Interactive briefing note template

• How you present your research is critical. Use this bespoke template to showcase your most policy-relevant findings in an accessible way and help clearly demonstrate their significance to policy.
• A good length for a policy briefing is two pages, which is digestible for policymakers and their staff. If you would like to include graphs, tables, or infographics, it may be sensible for the briefing to be longer than two pages, however the shorter the briefing note is the more likely it is to be read.
• The suggested word counts are given with the aim of a two-page document, but you can deviate from these as long as the briefing note remains concise.
• The document you will receive upon completion of this form is formatted to allow as much content within two pages as possible while remaining accessible and professional.
• As a briefing note is not a personalised letter, it does not require a salutation or letter formatting. The reason for contacting the policymaker and a personalised greeting should be included in the cover email you send, with the briefing attached.

When writing your key points and recommendations, focus on the practical, specific and actionable recommendations. Make your points punchy, concise and easy to scan and understand as a lay person.

If you are creating a submission for your organisation, you can refer to yourself as an author in the ‘Acknowledgements’ field.

Need some inspiration? Take a look at a selection of our briefing notes to see how we approach these:

• Active Travel: evidence and insights from UK longitudinal population studies
• COVID-19 Briefing Note: evidence and insights from longitudinal population studies
• COVID-19 Briefing Note: evidence and insights from longitudinal population studies