Creating a Research Brief that Drives Decision-Making

To influence decision makers, you need more than strong research. You need to translate your findings into clear, accessible language that informs action. Creating a Research Brief that Drives Decision Making is a self-paced online toolkit designed to help researchers and program staff turn complex studies into concise, compelling research briefs.

Overview

To influence decision makers, you need more than strong research. You need to translate your findings into clear, accessible language that informs action. Creating a Research Brief that Drives Decision Making is a self paced online toolkit designed to help researchers and program staff turn complex studies into concise, compelling research briefs.

This toolkit breaks the process down into three essential components:

Understanding your communication goal and audience - define your communication goal, identify your target audience, and tailor key messages to align with their needs and interest
Writing for non-academic audiences - prioritize key findings and present them clearly and concisely using effective communication techniques.
Developing and structuring your research brief - organize content in a meaningful and visually appealing format using the AcademyHealth template and worksheet.

You will move through each of these areas step by step across four modules with guided instruction, practical examples, reflection activities, and structured drafting time. By the end of the course, you will have gained a deeper understanding of writing for lay audiences and developed a draft research brief tailored to the audience of your choice.