--- title: A Practical Guide to Translating Business Problems into Research Objectives description: Creating a research brief can be a little daunting, but thankfully, it doesn’t have to be long or complicated; Paul Hudson's five-step process is a brilliant guide to understanding what information is needed within a research brief, and where to start. image: https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/A%20Practical%20Guide%20Image.png --- close ## 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. close ## 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. [![FlexMR logo](https://www.flexmr.net/skin/images/images-custom/2b221b67-b091-4584-9017-872ee2ddf960-logo.svg)](https://www.flexmr.net/) Book a Demo Request Pricing [Contact Us](https://www.flexmr.net/contact/) Menu - [Home](https://www.flexmr.net/) - [InsightHub](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - [What is InsightHub?](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - [Data Collection](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-collection/) - [Data Analysis](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-analysis/) - [Data Activation](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-activation/) - [Research Templates](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/survey-templates/) - [Information Security](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/information-security/) - [Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/) - [Our Expert Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/) - [Support & Education](https://www.flexmr.net/services/support-and-education/) - [Consultative Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/consultative-services/) - [Insight Delivery](https://www.flexmr.net/services/insight-delivery-services/) - [Research Methods](https://www.flexmr.net/methods/) - [Sectors We Work With](https://www.flexmr.net/sectors/) - [About](https://www.flexmr.net/about/) - [About Us](https://www.flexmr.net/about/) - [Leadership](https://www.flexmr.net/about/leadership/) - [Meet the team](https://www.flexmr.net/about/meet-the-team/) - [Advisory Board](https://www.flexmr.net/about/advisory-board/) - [Press & Media](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/press) - [Accolades](https://www.flexmr.net/about/accolades/) - [Careers](https://www.flexmr.net/about/careers/) - [Blog](https://blog.flexmr.net/) - [Resources](https://resources.flexmr.net) - [Contact](https://www.flexmr.net/contact/) - [Book a Demo](https://blog.flexmr.net/) - [Request Pricing](https://blog.flexmr.net/) - [Home](https://www.flexmr.net/) - [InsightHub](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - - [What is InsightHub?](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - [Data Collection](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-collection/) - [Data Analysis](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-analysis/) - [Data Activation](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/data-activation/) - [Research Templates](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/survey-templates/) - [Information Security](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/information-security/) - ![Camp InsightHub](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/camp_insighthub_nav.png) Embark on a new adventure. Join Camp InsightHub, our free demo platform, to discover the future of research. [Sign Up Today](https://insighthub.flexmr.net/users/new) - ![FlexMR InsightHub](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/insighthub_screenshot.png) Read a brief overview of the agile research platform enabling brands to inform decisions at speed in this PDF. [Download Brochure](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/InsightHub_Brochure.pdf) - ### InsightHub on the Blog - [Surveys, Video and the Changing Face of Agile Research](https://blog.flexmr.net/surveys-video-changing-agile-research) - [Building a Research Technology Stack for Better Insights](https://blog.flexmr.net/research-technology-stack) - [The Importance of Delegation in Managing Insight Activities](https://blog.flexmr.net/delegation-importance-insight-activities) - [Common Insight Platform Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)](https://blog.flexmr.net/platform-pitfalls-how-to-avoid-them) - [Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/) - - [Our Expert Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/) - [Support and Education](https://www.flexmr.net/services/support-and-education/) - [Consultative Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/consultative-services/) - [Insight Delivery Services](https://www.flexmr.net/services/insight-delivery-services/) - [Research Methods](https://www.flexmr.net/methods/) - [Sectors We Work With](https://www.flexmr.net/sectors/) - ![FlexMR Services Team](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/services.jpg) Our services drive operational and strategic success in challenging environments. Find out how. [Download Brochure](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/Brochures/FlexMR_Services_Brochure.pdf) - ![Video Close Connection Programme](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/video_services.jpg) Close Connections bring stakeholders and customers together for candid, human conversations. [Read Press Release](https://resources.flexmr.net/close-connections-launch) - ### Explore our Practices - [Communities Practice](https://www.flexmr.net/insighthub/) - [Closeness Practice](https://www.flexmr.net/practices/customer-closeness/) - [CX Practice](https://www.flexmr.net/practices/customer-experience/) - [Insight Communications Practice](https://www.flexmr.net/practices/insight-communications/) - [About](https://www.flexmr.net/about/) - - [About Us](https://www.flexmr.net/about/) - [Leadership](https://www.flexmr.net/about/leadership/) - [Meet the Team](https://www.flexmr.net/about/meet-the-team/) - [Advisory Board](https://www.flexmr.net/about/advisory-board/) - [Press & Media](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/press) - [Accolades](https://www.flexmr.net/about/accolades/) - [Careers](https://www.flexmr.net/about/careers/) - ![FlexMR Credentials Deck](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/flexmr_credentials.png) The FlexMR credentials deck provides a brief introduction to the team, our approach to research and previous work. [Download Credentials](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/Brochures/FlexMR_Credentials.pdf) - ![FlexMR Insights Empowerment](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/insights_empowerment.png) We are the insights empowerment company. Our framework addresses the major pressures insight teams face. [Download Brochure](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/Brochures/Insights_Empowerment_Brochure.pdf) - ### Latest News - [Insight as Art Shortlisted for AURA Innovation Award](https://resources.flexmr.net/aura-innovation-award-2021) - [FlexMR Launch Video Close Connection Programme](https://resources.flexmr.net/close-connections-launch) - [VideoMR Analysis Tool Added to InsightHub](https://resources.flexmr.net/videomr-launch) - [FlexMR Makes Shortlist for Quirks Research Supplier Award](https://resources.flexmr.net/quirksmr-mr-supplier-award-2020) - [Blog](https://blog.flexmr.net) - - [Latest Posts](https://blog.flexmr.net) - [Strategic Thinking](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/strategic-thinking) - [Technology & Trends](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/tech-trends) - [Research Methods](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/research-methods) - [Practical Application](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/practical-application) - [Insights Empowerment](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/insights-empowerment) - [View Full Blog Archives](https://blog.flexmr.net/all) - ![FlexMR Close Connection Programme](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/close_connection.png) Discover how to build close customer connections to better support real-time decision making. [Build Connections](https://blog.flexmr.net/practical-support-real-time-decisions) - ![Market Research Playbook](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/market_research_playbook.png) What is a market research and insights playbook, plus discover why should your team consider building one. [Discover Playbooks](https://blog.flexmr.net/market-research-playbook) - ### Featured Posts - [Five Strategies for Turning Insight into Action](https://blog.flexmr.net/5-strategies-turn-insights-into-action) - [How to Design Surveys that Ask the Right Questions](https://blog.flexmr.net/effective-survey-design-guide) - [Scaling Creative Qual for Rich Customer Insight](https://blog.flexmr.net/scale-creative-qual-rich-understanding) - [How to Measure Brand Awareness: The Complete Guide](https://blog.flexmr.net/measure-brand-awareness) - [Resources](https://resources.flexmr.net) - - [All Resources](https://resources.flexmr.net) - [Client Stories](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/case-studies) - [Whitepapers](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/whitepapers) - [Events & Webinars](https://resources.flexmr.net/tag/events) - [The Open Ideas Panel](https://ideas.flexmr.net/auth/sign_in) - [InsightHub Help Centre](https://help.flexmr.net/en) - [FlexMR Client Network](https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9165407/) - ![Insights Empowerment Readiness Calculator](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/insights_calculator.png) The insights empowerment readiness calculator measures your progress in building an insight-led culture. [Get Your Score](https://resources.flexmr.net/insights-empowerment-calculator) - ![MRX Lab Podcast](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Navigation/flexmr_podcast.png) The MRX Lab podcast explores new and novel ideas from the insights industry in 10 minutes or less. [Listen Now](https://resources.flexmr.net/mrx-lab-podcast) - ### Featured Stories - [Specsavers Informs Key Marketing Decisions with InsightHub](https://resources.flexmr.net/specsavers) - [The Coventry Panel Helps Maintain Award Winning CX](https://resources.flexmr.net/coventry-building-society) - [Isagenix Customer Community Steers New Product Launch](https://resources.flexmr.net/isa-insights) - [Curo Engage Residents with InsightHub Community](https://resources.flexmr.net/curo) - [Tech & Trends](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/tech-trends) / - [Research Methods](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/research-methods) / - [Strategic Thinking](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/strategic-thinking) / 9 MIN READ ## A Practical Guide to Translating Business Problems into Research Objectives #### Paul Hudson # [Workshops and Beacons: A Guide to Building Custome...](https://blog.flexmr.net/workshops-beacons-customer-salience) Most organisations are not short of data, insight or decks.Their biggest challenge is not whether cu... [Read more](https://blog.flexmr.net/workshops-beacons-customer-salience) 9 MIN READ #### Ed Hill - [Events (1)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/events) - [Insights Empowerment (38)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/insights-empowerment) - [Practical Application (178)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/practical-application) - [Research Methods (285)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/research-methods) - [Strategic Thinking (232)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/strategic-thinking) - [Survey Templates (7)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/survey-templates) - [Tech & Trends (397)](https://blog.flexmr.net/topic/tech-trends) Creating a research brief can be a little daunting; at first it seems that there is a lot to write and a lot of responsibility riding on it. But thankfully, it doesn’t have to be long or complicated - a page, or even half a page, should provide enough space to adequately translate your business problems into relevant research objectives. The key thing is to remember that this document only needs to be as long as it needs to be – there’s no word count to reach, no need to make it lengthy just for the sake of it, and in doing this you will risk losing vital focus. | ![Tweet from FlexMR](https://www.flexmr.net/images/webpage-images/45-tweet-this-from-flexmr.png) | ***Tweet This*** | | --- | --- | | [A good research brief will have contextual information as well as research objectives, but that doesn't mean this needs to be a lengthy document - in fact, working to a longer word count risks you losing vital focus.](https://ctt.ac/9A8e0) | | A good brief will translate the business problem into research objectives. If this sounds complicated, it isn’t. Too often people either write out the questions that are on their mind and fail to explain the background and context to their business problem or they never attempt to distinguish between a question and an objective. A good research brief should have all of these things. But fear not, the process is really simple, all you have to do is follow these five steps every time: ### Step 1: Describe the business problem Start by concisely describing the challenge or problem you’re facing. What prompted you to realise you need to conduct research? Many briefs I’ve seen over the years skip this step. Often people assume this reason isn’t needed and they take it for granted; they’ve lived with the problem for so long that they forget to explain it to others. Take it from me, a researcher needs this background so they can fully anticipate your needs and ‘get inside your problem’. With the full context explained, a researcher will be better able to analyse the results in the best way; there are many ways to analyse questions and report them back, so if you know the background to the problem you can ensure the right analysis and reporting style is used. As an example, I’ve written a short paragraph about a common problem that a grocery retailer or Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) supplier might face. I’ve adapted this from a real project: *“Sales of the category have declined over the year, whilst those of the competitors appear to have increased across the same time period. A separate price analysis against the competition is also being undertaken separately.”* This is a very short and simple paragraph. In fact, the problem is distilled into one sentence. The second sentence has been added to ensure the project doesn’t get too broad and try to analyse price; explaining any other analyses that are taking place can help shape the focus and define the areas that need research. ### Step 2: Who will use the insight? This is a step often missed out and contains vital information that researchers needs to know. Knowing who is going to use the research will help focus the project and also inform the style of output and report that is most appropriate. For example, if the user is just yourself, then a discussion format might be best (and quickest), but if it’s going to the senior management board, then a board ‘paper’ might be needed. Or, should you need the whole business to understand the outcomes them a shorter, more visual and shareable style could work better. *“The primary user of the insight will be the category/product manager and secondary users will include the supplier and the retail manager.”* If the researcher knows who is going to use the output, they will also be able to glean vital information about the types of things that are needed to be understood; in the example of our grocery retailer, the sentence above explains that the main user of the research is the product owner, but that the information will also be shared with the supplier and retail managers who can aid the product owner in making changes - this tells us that the decisions need to be focussed around the product itself and not the customer service elements or pricing related to it. ### Step 3: Outline the action or change that they will take The third step is perhaps a little more difficult; explain the actions that will be taken. In this step, we have to remember that we don’t want to bias the results of the project by predicting what we will change or how we will improve the status quo; what we need to do is explain the areas of action we want to influence. In our example, we are demonstrating that the actions are those that fall under the remit of the product owner and not ones that are outside of their remit. This step is critical in helping shape the areas that the research will focus on. *“We envisage a range of actions taken to reverse the decline in sales. We want to focus actions on the product itself and the way that they are packaged and promoted. Actions to consider include stocking (product quality), display, point of sale promotional materials, labelling and packaging.”* ### Step 4: List the questions you want answers to So now comes the part that most people start with! This is perhaps the most obvious step in the process, but that doesn’t mean it’s the easiest. If you start with the questions, it is very difficult to then to come back to writing out the context, purpose and actions needed from the research. By starting with the previous three steps we ensure that the questions you now list are focussed and ‘on topic’; by listing out the problem, people and actions needed, you focus your mind ahead of listing the critical questions: *“Which retailers were considered when buying the product?”* *“Did they consider our product? If not, why not?”* *“How would they describe the quality of our product? How does it compare?”* *“How influential is the point of sale offers and materials in their decision?”* *“Do they like the packaging? Would they prefer it to be different?”* *“Are there any elements of the labelling and packaging that are confusing?”* And be careful to keep this focussed by listing out a maximum of 10 questions; don’t be tempted to write more otherwise the focus will be lost. There will be questions running through your mind that need answering, but the prior steps set out the context that led you to those questions. ### Step 5: Frame the research objectives The mistake that most people make when writing out a research brief is that they assume listing out questions (step four) is the same thing as listing objectives! Objectives are NOT the same as questions. An objective sets out the goal or aim of the research: what do you want it to do; a thing aimed at or sought. In short, an objective is your goal. The questions you wrote out in step four are merely stepping stones to help you identify you research objectives: *“Identify the reasons why sales have declined across the period”* *“Consider whether changes to the product quality, packaging, labelling, promotional and display materials would help improve sales”* *“Compare differences with the competitor product to understand if there are differences”* Framing your objectives is the last step in this process, because they need to draw in and encompass all of the other information that you discovered in the previous four steps. In the worked example, the objectives above encapsulate the business problem, the types of action we want to influence and the remit of how we want to frame the research. | ![Tweet from FlexMR](https://www.flexmr.net/images/webpage-images/45-tweet-this-from-flexmr.png) | ***Tweet This*** | | --- | --- | | [There isn’t one step in this process that is more needed than another; it sometimes feels like it's quicker to ‘just’ list the questions or objectives, but the research will suffer for it in the long run.](https://ctt.ac/z5cvm) | | Now, this practical process can be easy, but it will make you hunt for the contextual information you need and communicate it well with the research team you’re working with. When writing a brief there isn’t one section that is *more* needed than another; the brief (and researcher) needs all of the sections together. It sometimes feels like it's quicker to ‘just’ list the questions or a couple of objectives or to only describe the problem. But in reality, it doesn’t take that long to provide the full information by simply following the 5 steps – and it really is easiest to do them in the order listed here. [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/1682149/a07b9b9f-fee9-447c-a050-1e3fa9d77f53.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/1682149/a07b9b9f-fee9-447c-a050-1e3fa9d77f53) #### About FlexMR We are The Insights Empowerment Company. We help research, product and marketing teams drive informed decisions with efficient, scalable & impactful insight. #### About Paul Hudson Paul is the CEO of FlexMR and an active member of key industry bodies. He aims to empower insight teams across the globe. #### Stay up to date ## You might also like... ![Blog Featured Image Header](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Marketing_Files/Blogs/Headers/retaining_human_touch_customer_salience_cx_ai.png) ### [Retaining a Human Touch with Custom...](https://blog.flexmr.net/customer-salience-cx-ai) In recent years, companies have embraced artificial intelligence (AI) at pace, swept up in a technological momentum that promises efficiency and cost savings. However, in their rush to pursue quickly ... [Continue reading](https://blog.flexmr.net/customer-salience-cx-ai) 5 MIN READ ![Blog Featured Image Header](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Marketing_Files/Blogs/Headers/casual_conversation_iosetta_santini.png) ### [A Casual Conversation... with Ioset...](https://blog.flexmr.net/casual-conversation-iosetta-santini) Most research projects still currently end with a powerpoint report and a debrief. This has become deeply entrenched as the industry standard, and it is what stakeholders have come to expect when they... [Continue reading](https://blog.flexmr.net/casual-conversation-iosetta-santini) 4 MIN READ ![Blog Featured Image Header](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Marketing_Files/Blogs/Headers/synthetic_data_richer_market_insights.png) ### [Synthetic Data: The Key to Richer M...](https://blog.flexmr.net/synthetic-data-richer-market-insights) In the dynamic world of market research, the need for robust and accurate data is critical. Whilst the increased prevalence of generative AI has provided a range of benefits to market research process... [Continue reading](https://blog.flexmr.net/synthetic-data-richer-market-insights) 7 MIN READ ![](https://www.flexmr.net/skin/images/images-custom/48f118ee-cef9-42d6-b60b-5575d5ac26e3-flexmr_footer.svg) - [Home](https://www.flexmr.net/) - [Contact Us](https://www.flexmr.net/contact/) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.flexmr.net/legal/privacy/) - [Cookie Policy](https://www.flexmr.net/legal/cookies/) - [Terms of Use](https://www.flexmr.net/legal/terms-of-use/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/flexmr/) [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/_flexmr) [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/flexmr) [Follow us on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/FlexmrNetOnlineResearch) [![Grit Top 50 Logo](https://www.flexmr.net/uploads/photo-gallery-include-images/34/44258f4d-7452-40d6-bb23-0e220c8ba21f.png)](https://www.greenbook.org/mr/grit/business-innovation-edition) [![ISO 27001 Alcumus](https://www.flexmr.net/uploads/photo-gallery-include-images/34/fa89f9b3-d866-43b8-8de0-4a052a9053d8.png)](https://www.alcumus.com/en-gb/certification/iso-27001/) [![Cyber Essentials Plus Logo](https://www.flexmr.net/uploads/photo-gallery-include-images/34/cba57df6-75a2-4544-9599-dcc0c2f14b79.png)](https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Public_Files/Other/FlexMR_Cyber_Essentials_Certificate.pdf?__hstc=163229475.dde2c3d212762f49b059c9f62e7537a0.1624542718433.1626339489304.1626701624468.7&__hssc=163229475.2.1626701624468&__hsfp=3142549060) © FlexMR 2021. All rights reserved. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Paul Hudson", "url" : "https://blog.flexmr.net/author/paul-hudson" }, "dateModified" : "2021-07-22T12:32:14.062Z", "datePublished" : "2020-01-23T15:18:33.000Z", "headline" : "A Practical Guide to Translating Business Problems into Research Objectives", "image" : [ "https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/A%20Practical%20Guide%20Image.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.flexmr.net/business-problems-into-research-objectives", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.flexmr.net/hubfs/Website_Files/Images/Logos/flexmr_logo_amp.png" }, "name" : "FlexMR" } } ```