A team may commission a study to evaluate a program, analyze a dataset, or understand an outcome. Before choosing methods, the team needs to agree on how it will use the findings. That decision helps define the research question and the work the study requires.
The Decision and Its Audience
Write down who will use the findings, what they need to decide, and when they need an answer. For example, a program manager deciding whether to extend opening hours needs different evidence from a funder considering whether to expand the whole program. The same organization may have both questions, but they call for different scopes.
Available Evidence
Take stock of existing records, previous studies, staff knowledge, and any information you could reasonably collect. Ask what each source can tell you and who or what it leaves out. Records that staff keep to manage services may describe participation well without explaining why some people never took part.
Agree on the limits early. If the evidence can describe a change but cannot establish what caused it, that distinction should shape the research question, analysis plan, and eventual report.
The Research Brief
A short research brief can set out the decision, intended users, main questions, available information, planned outputs, and timeline. It should also record questions the project will not answer. Team members can use the brief to decide whether a proposed task belongs in the study.
Revisit the brief when the question changes or the team discovers a data limitation. Record any changes to the scope so everyone knows what the study will deliver.