Research Brief Template
A research brief template that turns a pile of notes into a document that ends in a decision. It states a thesis up front, lays the evidence out as a table, charts the trend, maps the landscape on a quadrant, names the open questions honestly, and closes on a clear recommendation. Built so a reader can act in five minutes.
- Use case
- Research brief
- Slides
- 8
- Format
- Web link, PDF, PPTX
- Cost
- Free to start
Click through all 8 slides. Every one is editable after you fork it.
Research that ends in a summary gets filed; research that ends in a recommendation gets acted on. This template is built for the second kind. It leads with the thesis, so the reader knows what the brief argues for before they weigh the evidence, then backs it with a table and a chart rather than prose.
The honest parts are what make it decision-ready. A landscape quadrant shows where the opportunity actually sits, and an open-questions slide names what is still unknown, so nobody mistakes a brief for a guarantee. It closes on a specific recommendation with the conditions attached. Swap the copy for your research and the structure does the persuading without overstating the case.
What is inside
- 01Title
A cover that frames the brief as a question, not a topic.
- 02Contents
The four parts of the brief, so the reader knows where it lands.
- 03The thesis
The claim up front, so evidence is weighed against a position.
- 04The evidence
A real comparison table, the findings as data not prose.
- 05The trend
One chart that shows the direction the data is moving.
- 06The landscape
A quadrant that places the opportunity against the competition.
- 07Open questions
What is still unknown, stated plainly. Decision-ready, not oversold.
- 08The recommendation
A specific call with its conditions, not a hedged summary.
Who it is for
- Strategists and analysts turning research into a recommendation
- Founders and operators briefing a leadership decision
- Anyone who has the findings and needs them to land as a choice
How to make one
- 1
Start from the template
Open this template in heydecks. It forks into your workspace as an editable deck with its own theme.
- 2
Drop in your research
Replace the thesis, the evidence table, the chart, and the quadrant with your own findings. Each slide is typed, so formatting stays clean.
- 3
Apply your brand
Point heydecks at your site once and the Brand Kernel locks your colors, type, and logo onto every slide.
- 4
Share and export
Publish a live link for the decision-makers, then export the same deck to PDF and native PPTX for the record.