subject of the study as this will have a big influence on the research method used (more information on that to come).

A description of the target markets will also be needed at this point: covering the geographical territories, the target audience (consumers vs. potential consumers) and any specific demographics that should be included or excluded. If this information is known, an approximate sample size can also be noted down.

If a business is wanting to test adverts, product examples, etc. then example designs or prototypes are going to be needed for both the researcher and the participants to use in the formation of the research tasks and the generation of data.

3. Objectives

 Again, this aspect of the brief can be split up into two equally important interpretations. The objectives of the business are incredibly important as they provide another level of contextual understanding for the researcher. The other set of objectives that are needed within the brief, are the research objectives. Now, these are usually formed as questions that the business would like answered, but are subject to modification with the input of the researcher as they will know what is achievable, and what the business needs instead of what they want. Research objectives also cover what the business want to do with the insights generated as that gives an indication of what sort of research needs to be conducted. For the best research experience that ends in fully applicable insights, aligning business and research objectives is imperative.

4. Research Methods

While this will also be subject to modification, an idea of what types of research methods the business might want to employ for this research experience will provide insights on a couple of things to a well-trained researcher. Firstly, it will indicate the business’ level of knowledge on market research, which will allow the researcher to adjust their tone, etc. to accommodate for any knowledge gaps that might be present.

Secondly, it will indicate what type of research that the business is looking to conduct (i.e. qualitative or quantitative, etc.), even if they don’t know it themselves. This section also serves the purpose of sparking a bit of research on the business’ end to see for themselves what options are available to them.

5. Business constraints

This is a relatively simple one. Constraints such as time and budget are imperative to communicate to the researcher, as this will be the main factor in the shaping of your research experience. Depending on whether a business is very constrained or loosely constrained will determine what types of research tasks should be employed, and how extravagant and dedicated a researcher can be in their pursuit of insights for the business.

 a. Research Deliverables

Finally, this is an optional category of information that will help shape the research experience in both the formation of the research tasks and the research reports. One important question is, what actions would you want to take after receiving the insights from the research?

If the answer to this question depends on the tone of the insights, then what options do you see for how the results will be used within the business? Different agencies will offer different reporting options and it helps to know which you would like. So, what type of report would you like to receive? The answers to these questions help how the report and project are framed.

Free Template Example

Use this link to download our free market research brief template. This template contains editable sections that complies with the advice above, with brief guidance and tips on how to make the most out of your brief. This template is currently available in .docx format only, and will require a copy of Microsoft Word or an alternative text editor to be used.

About FlexMR

We are The Insights Empowerment Company. We help research, product and marketing teams drive informed decisions with efficient, scalable & impactful insight.

About Emily James

As a professional copywriter, Emily brings our global vision to life through a broad range of industry-leading content.

Stay up to date

You might also like....

On Thursday 9th May 2024, Team Russell and Team Hudson duelled in a panel debate modelled off the popular TV show Room 101. This mock-gameshow-style panel, hosted by Keen as Mustard Marketing's Lucy D...

Delivering AI Powered Qual at Scale...

It’s safe to say artificial intelligence, and more specifically generative AI, has had a transformative impact on the market research sector. From the contentious emergence of synthetic participants t...

How to Use Digital Ethnography and ...

In one way or another, we’ve all encountered social media spaces. Whether you’ve had a Facebook account since it first landed on the internet, created different accounts to keep up with relatives duri...

Popular searches

• How to Get Participants For Your Study
• How to Do Segmentation?
• Conjoint Preference Share Simulator
• MaxDiff Analysis
• Likert Scales
• Reliability & Validity

Request consultation

Do you need support in running a pricing or product study? We can help you with agile consumer research and conjoint analysis.

Looking for an online survey platform?

Conjointly offers a great survey tool with multiple question types, randomisation blocks, and multilingual support. The Basic tier is always free.

Catherine Chipeta

Monthly newsletter.

Get the latest updates about market research, automated tools, product testing and pricing techniques.

A good market research brief helps agencies lead successful projects. Learn what to include and how to write a detailed brief with our template guide.

A market research brief is a client document outlining all the relevant information that a research agency needs to understand the client’s specific research needs to propose the most suitable course of action.

A clear, informed brief will ensure the market researcher can deliver the most effective research possible. It also streamlines the project by reducing the need for back and forth between your company and the researcher. A good brief will leave no confusion and provide a meaningful framework for you and the researcher, maximising the accuracy and reliability of insights collected.

Start your project faster with our market research brief template!

In this article, we’ve broken down the key components of a well-written brief, with examples. Using this template guide, you can confidently equip the researcher with the right information to deliver exemplary research for your next project.

Business Background/ Project Background

This section of the brief introduces your company to the market researcher, giving them a more informed overview of your brand, product/service, and target market. You should provide all available context to ensure you and the researcher are on the same page with the project.

Relevant information to add in this section includes: company details, company mission/vision, industry status and trends, market performance history, competitive context, any existing research.

Business Objectives/ Marketing Objectives

Your business objectives/marketing objectives should answer why you are being asked to conduct the research. The researcher should be able to grasp the existing problems/issues your company is looking to address in the research.

For example, this could involve sales, competition, customer satisfaction, or product innovation, to name a few.

Research Objectives

Research objectives address the specific questions you would like the research to cover, including what insights you wish to gain. This is where you should detail what actions your company is planning to take based on the research you are commissioning.

Your research objective is one of the most important elements of your brief, as it dictates how your study will be conducted and the quality of results.

Target Market

Who will this research focus on? This is where you should state respondents’ demographic and profiling information, along with any pre-existing segments you want to target. Be specific, but also be aware that the more restrictive the criteria are, the higher the sample cost will be. Extensive limitations are also realistically harder to meet.

For example:

• Market: Canada
• Sample size: 200 – 1000
• Demographics: Household income of $150k and above a year
• Markets: Malaysia (priority), Thailand, Singapore
• Sample size: N=200 (Product Variant Selector) + N=500 (Conjoint)
• Demographics: 16 – 50 years old
• National representation: Age, gender and location
• Target definition: Bought electronics online in the past 12 months
• Reads on: 16 – 30-year olds vs. 31 – 50-year olds
• Market: South America
• Sample size: 1800
• Target definition: Main and joint grocery buyers
• 5 target groups: Income, urban/rural, age, family status, shopping frequency (divide each into 3 subgroups, e.g. low, medium, high).

Action Standards/ Decision Rules

Action standards outline which criteria will determine the decisions you make following research. These should detail specific numerical scores and any company benchmarks which need to be met in your research results for decision-making to go ahead. Clear and detailed action standards will allow you to make decisions faster and more confidently following research.

Nestlé’s 60/40 action standard which prioritises preference and nutrition, by aiming “to make products that achieve at least 60% consumer taste preference with the added ‘plus’ of nutritional advantage”.

Pricing is seen as credible by at least 40% of the target market.

Product has at least 50% acceptance from the target market.

Methodology

You should only include methodology if you are certain of the approach you want to take. If you do not know which methodology you should use, leave this section blank for agency recommendations.

Monadic test : Monadic testing introduces survey respondents to individual concepts, products in isolation. It is usually used in studies where independent findings for each stimulus are required, unlike in comparison testing, where several stimuli are tested side-by-side. Each product/concept is displayed and evaluated separately, providing more accurate and meaningful results for specific items.

Discrete choice modelling : Sometimes referred to as choice-based conjoint, discrete choice is a more robust technique consistent with random utility theory and has been proven to simulate customers’ actual behaviour in the marketplace. The output on relative importance of attributes and value by level is aligned to the output from conjoint analysis (partworth analysis).

Qualitative research : Qualitative forms of research focus on non-numerical and unstructured data, such as participant observation, direct observation, unstructured interviews, and case studies.

Quantitative research : Numbers and measurable forms of data make up quantitative research, focusing on ‘how many’, ‘how often’, and ‘how much’, e.g. conjoint analysis , MaxDiff , Gabor-Granger , Van Westendorp .

Deliverables

Deliverables should clearly outline project expectations – both from your company and the agency. This should cover who is responsible for everything required to undertake research, including survey inputs and outputs, materials, reporting, reviewing, and any additional requirements.

• PowerPoint presentation
• Crosstabs of data
• Raw datasets
• Excel simulator
• Online dashboard
• “Typing tool” for future research

Timing and Cost

Timing covers the due dates for key milestones of your research project, most importantly, for your preliminary and final reports. Cost should include your project budget, along with any potential additional costs/constraints.

Contacts and Responsibilities

This section states all stakeholders involved in the project, their role and responsibilities, and their contact details. You should ensure that these are easy to locate on your brief, for quick reference by the agency and easier communication.

Ready-to-use market research brief template with examples

Start your research project faster and get better results. Using this template, you can confidently equip the researcher with the right information to deliver exemplary research for your next project.

Read these articles next:

Wh smith trial rebrand — new vs. old.

To assess the impact of WH Smith's recent trial logo update, this Logo Test compares the newly introduced WHS logo with the WH Smith logo, which has been in use since 2004.

Busting Market Research Automation Misconceptions

Market research automation creates time and cost efficiencies but there are misconceptions surrounding its use. We explore the truth behind these myths.

How to test your Figma designs with consumers

Looking for a straightforward approach to validate your Figma designs with real consumers? Market Test allows you to gather quick human feedback directly on your Figma designs in under two hours — no tester recruitment or subscription needed.

Which one are you?

I am new to conjointly, i am already using conjointly, cookie consent.

Conjointly uses essential cookies to make our site work. We also use additional cookies in order to understand the usage of the site, gather audience analytics, and for remarketing purposes.

For more information on Conjointly's use of cookies, please read our Cookie Policy .

Do you want to be updated on new features from Conjointly?

We send an occasional email to keep our users informed about new developments on Conjointly : new types of analysis and features for quality insight.

Subscribe to updates from Conjointly

You can always unsubscribe later. Your email will not be shared with other companies.

• Thesis Action Plan New
• Academic Project Planner
• Literature Navigator
• Thesis Dialogue Blueprint
• Writing Wizard's Template
• Research Proposal Compass
• Why students love us
• Why professors love us
• Why we are different
• All Products
• Coming Soon

Top Trends in BBA Final Year Project Marketing: A Comprehensive Guide

Exploring Innovative BBA Final Year Project Topics in Management

Overcoming Fear in Thesis Writing: Strategies for Success

Managing Anxiety While Writing Your Thesis: Tips and Techniques

Friends and Thesis Writing: Striking the Right Balance for Your Thesis

Mastering the Art of Communication: Effective Strategies for Voice Your Research in Interviews

Navigating ethical dilemmas: the morality of conducting interviews.

Data Anomalies: Strategies for Analyzing and Interpreting Outlier Data

How to create a comprehensive market research brief: a step-by-step guide.

Market research is a critical component for any business looking to understand its audience, stay competitive, and make informed decisions. Creating a comprehensive market research brief is the first step in gathering and analyzing valuable data. This step-by-step guide is designed to help businesses establish a solid foundation for their market research and execute a plan that translates findings into actionable strategies.

Key Takeaways

• A well-defined market research brief sets the stage for targeted data collection and analysis, ensuring that research efforts are aligned with business goals.
• Effective market research involves a blend of suitable methodologies and an in-depth understanding of the target audience to gather strategic insights.
• The ultimate goal of market research is to translate data into actionable strategies that can drive business growth and address customer needs.

Establishing the Foundation for Market Research

Defining research objectives and goals.

When embarking on market research, it is crucial to articulate your research objectives and goals with precision. These objectives act as the thesis of your project, guiding every subsequent decision and ensuring that your efforts are aligned with your strategic vision. Begin by identifying the core problem or opportunity that your research will address. This clarity will serve as the foundation for developing a focused and effective research plan.

To define your objectives, consider the following steps:

• Review your business plan to ensure that your market research supports your overarching goals.
• Prioritize your objectives based on urgency and potential impact.
• Utilize the SMART criteria to draft objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Remember, a well-defined objective is the cornerstone of successful market research. It informs the scope, methodology, and ultimately, the insights you will gain. As highlighted in the master thesis structure , clear objectives and data collection are crucial for successful research.

Selecting Appropriate Research Methodologies

Once you have defined your research objectives, the next step is to select the most suitable research methodologies. Choosing the right methods is crucial to the validity and reliability of your findings. Consider both primary and secondary research approaches, as each has its unique advantages. Primary research methods , such as surveys and focus groups, allow you to collect original data tailored to your specific questions. Secondary research, on the other hand, involves analyzing existing data, which can be more cost-effective and less time-consuming.

To ensure a robust research design, follow these steps:

• Define Your Research Questions: Align them with your objectives.
• Choose Your Method(s): Based on the data you need, your budget, and available resources.
• Develop Your Research Instruments: Design clear and concise surveys or interview guides.
• Select Your Sample: Choose a representative segment of your target market.

Remember, a combination of different methods often yields the most comprehensive insights. Utilize tools and resources that can aid in academic planning and proposal writing, such as worksheets and templates. By meticulously planning your research methodology, you lay the groundwork for actionable strategies derived from your market research.

Identifying and Understanding the Target Audience

To ensure the success of your market research, it is imperative to identify and understand your target audience thoroughly. This involves delving into demographic details, behaviors, preferences, and other relevant insights that define the individuals or entities most likely to engage with your product or service.

Begin by determining your total addressable market (TAM), which represents the maximum market potential for your offering. Once you have a grasp on the TAM, refine your focus to the segments within this market that align with your business objectives. Crafting effective interviews and surveys can provide valuable insights into your audience's needs and preferences. Consider the following points when analyzing your target audience:

• Demographic information (age, gender, income level, education)
• Psychographic details (lifestyle, values, attitudes)
• Behavioral data (purchasing habits, brand interactions, usage patterns)

By understanding these aspects, you can tailor your research and ultimately your marketing strategies to resonate more deeply with your intended audience. Remember, a well-defined target audience is the cornerstone of any effective market research brief.

Executing the Market Research Plan

Data collection techniques and tools.

Once you have established your research objectives and identified your target audience, it's time to focus on gathering the data that will fuel your market analysis. Choosing the right data collection techniques is crucial to obtaining accurate and relevant information. As a Bachelor, Master, and PhD Student , you are likely familiar with various methods of data collection, but applying them in market research requires a strategic approach.

The most common methods include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observation. Each method serves a different purpose and may be more or less suitable depending on your research goals :

• Surveys : Useful for collecting quantitative data from a large number of respondents.
• Interviews : Provide in-depth qualitative insights from individual participants.
• Focus Groups : Allow for discussion and interaction among a select group of individuals.
• Observation : Offers real-world insights into consumer behavior without direct interaction.

Secondary sources , such as industry reports and academic journals, can also provide valuable data that complements primary research . It's important to select a mix of these methods to gain a comprehensive understanding of the market. Remember, the quality of your data collection tools and techniques directly impacts the validity of your research findings.

Analyzing Market Data for Strategic Insights

Once you have collected a wealth of market data, the next critical step is to analyze this data for strategic insights . This involves sifting through the numbers and trends to uncover the underlying stories they tell about consumer behavior, market dynamics, and competitive landscapes. Begin by identifying key patterns and anomalies that could indicate opportunities or threats. For instance, a sudden spike in demand for a product category might suggest a market trend you can capitalize on.

To effectively analyze market data, consider employing a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods . Quantitative analysis might include statistical tests, regression models, or forecasting techniques, while qualitative analysis could involve content analysis or thematic exploration of interview transcripts. Below is an example of how you might structure your quantitative findings :

Remember, the goal is to translate these insights into actionable strategies . This means not just understanding the 'what' and the 'why' behind the data, but also determining the 'how'—how to adjust your business strategies in response to these insights. It's about making informed decisions that will drive your company's growth and success in the marketplace.

Translating Research Findings into Actionable Strategies

Once you've meticulously analyzed your market data, the next critical step is to translate these insights into actionable strategies . This involves a careful synthesis of the findings to identify the most economically viable opportunities that can be quickly turned into actions. To ensure that your strategies are effective and targeted, prioritize questions that seamlessly address these opportunities, sourcing the right data to support your decisions.

Key steps to consider after gathering market insights include:

• Telling a compelling story with your data to emphasize the value of your strategic decisions.
• Focusing on key stakeholders and avoiding surveying irrelevant or inactive customers.
• Considering diverse perspectives to gain comprehensive insights.

By implementing these strategies, you enhance marketing effectiveness and inform stronger business decisions. For instance, if personalized offers are trending, you can plan to ask about them in interviews, thereby tailoring your marketing efforts to meet customer expectations. Remember, the goal is to create targeted marketing strategies that resonate with your audience and optimize your marketing spend for the best return on investment.

Successfully executing your market research plan is crucial for gaining insights that drive business growth. Our comprehensive guide walks you through every step of the process, ensuring you make informed decisions based on accurate data. Don't let temporary setbacks hinder your progress. Visit our website now to access invaluable resources and expert advice tailored to your needs. Take the first step towards transforming your market understanding today!

In conclusion, the creation of a comprehensive market research brief is an indispensable step in the strategic planning and execution of market research. This guide has provided a structured approach to assembling a market research brief, ensuring that each phase—from defining objectives to selecting research methods—is meticulously addressed. By following the steps outlined, researchers can ensure that their market research is not only methodical and data-driven but also aligned with the specific needs and goals of the project. It is through such rigor and attention to detail that market research can yield actionable insights, ultimately informing business decisions and fostering competitive advantage. As we have seen, the investment in a well-crafted market research brief pays dividends in clarity, focus, and the potential for success in the marketplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key components of a comprehensive market research brief.

The key components of a comprehensive market research brief include defining research objectives and goals, selecting appropriate research methodologies, identifying and understanding the target audience, data collection techniques and tools, analyzing market data for strategic insights, and translating research findings into actionable strategies.

How can I ensure that my market research plan is effective?

To ensure an effective market research plan, start by clearly defining your research objectives. Choose methodologies that align with your goals, understand your target audience, use reliable data collection tools, analyze the data thoroughly to gain strategic insights, and develop actionable strategies based on your findings.

What should I do if my market research findings are different from my expectations?

If your market research findings differ from your expectations, it's important to assess the data critically to understand the reasons behind the discrepancies. Consider whether there might be gaps in your research approach or changes in market dynamics. Use the insights to adjust your business strategy or to conduct further research if necessary.

• Rebels Blog
• Blog Articles
• Terms and Conditions
• Payment and Shipping Terms
• Privacy Policy
• Return Policy

© 2024 Research Rebels, All rights reserved.

Your cart is currently empty.

• Book a Demo
• Segmentation research
• Shopper Insights
• Customer Experience
• Customer journey mapping
• Brand positioning and differentiation
• Ad and creative testing
• Proposition development
• Product testing
• Concept testing
• Usage and attitude surveys
• Inclusive by design
• Social and consumer research expertise
• All articles
• Online Qual
• Market Research
• Strategic Thinking

How to conduct customer segmentation market research?

Qualitative research enables you to understand your customer base in detail, to explore the feelings and beliefs that lie behind their decisions and behaviour, and to identify the factors that are most likely to differentiate the different customer groups that you would like to target.

Brand research: what, why and how

Regardless of how much time you spend developing a brand strategy and planning your brand identity down to the last detail, all that matters, in the end, is consumer perceptions. In this article we explore different types of brand research, as well as the multiple methods you can choose to accomplish your brand research objectives.

Featured Stories

• Concept Testing: Turning your idea into a valuable asset
• Usage and attitude research: what is it and why do you need it?
• Mapping customer journeys: The role of qualitative market research
• How to build a powerful customer insight strategy
• Using Projective Techniques in Online Qual
• All resources
• How to Guides
• Webinars & Videos
• Together™ Help Centre

• Free Templates

Designed for use with our online qual research platform Together™, our activity templates include a range of activities, from warm-ups and ice-breakers, to deep cultural immersion projects and concept testing.

Conducting research with diverse and multi-cultural consumers

To deeply understand diverse and multi-cultural audiences requires deep expertise and an enabling approach. This guide contains the principles and approaches Further’s award-winning research team use to gather and activate insight and evidence for greater inclusion and equality.

Featured Content

• Understanding the male grooming category
• Using insight to develop a disruptive insurance proposition
• DEMO - An introduction to Further's Online Qual Platform Together™
• Research Briefing Template
• 10 essential tips for analysis and reporting
• Essential Guide to Mobile Ethnography
• Consumer Understanding
• Brand and Communications
• Innovation and NPD
• Case studies
• There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

How to write a great qualitative research brief

From speaking to researchers across the land, it's clear that it is fast becoming the norm for clients not to have a written brief.

Sure, they know what they want to achieve, what their objectives are, but they don’t always know how to get it down on paper and write a qualitative research brief (or they’ve not got the time!).

I’m always the first to put my hands up and offer to help clients write their briefs. There are three compelling reasons for that

• It takes pressure off the client
• It ensures that all stakeholders are included in the process and that everyone discusses - and agrees - the parameters of the research upfront
• It means we are immersed in the project and the business, deepening our understanding of what you need.

I’m going to share with you my thoughts on what makes a good qualitative research brief outline (for both online qual and face-to-face) and why it’s so necessary to get it right.

Start with the wrong brief, and you’re heading down the wrong path from the get-go. Not only will you set the wrong course, but you’ll probably cost the project incorrectly and even propose the wrong methods.

There's a handy research project brief template you can download along with a number of other useful tools you'll find in the resources section of our website.  

Before I dive into the specifics, here are three key things to consider:

1. Frame and re-frame

First and foremost, the research brief outline frames the client's problem or challenge, and it establishes the fundamental question(s) they want answering. More often than not, research briefs are framed through the lens of the business , when in fact, they should be through the lens of the consumer.

A cautionary tale:

Here's a quick example - naming no names! - of what happens when research is framed through the lens of the business, rather than through the lens of the consumer.

A well-known drinks company was looking to expand its range. An opportunity came up to buy a niche energy drink with a small but dedicated fanbase who loved its distinctive taste.

The company wanted to take the drink mainstream. So, they commissioned research focusing on what would make the drink more palatable to a wider audience.

The results came back saying that the drink should taste sweeter and the design of the packaging should be softened. The changes were made, the drink was relaunched and...

...it flopped. Mainstream consumers didn’t buy it. The original fanbase abandoned it. Why? Because the brief had been framed through the lens of the business, not the consumer. No one asked if the mainstream audience wanted a new energy drink. And as it turned out...they didn’t.

Reframing is perhaps better to be done by the researcher/agency as they can see outside the business more readily than the client. The phrase, ‘wood for the trees’ is poignant.

2. Keep it short and simple

Research project brief templates don’t need to be long and exhaustive. In fact, the the more precise and jargon-free the better. A short brief:

• Ensures clarity. Straightforward language - free from acronyms or industry-specific terms - is easy to understand. It avoids confusion.
• Gets to the point. A concise brief has been thought about and refined: helping to create a tight, accurate focus for your research.
• Encourages buy-in. It’s easy to digest, so it’s easier for stakeholders of all kinds to ‘get it’.

3. Take the right tone

Like any written document that has its readers, a qualitative research brief needs to adopt the appropriate tone, be it a formal business one or a more relaxed consumer-friendly version.

Most businesses are jam-packed with technical jargon , so handle this with care and remove where possible so that everyone can be sure of being (and staying) on the same page.

OK, now to the details...

Here’s what your qualitative research project brief template should include:

1. Some background

Provide a summary of the primary business the client is in. Clearly explain

• Why the business exists
• Its mission and vision
• How its goals have changed over time and its future goals
• The competitive set
• Which markets the study should explore

We sometimes call this a 'research amnesty’. It is vitally important we have sight of any pre-existing research so as not to duplicate any findings that already exist. No matter what form the research/insight is, throw it at us and we’ll read through it to create a detailed picture of the business/ brand .

2. Research objectives

This is where you set about describing what the core research task is. For example, the research objective might be to find out what your customers think of your recently launched product or service.

Set out specific research objectives to:

• Clarify the key questions you need to answer
• Identify the information you need to gather to address the challenge.

Here’s an example of three research objectives we created for a client who wanted to understand the best ways of supporting their employees’ wellbeing:

• To capture people’s attitudes and natural behaviours when it comes to their well-being
• To gather instinctive responses to what they would like to do more of and what is holding them back
• To discover and co-create ways we can help them in the future.

Now you’re starting to motor and get into the details around the questions that need to be answered, or the spaces you’re going to explore.

Remember, qualitative research helps understand why people do what they do, so write the objectives through that lens and think about the behaviours, motivations, thoughts and feelings you want to understand.

3. Business objectives

Your research objective may be driven by a strategic business objective. This is framed differently. Quite simply, it outlines why you are being asked to do this. For example, does the research support modifying a service or product or is it intended to deliver growth?

4. Stakeholder team

Which parties/departments (internal and/or external) will be involved with and have a vested interest in this research study? They might be a sponsor, collaborator or a third-party that needs an actionable outcome. For each stakeholder, detail their requirements and comment on their level and method of involvement. In some instances, different stakeholders will have conflicting expectations or objectives for the research. The focus needs to be agreed and signed-off by everyone before the process goes further.

5. Target audience to research

Who do you need to talk to? Are they current customers, lapsed customers or those of a competitor? Are demographics relevant, such as age, gender, income, occupation, location , company size, etc? Is social profiling relevant, or their personal attributes and proficiencies?

The target audience could include:

• Who you want researched and how many (sample size)?
• Source: Will the client be providing a customer list, or do you need to recommend the best way to source respondents such as panels, free-finding or social media?

6. Methodology

Based on the objectives, which qualitative research methods are best deployed and why. Are you proposing a combination of methods as is usually the case? Should the research be conducted face-to-face, by telephone or even online?

Consider internal milestones such as meetings and decision-making deadlines.

Timescale could include:

• Timescale for the procurement process, the start of the research and when you want the findings
• Whether you want to receive top-line findings in advance of the main findings
• Leaving time to receive a draft set of findings for you to review before receiving the final deliverables.

Do you have a specific research budget in mind, including incentives and recruitment? Can you provide guidance on the available budget, even if it is only a ball-park figure?

The budget might look to include:

• An indication of available budget; stipulate whether or not this includes VAT.
• A breakdown of how recruitment and incentives.
• Payment terms (if standard)

9. Deliverables (what/how/when)

Do you want the findings in a written report format or as a presentation? You may want to have both or to have a meeting with us to discuss the findings.

Deliverables could include:

• Your preferred format for the findings - for example, a report in Word or a presentation in PowerPoint, hardcopy and/or electronic, etc
• Do you want the researcher to present the findings, either in-person or remotely?
• Is there anything else you expect the research team to provide?

10. Hypotheses

If there are any pre-existing hunches, assumptions or hypotheses then now is a good time to share them with us. If they come out part-way through the project they may result in a re-brief and re-costing exercise, which is something to be avoided.

11. Materials the client will provide

Provide a detailed breakdown of the materials, assets and stimulus that the client will provide.

Examples might include:

• Visual brand identity assets
• Market reports/intelligence
• Information about competitors
• Stimulus materials
• Concepts and mock-ups

12. What does success look like?

Cast yourself into the future and imagine you are looking back at the successful project. What made it so successful, what was so good about it. Did it make you ‘famous’, if so why?

13. What does failure look like?

What are the failure factors of this project and what would team it unsuccessful ? Another way to think about this would be to ask the question ‘Why might this project fail?'

14. Client contacts and roles

Who are the immediate client team responsible for running this project, including day-to-day contact details and email addresses. It’s also a good idea to address what time/input the client has to invest in the project as you may find they don’t want to be involved in the way you hope.

There you have it.

There are more things to consider, and more detail to get into, pending the size/scale/risk of the project, but this will get you started.

There are many mistakes you can make in delivering qualitative research (online or in-person) and research community to be mindful of, especially how you see through consumer's half-truths , so beware.

If you have any questions, or have a research brief outline you'd like help with then why not book a demo or discovery call with one of our online qual specialists.

Topics: Online Qual , brief , debrief

ARTICLE CONTENTS

There you have it!

Discover our platform and services

Platform-only.

The insight platform for online qual, research communities, digital diaries, ethnography and more.

Services & Support

A range of expert research services and resources to help you deliver your projects with ease, speed and reach.

Human insight with impact; leveraging our academic and industry experts to uncover insight, create impact and make confident decisions.

You may also like…

Back in the day when online qual was still very much in its infancy, we launched our platform Together™ and we’re extremely proud to have been one of the pioneers of asynchronous online qual. To ...

Published 12 May 2022 4 minutes -->

Are you testing a new website or application? Together™ now includes Screen Recording.

Published 12 May 2022 1 minute -->

Whether you’re an experienced online qual researcher or a more recent convert to online research, it can feel quite daunting to think about everything that needs to get done before you can ...

Published 16 Mar 2022 10 minutes -->

We were amazed at the level of insight we achieved in just a week. Further opened our eyes to new ways of researching and understanding our staff

We helped Conde Nast International define a new global mission and vision statement

Further really understood the brief and were extremely proactive. We are now very confident that we’re taking the right products and proposition to market.

We helped this insuretech startup tailor their customer value proposition for the UK market ahead of a planned launch

Further's expert team pushed us to clarify our assumptions and to think harder about how to communicate the value of our products and services

We helped Keyhouse enter a new market and understand what target users of their case management software needed and how to position their offer

Working with Further was a refreshing and eye-opening experience…...the qualityof their output which was excellent.

We helped Unicef generate insights to support the development of a mass market, sustainable fundraising product.

Strategically, Further’s insights provided clear and directional answers that will guide us through our next phase of growth

We helped Zwift understand users and non-users needs and wants so they could prioritise their innovation pipeline

We helped Chilly’s leadership team consider new ways to understand and co-create with their customers’

We helped disruptive pet insurance company Waggel develop customer personas and map out the current and intended customer journey.

Browse our site, download our resources, request a demo of our platform or speak to one of our experts

@ Copyright Further 2024

Further is a division of Youmeus Limited

© Copyright Further 2024

Market Research Brief | Guide + Template

• Customize this template to fit your requirements
• Share it with your team & clients with one click
• Easily collect their feedback and information
• Impress everyone with professional looking briefs
• Download your document as PDF

This document is essential to ensuring there is clear communication between everyone working on the project, helping you develop a strong and productive working relationship. How do you write one, though? We thought we would explore the process further before giving you our top five tips for writing a market research brief.

What is a market research briefing document?

Before we start taking a look at the benefits and how to write a market research brief, we thought we would first explore what one actually is. This comprehensive document is designed to help you inform your market researcher exactly what you are looking to find out.

This should be seen as a dialogue between the two of you, allowing you to provide them with all of the information that they need in order to achieve your goals. The more thorough that you are in your details, the smoother the project will be and the less back and forth you will need to have with your researcher.

Having a detailed market research brief will also minimize the risk of miscommunication that could result in wrong data or expensive repeats. When creating a brief, there are several things that you will need to outline:

• What your objective is
• Contextual information on why you want to achieve this
• Detailed information on your product or services
• The research methods you want to cover
• The timescale and budget you have
• The target market and sample size you want

These points should be covered no matter the size of the project you are looking to complete. It is always important to remember that the more thorough you are in this planning stage, the better the results you will achieve and the greater the information you will have available to work with.

What are the hidden benefits of implementing one?

Implementing a thorough market research brief might seem like a time-consuming process, but it should be essential before any project. A comprehensive document can provide you with a huge array of benefits that will significantly benefit you in the future.

Alongside helping to guarantee that you are able to get the most insightful data possible, it also ensures the project will be able to go as smoothly as possible. It will ensure that you, the researcher, and anyone else working on the project understands exactly what is expected and by when. This helps to give you complete peace of mind that you will receive the results you want while also minimizing the stress and worry of having to continuously communicate every little detail with them.

Of course, a market research brief is not just for the researcher. The process of creating one is also a great chance for you to think critically about what it is that you want to achieve and clearly detail your objectives.

How do you write a market research brief? A tested outline:

There can be no denying the many benefits that come from creating a clear market research brief. However, if you have never produced one before, it can be very daunting to know where to begin when it comes to putting pen to paper.

We know how tough it can be to create a comprehensive market research brief. That is why we have taken a closer look at the five key areas that you should focus on when creating yours:

1) Project description

The first thing that you will want to complete is your project description. This is effectively a comprehensive summary of what the project is, what your goals and objectives are, and what the required roles are.

When creating the project description, you should also make sure that you are introducing your brand and the services or products you are working with. This will help to provide the relevant context to the researchers, allowing them to establish why you are conducting the study and what you want to achieve.

During this summary, you can also outline any previous campaigns that you have conducted or rival studies that you would like to replicate.

2) Objectives

When you have been able to create that summary, the next step of your market research brief is to outline your objectives. This section should clearly detail what you want to achieve from the study, helping to provide the researcher with more context on why you are completing it and allowing them to understand exactly what the finished results should look like.

When creating the objectives, you should also outline what you are hoping to do with the data at the end. By informing the researcher of what you will be doing with the information, they will be able to ensure that it is delivered in the most effective format possible.

3) Target audience

With the objectives clear, you can then move on to detailing your target audience. This section of your market research brief will describe the profiling information and demographics that your researcher should focus on.

Alongside things such as desired age, gender, occupation, location, and income, you should also state anyone who you do not want to include. When creating your target audience, make sure you are also outlining your preferred sample size.

Use our Customer Persona builder inside HolaBrief for free !

4) Technical requirements

The technical requirements section of your market research brief should cover everything from how you want the study undertaken to how you want the results provided. For example, do you want individuals surveyed face-to-face or anonymously through their computer?

You should also detail whether you want the results in a pure, unsorted form or whether they should be collated into graphs.

5) Milestones and deliverables

Finally, you should clearly detail any milestones and deliverables that you expect throughout the project. Having incremental milestones will ensure that the project remains on track and that one small mistake will not result in all of your data being incorrect.

Build and download your market research brief samples

Are you looking to create your own market research brief? These steps can help to give you an idea of what you need to include in yours. However, here at Hola Brief, we wanted to go one step further and make the process even easier for you by providing you with a clear template to follow.

Using our unique and proven software, we have created a comprehensive market research brief template that will carefully guide you through the process step by step. Our mission is to ensure you have the knowledge and tools required to create the ultimate brief for your researcher.

Want to find out more? Check it out today!

Build your own creative brief fast and collect your clients' responses  with HolaBrief!

Explore More Templates

Build interactive briefs that your clients will love to fill out

Ready to create standout work in less time?

Supercharge your client discovery process.

• Product Guide
• Project Brief
• Strategy & Research

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

13.1 Formatting a Research Paper

Learning objectives.

• Identify the major components of a research paper written using American Psychological Association (APA) style.
• Apply general APA style and formatting conventions in a research paper.

In this chapter, you will learn how to use APA style , the documentation and formatting style followed by the American Psychological Association, as well as MLA style , from the Modern Language Association. There are a few major formatting styles used in academic texts, including AMA, Chicago, and Turabian:

• AMA (American Medical Association) for medicine, health, and biological sciences
• APA (American Psychological Association) for education, psychology, and the social sciences
• Chicago—a common style used in everyday publications like magazines, newspapers, and books
• MLA (Modern Language Association) for English, literature, arts, and humanities
• Turabian—another common style designed for its universal application across all subjects and disciplines

While all the formatting and citation styles have their own use and applications, in this chapter we focus our attention on the two styles you are most likely to use in your academic studies: APA and MLA.

If you find that the rules of proper source documentation are difficult to keep straight, you are not alone. Writing a good research paper is, in and of itself, a major intellectual challenge. Having to follow detailed citation and formatting guidelines as well may seem like just one more task to add to an already-too-long list of requirements.

Following these guidelines, however, serves several important purposes. First, it signals to your readers that your paper should be taken seriously as a student’s contribution to a given academic or professional field; it is the literary equivalent of wearing a tailored suit to a job interview. Second, it shows that you respect other people’s work enough to give them proper credit for it. Finally, it helps your reader find additional materials if he or she wishes to learn more about your topic.

Furthermore, producing a letter-perfect APA-style paper need not be burdensome. Yes, it requires careful attention to detail. However, you can simplify the process if you keep these broad guidelines in mind:

• Work ahead whenever you can. Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” includes tips for keeping track of your sources early in the research process, which will save time later on.
• Get it right the first time. Apply APA guidelines as you write, so you will not have much to correct during the editing stage. Again, putting in a little extra time early on can save time later.
• Use the resources available to you. In addition to the guidelines provided in this chapter, you may wish to consult the APA website at http://www.apa.org or the Purdue University Online Writing lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu , which regularly updates its online style guidelines.

General Formatting Guidelines

This chapter provides detailed guidelines for using the citation and formatting conventions developed by the American Psychological Association, or APA. Writers in disciplines as diverse as astrophysics, biology, psychology, and education follow APA style. The major components of a paper written in APA style are listed in the following box.

These are the major components of an APA-style paper:

Body, which includes the following:

• Headings and, if necessary, subheadings to organize the content
• In-text citations of research sources
• References page

All these components must be saved in one document, not as separate documents.

The title page of your paper includes the following information:

• Title of the paper
• Author’s name
• Name of the institution with which the author is affiliated
• Header at the top of the page with the paper title (in capital letters) and the page number (If the title is lengthy, you may use a shortened form of it in the header.)

List the first three elements in the order given in the previous list, centered about one third of the way down from the top of the page. Use the headers and footers tool of your word-processing program to add the header, with the title text at the left and the page number in the upper-right corner. Your title page should look like the following example.

The next page of your paper provides an abstract , or brief summary of your findings. An abstract does not need to be provided in every paper, but an abstract should be used in papers that include a hypothesis. A good abstract is concise—about one hundred fifty to two hundred fifty words—and is written in an objective, impersonal style. Your writing voice will not be as apparent here as in the body of your paper. When writing the abstract, take a just-the-facts approach, and summarize your research question and your findings in a few sentences.

In Chapter 12 “Writing a Research Paper” , you read a paper written by a student named Jorge, who researched the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets. Read Jorge’s abstract. Note how it sums up the major ideas in his paper without going into excessive detail.

Write an abstract summarizing your paper. Briefly introduce the topic, state your findings, and sum up what conclusions you can draw from your research. Use the word count feature of your word-processing program to make sure your abstract does not exceed one hundred fifty words.

Depending on your field of study, you may sometimes write research papers that present extensive primary research, such as your own experiment or survey. In your abstract, summarize your research question and your findings, and briefly indicate how your study relates to prior research in the field.

Margins, Pagination, and Headings

APA style requirements also address specific formatting concerns, such as margins, pagination, and heading styles, within the body of the paper. Review the following APA guidelines.

Use these general guidelines to format the paper:

• Set the top, bottom, and side margins of your paper at 1 inch.
• Use double-spaced text throughout your paper.
• Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a legible size (10- to 12-point).
• Use continuous pagination throughout the paper, including the title page and the references section. Page numbers appear flush right within your header.
• Section headings and subsection headings within the body of your paper use different types of formatting depending on the level of information you are presenting. Additional details from Jorge’s paper are provided.

Begin formatting the final draft of your paper according to APA guidelines. You may work with an existing document or set up a new document if you choose. Include the following:

• Your title page
• The abstract you created in Note 13.8 “Exercise 1”
• Correct headers and page numbers for your title page and abstract

APA style uses section headings to organize information, making it easy for the reader to follow the writer’s train of thought and to know immediately what major topics are covered. Depending on the length and complexity of the paper, its major sections may also be divided into subsections, sub-subsections, and so on. These smaller sections, in turn, use different heading styles to indicate different levels of information. In essence, you are using headings to create a hierarchy of information.

The following heading styles used in APA formatting are listed in order of greatest to least importance:

• Section headings use centered, boldface type. Headings use title case, with important words in the heading capitalized.
• Subsection headings use left-aligned, boldface type. Headings use title case.
• The third level uses left-aligned, indented, boldface type. Headings use a capital letter only for the first word, and they end in a period.
• The fourth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are boldfaced and italicized.
• The fifth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are italicized and not boldfaced.

Visually, the hierarchy of information is organized as indicated in Table 13.1 “Section Headings” .

Table 13.1 Section Headings

A college research paper may not use all the heading levels shown in Table 13.1 “Section Headings” , but you are likely to encounter them in academic journal articles that use APA style. For a brief paper, you may find that level 1 headings suffice. Longer or more complex papers may need level 2 headings or other lower-level headings to organize information clearly. Use your outline to craft your major section headings and determine whether any subtopics are substantial enough to require additional levels of headings.

Working with the document you developed in Note 13.11 “Exercise 2” , begin setting up the heading structure of the final draft of your research paper according to APA guidelines. Include your title and at least two to three major section headings, and follow the formatting guidelines provided above. If your major sections should be broken into subsections, add those headings as well. Use your outline to help you.

Because Jorge used only level 1 headings, his Exercise 3 would look like the following:

Citation Guidelines

In-text citations.

Throughout the body of your paper, include a citation whenever you quote or paraphrase material from your research sources. As you learned in Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , the purpose of citations is twofold: to give credit to others for their ideas and to allow your reader to follow up and learn more about the topic if desired. Your in-text citations provide basic information about your source; each source you cite will have a longer entry in the references section that provides more detailed information.

In-text citations must provide the name of the author or authors and the year the source was published. (When a given source does not list an individual author, you may provide the source title or the name of the organization that published the material instead.) When directly quoting a source, it is also required that you include the page number where the quote appears in your citation.

This information may be included within the sentence or in a parenthetical reference at the end of the sentence, as in these examples.

Epstein (2010) points out that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (p. 137).

Here, the writer names the source author when introducing the quote and provides the publication date in parentheses after the author’s name. The page number appears in parentheses after the closing quotation marks and before the period that ends the sentence.

Addiction researchers caution that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (Epstein, 2010, p. 137).

Here, the writer provides a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence that includes the author’s name, the year of publication, and the page number separated by commas. Again, the parenthetical citation is placed after the closing quotation marks and before the period at the end of the sentence.

As noted in the book Junk Food, Junk Science (Epstein, 2010, p. 137), “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive.”

Here, the writer chose to mention the source title in the sentence (an optional piece of information to include) and followed the title with a parenthetical citation. Note that the parenthetical citation is placed before the comma that signals the end of the introductory phrase.

David Epstein’s book Junk Food, Junk Science (2010) pointed out that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (p. 137).

Another variation is to introduce the author and the source title in your sentence and include the publication date and page number in parentheses within the sentence or at the end of the sentence. As long as you have included the essential information, you can choose the option that works best for that particular sentence and source.

Citing a book with a single author is usually a straightforward task. Of course, your research may require that you cite many other types of sources, such as books or articles with more than one author or sources with no individual author listed. You may also need to cite sources available in both print and online and nonprint sources, such as websites and personal interviews. Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting” , Section 13.2 “Citing and Referencing Techniques” and Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provide extensive guidelines for citing a variety of source types.

Writing at Work

APA is just one of several different styles with its own guidelines for documentation, formatting, and language usage. Depending on your field of interest, you may be exposed to additional styles, such as the following:

• MLA style. Determined by the Modern Languages Association and used for papers in literature, languages, and other disciplines in the humanities.
• Chicago style. Outlined in the Chicago Manual of Style and sometimes used for papers in the humanities and the sciences; many professional organizations use this style for publications as well.
• Associated Press (AP) style. Used by professional journalists.

References List

The brief citations included in the body of your paper correspond to the more detailed citations provided at the end of the paper in the references section. In-text citations provide basic information—the author’s name, the publication date, and the page number if necessary—while the references section provides more extensive bibliographical information. Again, this information allows your reader to follow up on the sources you cited and do additional reading about the topic if desired.

The specific format of entries in the list of references varies slightly for different source types, but the entries generally include the following information:

• The name(s) of the author(s) or institution that wrote the source
• The year of publication and, where applicable, the exact date of publication
• The full title of the source
• For books, the city of publication
• For articles or essays, the name of the periodical or book in which the article or essay appears
• For magazine and journal articles, the volume number, issue number, and pages where the article appears
• For sources on the web, the URL where the source is located

The references page is double spaced and lists entries in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If an entry continues for more than one line, the second line and each subsequent line are indented five spaces. Review the following example. ( Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting” , Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provides extensive guidelines for formatting reference entries for different types of sources.)

In APA style, book and article titles are formatted in sentence case, not title case. Sentence case means that only the first word is capitalized, along with any proper nouns.

Key Takeaways

• Following proper citation and formatting guidelines helps writers ensure that their work will be taken seriously, give proper credit to other authors for their work, and provide valuable information to readers.
• Working ahead and taking care to cite sources correctly the first time are ways writers can save time during the editing stage of writing a research paper.
• APA papers usually include an abstract that concisely summarizes the paper.
• APA papers use a specific headings structure to provide a clear hierarchy of information.
• In APA papers, in-text citations usually include the name(s) of the author(s) and the year of publication.
• In-text citations correspond to entries in the references section, which provide detailed bibliographical information about a source.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Marketing91

Research brief: Meaning, Components, Importance & Ways to Prepare

June 12, 2023 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Marketing

Have you ever faced a situation where a researcher has not exactly given the results that you require? Have you ever discussed research as what you want precisely and been disappointed to find that there is a disparity in your expectation and the outcomes? This is because of a failure in communication , that is particular an insufficient brief.

This is where we exactly wish to discuss research brief.

A research brief is a statement that comes from the sponsor, who sets the objectives and background. This is to enable the researcher to plan the research and conduct an appropriate study on it. Research Brief can be as good as a market research study and is very important to a researcher.

It provides good insight and influences on the choice of methodology to be adopted in the research. It also provides an objective to which the project links itself.

It is a short and non-technical summary of a discussion paper that is purely intended for decision-makers with a concentration on the paper’s policy-relevant findings.

Table of Contents

Components of a Research Brief

Some sponsors deliver the brief orally by developing many detail points at the time of initial discussion with the researcher. On the other hand, the brief can also be completely thought through and committed to a paper.

This is very important when many research agencies need to submit proposals. Whether the research brief is oral or written, it should pay attention to the following points:

• Problem Background – This is a short record of the events which has actually led to the study. This provides an insight into the researcher a better viewpoint and understanding of the objective of the project.
• Problem Description – The researcher requires details in depth to perform the research. When the scope of the research is described properly, the research process gets easier. It becomes helpful for the sponsor to monitor the progress of the research.
• Market Analysis – The researcher needs to know the geographical areas of the research. Hence this should be part of the research brief.
• Objective Statement – The object of the researcher should be put statement. The researcher should gather the details from the sponsor and then provide a view of what has to be achieved.
• Time and Budget – The research brief should mention the time and budget constraints of the research.

Importance of Research Brief

Now, why is research brief important? It is like the way you set a foundation for a building; research brief provides a strong foundation for the research process.

Writing a research brief is important to the success of any market research project. However, it can be difficult to craft the perfect brief that meets the necessity of both the client and the researcher but eventually leads to the desired outcomes.

It helps a researcher to identify a problem to be researched, the exact background of the problem, the required details to address the problem, time and budget constraints within which the research is supposed to be designed.

Example of Research Brief

Keeping the above points in mind, let us take a small example of the way to write a market research brief.

To write a market research brief, it clarifies the research requirement and also makes sure that the ideas are well articulated. It helps to write a better research proposal , conduct user research, and achieve the desired outcome.

Background:

Describe the problem that is required to solve. Include applicable background and the challenge during the research.

Business and Project Objectives:

Explain the business objectives. For example: to increase sales /profit. Try to be specific as you can.

Also, describe the purpose of research and the expected outcomes. What is the decision that you require to make?

Market Objectives:

Market research objective typically follows from the above two objectives. Hence you will need to summarise the aim and information of the research. This will help to mention the questions required for answering.

Stakeholders:

Here, you will need to consider the participant who will sign-off and act on the research outcomes listed.

Research Methods, scope, sample, and guidelines:

Here, you will explain what is required. This will help you to focus on what is important and also have a piece of knowledge of the research investment. Here, more focus is given on the scope of the work and type of research . The inputs and the sample are also analyzed.

Research outcomes:

Here, you will require to define the delivery part of the research.

Ways to prepare Research Brief

Having discussed the basic of research brief, the following points will give you a brief idea of the ways to prepare yourself to write an effective research brief.

• Start with a summary of the current situation. Also, define in clear words as what you are already aware of. It would be more useful if you could include more details on your thought about the responsibility for the project on you and the research agency.
• After a summary, set up the business and research objectives . For business objectives, you need to mention the overall strategy and what is the importance of the current research. For research objectives, list the issues and topics that are likely to discover. List the problems to solve. Based on the research agency design, define clearly the business and research objectives. Having a clear objective will help you to assess the quality and also focus on the research agency’s report.
• Next, you may suggest about the ways about data collection . You can decide on a suitable research methodology that you think will be best fit the project.
• List what the outcomes of the project and the deliverables are. Like for example, you might just want to advise on survey design . For this, statistically robust data would be ideal. Or sometimes, you might write a full report with data, interpretation, recommendations, etc. Whatever it is, be clear as what is required. Suggest a timetable and mention the deadline to receive proposals and other deliverables.

Research Brief Template

Given below the template for research brief:

Research Brief: Project Name

#1 background.

In this area, give the background of the research brief.

#2 Business objectives

In this area, define the business objectives. Ideally, for a better understanding and readability, it would be good if the points are bulleted.

#3 Marketing objectives

In this area, type your marketing objectives. In case you have any other kind of objectives apart from marketing, you could change the section title.

In this area, define the research target here. Here, name all the target groups that will be a part of the research and the reason for it. Capture any other applicable details of the target group .

In this area, mention the Budget information. Mentioning a range of budget is fine. Also, indicate an upper limit in case you have any.

In this area, mention the timeline of the research. The approximate time as when this work would be over. Also, when can you provide the final analysis?

#6 Deliverables

In this area, mention the report requirements. For example, whether a detail report is required or just a presentation.

#7 Contact information

In this area, mention the contact information for questions or clarification. It could be Client company name or Individual name, title, e-mail id, phone number, and mailing address.

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Market research

Related posts:

• What is Brand Brief? Components of Brand Brief and Examples
• Causal Research – Meaning, Explanation, Examples, Components
• What is a Design Brief and How to Write it in 9 Easy Steps?
• Qualitative Research: Meaning, and Features of Qualitative Research
• Advertising Message – Definition, Meaning, Importance and Components
• Research Ethics – Importance and Principles of Ethics in Research
• Market Space – Definition, Meaning, Characteristics, Components
• Sales Agreement – Meaning, Components and Samples
• How to Write Research Proposal? Research Proposal Format
• 7 Key Differences between Research Method and Research Methodology

About Hitesh Bhasin

Hitesh Bhasin is the CEO of Marketing91 and has over a decade of experience in the marketing field. He is an accomplished author of thousands of insightful articles, including in-depth analyses of brands and companies. Holding an MBA in Marketing, Hitesh manages several offline ventures, where he applies all the concepts of Marketing that he writes about.

All Knowledge Banks (Hub Pages)

• Marketing Hub
• Management Hub
• Marketing Strategy
• Advertising Hub
• Branding Hub
• Market Research
• Small Business Marketing
• Sales and Selling
• Marketing Careers
• Internet Marketing
• Business Model of Brands
• Marketing Mix of Brands
• Brand Competitors
• Strategy of Brands
• SWOT of Brands
• Customer Management
• Top 10 Lists

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• About Marketing91
• Marketing91 Team
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Terms of Use
• Editorial Policy

WE WRITE ON

• Digital Marketing
• Human Resources
• Operations Management
• Marketing News
• Marketing mix's
• Competitors

Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Resources for Writing Briefs

Policy is an important tool for improving population health. Decision makers often look to public health professionals for surveillance data, research findings, and evidence-based interventions and guidelines to help inform policy decisions. CDC has identified four types of briefing documents that can be used to clearly communicate public health evidence. Public health professionals can use the resources below to develop briefs that succinctly inform decision makers and stakeholders of the best available evidence on a public health problem, policy, method, or approach.

Accelerating Science Impact: Four Types of Briefing Documents

The four types of briefing documents can be used to share evidence and inform decisions at every stage of the CDC Policy Process. Selecting the appropriate brief depends on the level of the evidence available and the stage in the policy process. As research evidence grows and more information becomes available, public health professionals can move from an Issue Brief on the public health problem up to a Policy Impact Brief on the potential health, economic, or budgetary impact of a policy. All four brief types are described below.

• An Information Brief provides a summary of the research on a policy method, approach, or other related topic like behavioral economics or the Health in All Policies approach.
• An Issue Brief provides a summary of the best available evidence on a public health problem with policy implications. An issue brief is most appropriate when no policy solutions are known to exist and the issue is still in the problem identification domain of the policy process.
• A Policy Brief builds on an issue brief by providing a summary of evidence-based best practices or policy options for a public health problem. A policy brief is appropriate for issues in domains two, three, four and five of the policy process: policy analysis, strategy and policy development, policy enactment, and policy implementation respectively.
• A Policy Impact Brief is the most in-depth briefing document and provides a summary of the best available evidence on health, economic, or budgetary impact of one or more policies for a public health problem. A policy impact brief is appropriate when evaluations and evidence exist on the health or economic impact of the policy.

Steps for Writing Briefs

Steps for Writing Briefs Infographic Text

When you’re ready to start developing your brief, consider the following steps.

• Identify your key audience. Potential audiences may be those who inform policy at the federal, state, or local level; federal, state, local, or nongovernmental decision makers; or other stakeholders.
• Conduct audience research. In order to translate the evidence in a way that is easy to understand, get to know your audience. Don’t guess or assume. Review data or, when possible, gather new data through formative research.
• Determine your purpose and make sure your material contains one obvious main message.
• Define and explain terms that may be unfamiliar to your audience. Avoid using jargon or technical terms unless absolutely necessary.
• A “chunk” is the amount of words or numbers people can hold in their short-term memory and group with other words or numbers. A chunk should be only one idea that people can connect to other, related ideas.
• Use headings to organize and label chunks.
• Use bulleted or numbered lists to break up text in the body of the material and make information easier to scan and read. Lists with more than seven items should be broken into sub-lists.
• Review the  CDC Clear Communication Index for other tips on communicating clearly with your intended audiences.
• Include at least one visual aid that conveys or supports the main message. Photographs, graphs, and infographics are visual aids. Simple, well-designed visual aids help people easily and quickly grasp information. Make sure words and visual aids convey the same message and reinforce each other.
• Include considerations for the key audience. Be clear about what the evidence might mean (as it relates to the issue at hand) but also what it might not mean (if relevant), and frame the evidence in a way that is accurate and easy for the audience to understand.
• Format your brief.  Finally, your brief should be concise, compelling, and visually appealing to your audience.

PDF Version – Steps for Writing Briefs Infographic [PDF – 479 KB]

Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
• Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
• You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
• CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website.

Free Research Brief Template

Fully editable with custom branding and pre-written services. Send and get read receipts.

Bonsai has helped create 1,023,928 documents and counting.

Table of contents

Do you have a freelance client who has given you a huge project? Are you currently in negotiation with one about a massive project? If you do, then it could be time to consider using a research brief template. The template offers consultants – and their clients – massive advantages. A freelance researcher needs as many tools as possible to deliver stunning work and results for the client.

The template offers you a myriad of benefits, as you will see below.

1. Improved communication with clients with your research brief template

Freelancers have to keep improving themselves. One way of doing that is by communicating better with their clients. A good consultant focuses on understanding the requirements of the project before commencing. The ability to understand is everything. Excellent communication with clients sets the pace for the rest of your relationship with the client. This important ingredient is necessary for setting the kind of foundation upon which success will emerge.

2. Obtaining crucial insights with your research brief template

The insights you obtain from the client about the project determines how much success you are likely to enjoy. The research brief template offers you all the insights you need moving forward. Without it, you would be unable to do anything meaningful. The most helpful insights tend to be the ones that are both relevant and actionable. The template offers clients an avenue through which to explain what they want in-depth.

3. Sustaining focus with your research brief template

At no time should the freelancer ever lose sight of the most important aspects of the project. The focus should remain on the most important components of the project. The research brief template plays a significant role in all this. It sets you on the road to victory. The template helps you to remain focused on building and sustaining healthy relationships with clients thus making it easier to accomplish all that you set out to do.

4. Defining problems and their solutions with your research brief sample

All freelancers are capable of defining and identifying the problems that their clients face. However, only the truly exceptional clients are capable of defining problems and identifying the appropriate solutions. More importantly, the template also offers consultant’s clients a chance to define and seek more clarification about the objectives . After all, each project has a few objectives. The solutions must meet or actualize the objectives in question.

5. The research brief example provides access to background information

Do you understand or approach the project based on the client’s perspective? If you don’t, it might be time to consider doing just that. Background information determines the direction the entire takes. Why is the client interested in proceeding with the project? What history do the clients have with the problems for which they need solutions? The research brief template provides answers to these questions via the background information.

6. Provide details regarding existing constraints in the research brief sample

A detailed understanding of everything the project is likely to encounter is crucial to its success. Without this information, you have little to no guarantee of success. Each project has its limitations that could be anything between budgetary or time-related constraints. It’s worth reminding freelancers that constraints are not necessarily bad or wrong. For this reason, constraints are worth embracing rather than hating.

A good brief contains constraints to help the freelancer to decide if the project is worth taking.

Lastly, the research brief template is a powerful tool for talking about methodologies and deliverables too. It clarifies strategies vis-à-vis research outputs. It talks about the schedule, costs, analysis and reporting, and everything else that is central to the success of the large project the consultant is about to embark upon. Essentially, you should never dive into a large project before going through and familiarizing yourself with all that the template says.

Free Performance Contract Template

Free Equipment Sales Agreement Template

Zoho Invoice Template

Wave Invoice Template

Free Product Sales Proposal Sample (PDF)

Free Data Entry Proposal Letter

Time tracking

Free Harvest Alternative

Free Creative Brief Template (Word)

Free Website Creative Brief

Free Website Brief Template

Free Video Brief Template

Free Strategy Brief

Title Block Template

Free UX Brief

Free Social Media Brief Template

Free Photography Brief Template

Free Project Brief Template

Free Product Brief Template

What’s Included: Research Paper Template

If you’re preparing to write an academic research paper, our free research paper template is the perfect starting point. In the template, we cover every section step by step, with clear, straightforward explanations and examples .

The template’s structure is based on the tried and trusted best-practice format for formal academic research papers. The template structure reflects the overall research process, ensuring your paper will have a smooth, logical flow from chapter to chapter.

The research paper template covers the following core sections:

• The title page/cover page
• Abstract (sometimes also called the executive summary)
• Section 1: Introduction 
• Section 2: Literature review 
• Section 3: Methodology
• Section 4: Findings /results
• Section 5: Discussion
• Section 6: Conclusion
• Reference list

Each section is explained in plain, straightforward language , followed by an overview of the key elements that you need to cover within each section. We’ve also included links to free resources to help you understand how to write each section.

The cleanly formatted Google Doc can be downloaded as a fully editable MS Word Document (DOCX format), so you can use it as-is or convert it to LaTeX.

FAQs: Research Paper Template

What format is the template (doc, pdf, ppt, etc.).

The research paper template is provided as a Google Doc. You can download it in MS Word format or make a copy to your Google Drive. You’re also welcome to convert it to whatever format works best for you, such as LaTeX or PDF.

What types of research papers can this template be used for?

The template follows the standard best-practice structure for formal academic research papers, so it is suitable for the vast majority of degrees, particularly those within the sciences.

Some universities may have some additional requirements, but these are typically minor, with the core structure remaining the same. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to double-check your university’s requirements before you finalise your structure.

Is this template for an undergrad, Masters or PhD-level research paper?

This template can be used for a research paper at any level of study. It may be slight overkill for an undergraduate-level study, but it certainly won’t be missing anything.

How long should my research paper be?

This depends entirely on your university’s specific requirements, so it’s best to check with them. We include generic word count ranges for each section within the template, but these are purely indicative. 

What about the research proposal?

If you’re still working on your research proposal, we’ve got a template for that here .

We’ve also got loads of proposal-related guides and videos over on the Grad Coach blog .

How do I write a literature review?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack how to write a literature review from scratch. You can check out the literature review section of the blog here.

How do I create a research methodology?

We have a wealth of free resources on the Grad Coach Blog that unpack research methodology, both qualitative and quantitative. You can check out the methodology section of the blog here.

Can I share this research paper template with my friends/colleagues?

Yes, you’re welcome to share this template. If you want to post about it on your blog or social media, all we ask is that you reference this page as your source.

Can Grad Coach help me with my research paper?

Within the template, you’ll find plain-language explanations of each section, which should give you a fair amount of guidance. However, you’re also welcome to consider our private coaching services .

UX Research Brief Template

Run a successful UX research project

The best products and services are built with an intimate insight into its customers. To achieve this level of insight requires user research, and great user research starts with a clear brief.

This template will help you outline the right user research plan . It covers background information, goals, proposed research methods, target audience and recruitment details, along with any key dates, budget information, and access to past research.

This template is part of the UX/UI Designers collection.

• Set the vision & strategy
• Organize requirements
• Share with your team & clients
• Gather feedback
• Download as PDF or Word

Collect everything in one place

Milanote is the visual way to collect everything that powers your creative work. Simple text editing & task management helps you organize your thoughts and plans. Upload images, video, files and more.

Organize visually

Milanote's flexible drag and drop interface lets you arrange things in whatever way makes sense to you. Break out of linear documents and see your research, ideas and plans side-by-side.

Collaborate with your team

Milanote boards can be a private place to think, or a shared workspace for collaboration—you're in total control of who sees what. Instantly see your team's changes, leave comments, and never miss a thing with smart notifications and alerts.

Plan your website in one place.

Collect inspiration for your website or app.

Set the project goals & deliverables.

Plan the perfect website structure.

Paint a picture of your ideal user.

Creative professionals from these companies use Milanote

Start your brief.

Create a plan for your next UX research project.

Sign up for free with no time limit

Milanote is where creative professionals organize their most important work.

Free with no time limit

Create your account

Research brief samples

By cath hume.

Sample research brief: The Stables

Background The Stables is looking to commission an organisation or consultant(s) to carry out research to inform its strategic marketing and audience development plan. The strategic marketing and audience development plan will support the organisation’s business plan and will aim to:

• Increase attendances
• Develop audiences for new strands of work
• Develop new audiences for the organisation as a whole

The Stables was founded as a registered charity (Wavendon AllMusic Plan) in 1969 by the world-famous jazz musicians Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine. The Stables is a live music venue situated on the outskirts of the city of Milton Keynes.

Vision and mission: The Stables' vision is 'to engage the widest range of people with music in all its diversity'. The organisation's mission for the next five years is 'to develop The Stables and its brand in order to challenge perceptions and satisfy people's changing musical needs, striving for equality of access and quality of experience at all times and ensuring creative and operational integrity at its core'.

Programme: Over 200 concerts and musical events are presented at The Stables each year, providing a varied musical programme of all genres including pop, rock, jazz, classical, blues, soul, folk and world music. The Stables' Education Programme is central to its vision, encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in music.

Current position: In October 2000 The Stables opened a new 400 seat theatre, which was the result of phase one of a long term development process. Phase two is now underway and the redevelopment of an old bar/foyer into a cafe bar that can accommodate up to 120 people for intimate performances has begun.

Purpose of the research

Research Aim: The aim of this research is to provide The Stables with the information it needs to develop a successful strategic marketing and audience development plan.

Research objectives and information needs: 1. Explore current and potential visitors' recommendations for programming the new space • What artists and groups do visitors and non-visitors want to see in the new space? • Are there other ways that visitors and non-visitors would like to see the space being used?

2. Complete a demographic profile of The Stables' current visitors • The age, ethnicity, gender of current visitors • Where current visitors are coming from

3. Identify current visitor attendance patterns • What is the current frequency and turnover (churn) of The Stables' visitors? • What are the averages in terms of number of people per booking and spend per booker? • Do The Stables visitors attend events from more than one genre – what is the current crossover?

Download the resource to read more: Research Brief Samples (PDF)

How to… co-commission research

All the workplace is a stage – how to communicate with clarity and impact

Reopening museums and attractions

17 things all arts marketers should do now to prepare for reopening

The 5 reassurances audiences need for reopening

Building blocks for reopening

Culture Restart: audience and visitor tracking research, March 2021

Lockdown Learning: #2 The role of digital engagement in place-based projects

Surviving and Thriving in Change. Blog 4: Making sense of our experiences in lockdown

A digital Autumn season with Opera North

Podcast: Julianne McGraw – taking Scotland’s digs digital

New Research From Clinical Psychological Science

• Clinical Psychological Science
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Personality
• Stereotypes

Threat Appraisal and Pediatric Anxiety: Proof of Concept of a Latent-Variable Approach Rachel Bernstein, Ashley Smith, Elizabeth Kitt, Elise Cardinale, Anita Harrewijn, Rany Abend, Kalina Michalska, Daniel Pine, and Katharina Kircanski  

Elevated threat appraisal is a postulated neurodevelopmental mechanism of anxiety disorders. However, laboratory-assessed threat appraisals are task-specific and subject to measurement error. We used latent-variable analysis to integrate youths’ self-reported threat appraisals across different experimental tasks; we next examined associations with pediatric anxiety and behavioral- and psychophysiological-task indices. Ninety-two youths ages 8 to 17 (M = 13.07 years, 65% female), including 51 with a primary anxiety disorder and 41 with no Axis I diagnosis, completed up to eight threat-exposure tasks. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using questionnaires and ecological momentary assessment. Appraisals both before and following threat exposures evidenced shared variance across tasks. Derived factor scores for threat appraisal were associated significantly with anxiety symptoms and variably with task indices; findings were comparable with task-specific measures and had several advantages. Results support an overarching construct of threat appraisal linked with pediatric anxiety, providing groundwork for more robust laboratory-based measurement. 

Investigating a Common Structure of Personality Pathology and Attachment Madison Smith and Susan South

Critical theoretical intersections between adult insecure attachment and personality disorders (PDs) suggest that they may overlap, but a lack of empirical analysis to date has limited further interpretation. The current study used a large sample (N = 812) of undergraduates (N = 355) and adults receiving psychological treatment (N = 457) to test whether a joint hierarchical factor structure of personality pathology and insecure attachment is tenable. Results suggested that attachment and PD indicators load together on latent domains of emotional lability, detachment, and vulnerability, but antagonistic, impulsigenic, and psychosis-spectrum factors do not subsume attachment indicators. This solution was relatively consistent across treatment status but varied across gender, potentially suggesting divergent socialization of interpersonal problems. Although further tests are needed, if attachment and PDs prove to be unitary, combining them has exciting potential for providing an etiologic-developmental substrate to the classification of interpersonal dysfunction. 

Does Major Depression Differentially Affect Daily Affect in Adults From Six Middle-Income Countries: China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russian Federation, and South Africa? Vanessa Panaite and Nathan Cohen

Much of the research on how depression affects daily emotional functioning comes from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) countries. In the current study, we investigated daily positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) and PA and NA variability in a cross-cultural sample of adults with a depression diagnosis (N = 2,487) and without a depression diagnosis (N = 31,764) from six middle-income non-WEIRD countries: China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russian Federation, and South Africa. Across countries, adults with depression relative to adults without depression reported higher average NA and NA variability and lower average PA but higher PA variability. Findings varied between countries. Observations are discussed within the context of new theories and evidence. Implications for current knowledge and for future efforts to grow cross-cultural and non-WEIRD affective science are discussed.

Depressive Symptoms and Their Mechanisms: An Investigation of Long-Term Patterns of Interaction Through a Panel-Network Approach Asle Hoffart, Nora Skjerdingstad, René Freichel, Alessandra Mansueto, Sverre Johnson, Sacha Epskamp, and Omid V. Ebrahimi  

The dynamic interaction between depressive symptoms, mechanisms proposed in the metacognitive-therapy model, and loneliness across a 9-month period was investigated. Four data waves 2 months apart were delivered by a representative population sample of 4,361 participants during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway. Networks were estimated using the newly developed panel graphical vector-autoregression method. In the temporal network, use of substance to cope with negative feelings or thoughts positively predicted threat monitoring and depressed mood. In turn, threat monitoring positively predicted suicidal ideation. Metacognitive beliefs that thoughts and feelings are dangerous positively predicted anhedonia. Suicidal ideation positively predicted sleep problems and worthlessness. Loneliness was positively predicted by depressed mood. In turn, more loneliness predicted more control of emotions. The findings point at the theory-derived variables, threat monitoring, beliefs that thoughts and feelings are dangerous, and use of substance to cope, as potential targets for intervention to alleviate long-term depressive symptoms. 

Feedback on this article? Email  [email protected]  or login to comment.

APS regularly opens certain online articles for discussion on our website. Effective February 2021, you must be a logged-in APS member to post comments. By posting a comment, you agree to our Community Guidelines and the display of your profile information, including your name and affiliation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations present in article comments are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of APS or the article’s author. For more information, please see our Community Guidelines .

Please login with your APS account to comment.

Research Briefs

Recent highlights from APS journals articles on the link between self-esteem and eating disorders, how to be liked in first encounters, the effects of stress on rigid learning, and much more.

Student Notebook: Learning Through Exposure

Ellen Finch on what therapists in training can learn from exposure therapy during a pandemic.

Video: 5 Flash Talks on Mental Health

Researchers share how their work is advancing the understanding and treatment of conditions like postpartum depression, OCD, and bipolar disorder.

Privacy Overview

Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Full Topic List

Regions & Countries

• Publications
• Our Methods
• Short Reads
• Tools & Resources

Read Our Research On:

Teens and Video Games Today

• Methodology

Table of Contents

• Who plays video games?
• How often do teens play video games?
• What devices do teens play video games on?
• Social media use among gamers
• Teen views on how much they play video games and efforts to cut back
• Are teens social with others through video games?
• Do teens think video games positively or negatively impact their lives?
• Why do teens play video games?
• Bullying and violence in video games
• Appendix A: Detailed charts
• Acknowledgments

The analysis in this report is based on a self-administered web survey conducted from Sept. 26 to Oct. 23, 2023, among a sample of 1,453 dyads, with each dyad (or pair) comprised of one U.S. teen ages 13 to 17 and one parent per teen. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,453 teens is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. The margin of sampling error for the full sample of 1,453 parents is plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs in English and Spanish using KnowledgePanel, its nationally representative online research panel.

The research plan for this project was submitted to an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, which is an independent committee of experts that specializes in helping to protect the rights of research participants. The IRB thoroughly vetted this research before data collection began. Due to the risks associated with surveying minors, this research underwent a full board review and received approval (Approval ID Pro00073203).

KnowledgePanel members are recruited through probability sampling methods and include both those with internet access and those who did not have internet access at the time of their recruitment. KnowledgePanel provides internet access for those who do not have it and, if needed, a device to access the internet when they join the panel. KnowledgePanel’s recruitment process was originally based exclusively on a national random-digit dialing (RDD) sampling methodology. In 2009, Ipsos migrated to an address-based sampling (ABS) recruitment methodology via the U.S. Postal Service’s Delivery Sequence File (DSF). The Delivery Sequence File has been estimated to cover as much as 98% of the population, although some studies suggest that the coverage could be in the low 90% range. 4

Panelists were eligible for participation in this survey if they indicated on an earlier profile survey that they were the parent of a teen ages 13 to 17. A random sample of 3,981 eligible panel members were invited to participate in the study. Responding parents were screened and considered qualified for the study if they reconfirmed that they were the parent of at least one child ages 13 to 17 and granted permission for their teen who was chosen to participate in the study. In households with more than one eligible teen, parents were asked to think about one randomly selected teen, and that teen was instructed to complete the teen portion of the survey. A survey was considered complete if both the parent and selected teen completed their portions of the questionnaire, or if the parent did not qualify during the initial screening.

Of the sampled panelists, 1,763 (excluding break-offs) responded to the invitation and 1,453 qualified, completed the parent portion of the survey, and had their selected teen complete the teen portion of the survey, yielding a final stage completion rate of 44% and a qualification rate of 82%. The cumulative response rate accounting for nonresponse to the recruitment surveys and attrition is 2.2%. The break-off rate among those who logged on to the survey (regardless of whether they completed any items or qualified for the study) is 26.9%.

Upon completion, qualified respondents received a cash-equivalent incentive worth $10 for completing the survey. To encourage response from non-Hispanic Black panelists, the incentive was increased from $10 to $20 on Oct 5, 2023. The incentive was increased again on Oct. 10, from $20 to $40; then to $50 on Oct. 17; and to $75 on Oct. 20. Reminders and notifications of the change in incentive were sent for each increase.

All panelists received email invitations and any nonresponders received reminders, shown in the table. The field period was closed on Oct. 23, 2023.

The analysis in this report was performed using separate weights for parents and teens. The parent weight was created in a multistep process that begins with a base design weight for the parent, which is computed to reflect their probability of selection for recruitment into the KnowledgePanel. These selection probabilities were then adjusted to account for the probability of selection for this survey, which included oversamples of non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic parents. Next, an iterative technique was used to align the parent design weights to population benchmarks for parents of teens ages 13 to 17 on the dimensions identified in the accompanying table, to account for any differential nonresponse that may have occurred.

To create the teen weight, an adjustment factor was applied to the final parent weight to reflect the selection of one teen per household. Finally, the teen weights were further raked to match the demographic distribution for teens ages 13 to 17 who live with parents. The teen weights were adjusted on the same teen dimensions as parent dimensions with the exception of teen education, which was not used in the teen weighting.

Sampling errors and tests of statistical significance take into account the effect of weighting. Interviews were conducted in both English and Spanish.

In addition to sampling error, one should bear in mind that question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.

The following table shows the unweighted sample sizes and the error attributable to sampling that would be expected at the 95% level of confidence for different groups in the survey:

Sample sizes and sampling errors for subgroups are available upon request.

Dispositions and response rates

The tables below display dispositions used in the calculation of completion, qualification and cumulative response rates. 5

© Pew Research Center, 2023

• AAPOR Task Force on Address-based Sampling. 2016. “AAPOR Report: Address-based Sampling.” ↩
• For more information on this method of calculating response rates, refer to: Callegaro, Mario, and Charles DiSogra. 2008. “Computing response metrics for online panels.” Public Opinion Quarterly. ↩

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivery Saturday mornings

Sign up for The Briefing

Weekly updates on the world of news & information

• Friendships
• Online Harassment & Bullying
• Teens & Tech
• Teens & Youth

How Teens and Parents Approach Screen Time

Teens and internet, device access fact sheet, teens and social media fact sheet, teens, social media and technology 2023, what the data says about americans’ views of artificial intelligence, most popular, report materials.

1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries

Research Topics

• Age & Generations
• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Economy & Work
• Family & Relationships
• Gender & LGBTQ
• Immigration & Migration
• International Affairs
• Internet & Technology
• Methodological Research
• News Habits & Media
• Non-U.S. Governments
• Other Topics
• Politics & Policy
• Race & Ethnicity
• Email Newsletters

ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Copyright 2024 Pew Research Center