DatumFormsFor research agencies & corporate teams
Write a research brief around the decision
A practical brief for research agencies and corporate teams: connect the business decision, evidence needed, audience and next step.
TL;DR
- Name the decision before writing the questionnaire.
- Agree on the evidence, audience and use of findings with the project sponsor.
- Use a short brief and question-to-purpose check to keep the study focused.
A research brief should help the team agree on what the work is for. Before opening a questionnaire builder, try completing this sentence:
We need to learn ___ so we can decide ___.
The blanks are a useful discussion starter. If different people fill them in differently, resolve that difference before it becomes a long questionnaire.
Turn a broad request into a decision
Consider this hypothetical request from a retail team: “Find out what customers think of our service.” The team could ask many questions and still disagree about what to do next.
A more focused brief might be: “We need to understand where recent customers encounter difficulty during collection so we can decide which part of that process to investigate first.” This is an illustrative brief, not a DatumForms customer result.
The second version names a process and a decision. It also leaves room for findings the team did not expect. It does not assume that the answer will be staff training, a different collection point or a new message to customers.
Use a short working brief
Write down four things before drafting:
- Decision: What choice or next investigation will this research inform?
- Evidence: What information is missing, and what do we already know?
- Audience: Whose experience is relevant to that question?
- Use: Who will review the findings, and what happens afterward?
For an agency, this can support the discussion with a client. For a corporate team, it can make the handoff between a project sponsor and the person writing the questionnaire clearer.
Give each question a job
Beside each proposed survey question, write what it contributes to the brief. If the connection is unclear, decide whether the question should change, move to another study or be removed. A shorter questionnaire is useful only if it still addresses the research need.
Also check whether a survey is the right next step. Existing records, observation or a conversation may answer part of the brief. AAPOR’s planning guidance encourages researchers to consider the objective and appropriate method before collecting new survey data.
Bring the agreed brief into the questionnaire review so it remains a working reference throughout the study.
Worked example: agree on the brief together
The following planning table is an original hypothetical exercise. It is not a report of customer outcomes. An agency can complete it with a client; an internal team can complete it with its project sponsor.
| Brief element | Broad starting point | A more useful working statement |
|---|---|---|
| Decision | Improve customer service | Choose which part of collection to investigate first |
| Evidence needed | General opinions | Recent customers’ descriptions of the collection experience |
| Audience | Everyone | People with a relevant, recent collection experience |
| Use of findings | Prepare a presentation | Review reported difficulties and agree on a follow-up investigation |
Each statement should be open to revision. If the sponsor actually needs to compare two collection processes, the brief will need a different design from a study that explores what to investigate. Resolve that difference before asking someone to write the questionnaire.
Agree on boundaries and ownership
Add a short note about what this study will not answer. In the example, an experience survey may help identify reported difficulties, but it does not automatically establish their cause or the financial effect of a process change. Keeping that boundary visible makes the final findings easier to discuss.
Next, agree who can approve the brief, who reviews the questionnaire and who will use the report. For an agency, clarify where client comments should be consolidated. For a corporate team, identify the project sponsor and the person responsible for the next decision. This is a suggested working arrangement, not a requirement imposed by the software.
Finish the discussion with a simple handoff: an agreed brief, a named reviewer and the questions that are still unresolved. Keep those unresolved questions in the project notes rather than quietly turning assumptions into survey wording.
Review the brief before launch
Revisit the brief after questionnaire review. Have the audience or the decision changed? Do the final questions still address the agreed evidence need? Record any revision so the team collecting responses and the team reading the findings are working from the same understanding.
Explore the survey workflow or discuss your research brief.
Carry the agreed brief into question wording and the survey project workflow.