Research Briefs: No Source, No Fact

For anyone asked to research something for a client. After reading you will be able to write a research brief, collect sourced and dated facts, rate confidence, and deliver research a client can act on today.

Track: Back Office & Admin · Role: Research Assistant, Executive and Admin Assistant · Time to complete: 20 min

The Narqix research promise

Every fact we deliver can be checked. Every fact has a source link, a date it was checked, and a confidence rating. If we could not find something, we say so. No source, no fact.

Step 1: Write the brief before you search

A vague request ("find me some roofers") wastes hours. Turn every request into a brief and get the client's "yes" before you start.

Research brief Decision this supports: which three roofing contractors to invite to bid on (PROPERTY ADDRESS). Question: licensed roofing contractors within 25 miles who do commercial flat roofs. Scope: (CITY, STATE), active businesses only, at least 20 public reviews. Quantity: 15 candidates, ranked. Output: sheet with the columns below, plus a 5-line summary. Sources allowed: public websites, state licence lookup, map listings, review sites. No paid databases. Deadline: (DATE), 12:00 PM ET. Halfway check: 5 sample rows by (DATE), 4:00 PM ET.

Coach's note: always ask "what decision will you make with this?" The answer tells you what matters. A client choosing a vendor cares about price and reliability. A client building a call list cares about the decision maker's direct phone. Same topic, different research.

Step 2: Build the sheet

Use these columns as the base, then add what the brief needs:

Column	Rule
Item	Company or subject name exactly as the source shows it
Fact columns	One fact per cell (phone, website, licence number, price)
Source link	The exact page where the fact appears, not a search results page
Date checked	The date you opened that source
Confidence	High, Medium or Low (see below)
Notes	Your observations and judgment, kept separate from facts

Step 3: Source in the right order

Primary sources: the company's own website, official government registries (business filings, licence lookups), official social pages.
Strong secondary sources: map listings, established review sites, industry associations.
Weak sources: directories, aggregators, forums. Use them to find leads, then confirm in a primary source.

Step 4: Rate confidence

Rating	Meaning
High	Two or more independent sources agree, at least one primary
Medium	One credible source
Low	Inferred or from a weak source only. Must say why in Notes.

Step 5: Check, summarize, deliver

Before delivery:

Every fact cell has a source link that opens and shows the fact
Every row has a date checked
Opinions are only in Notes
Quantity matches the brief, or the gap is explained
Summary written on top
File named and saved per File Naming and Document Control

The summary sits at the top of the sheet or in your message:

Summary (checked (DATE))

15 contractors found; 11 have an active state licence confirmed in the official lookup.
Top three by reviews and flat roof experience: (COMPANY A), (COMPANY B), (COMPANY C).
Typical inspection fee where published: 150 to 300 USD. Only 6 of 15 publish prices.
Two companies show recent complaints about deposits not refunded. Flagged in Notes.
Not found: direct owner phone numbers for 9 of 15. Main office lines provided instead.

Using AI in research

Follow the AI Use Policy in Narqix Standards. In research, AI may help you brainstorm search terms or summarize a page you already opened. It may never be the source. Open every source yourself and confirm every fact. AI tools can give confident names, phone numbers and links that do not exist.

Never do this: never fill a cell with a guess. An invented email, phone, name or price is a QA auto-fail. Write "Not found" and explain in Notes.

Never do this: never pay for data, create accounts, or contact the companies you are researching unless the brief says so. Research is quiet. Outreach is a separate task with its own approval.

Example: one good row versus one bad row

See the example

Bad row: "ABC Roofing, good reviews, cheap, owner John, john at abcroofing dot com." No sources, opinions mixed with facts, a guessed email.

Good row:

Item	Phone	Licence	Reviews	Source links	Date checked	Confidence	Notes
(COMPANY NAME)	(PHONE)	Active, number (LICENCE NUMBER)	4.7 from 212	Company site contact page; state licence lookup; map listing	(DATE)	High	Website lists flat roof work; no price published

Check yourself

What question should you always ask before writing a research brief?
What is the difference between High and Medium confidence?
Where do your own opinions go in the sheet?
You found a decision maker's email only in a free directory. What do you do with it?