Policy Brief

Policy briefs offer research findings and evidence-informed policy options in a synthesized, neutral, and user-friendly format to a nonspecialized audience. Policymakers prefer short, succinct, and easily accessible information that provides both evidence and actionable recommendations.

General Rules

• Titles should be short, free of jargon, focused, and relay the key finding(s) or implication(s).
• Focus on a single topic; limit the brief to a specific area of concern.
• Aim for short and to the point, no more than 4-6 pages or no more than 3,000 words.
• Use short paragraphs with several subtitles to entice and direct readers.
• Briefs are more likely to be read if they are attractive, interesting, short, and easy to read.

Recommendations for Format

• Introduction and Executive Summary/Key Findings
  Both appear on the first page.
  • The executive summary or key findings stand out to provide highlights of the brief.
  • The introduction discusses the significance of the study, entices the reader, provides a clear statement of the problem or issue of focus, and establishes policy relevance.
• Methods/Methodology
  Brief, one paragraph
  • The common audience is not interested in research/analysis procedures.
  • Address the study aim and design with further details made available as a reference.
• Findings
  This is typically the largest section of a brief and presents the results of the study.
• Conclusion/Discussion
  Interprets the meaning of the data and provides concrete, evidence-based conclusions.
• Implications/Considerations
  Based on firm evidence.

Language

• Employ nontechnical, jargon-free language, and spell out initial abbreviations.
• Do not overuse statistics in text.

Graphic Design and Layout

• Graphics:
  Usually, graphics are viewed first before reading text; bar charts and pie charts are most effective; keep graphics simple with legible labels and an explanatory title.
• Tables:
  Use tables sparingly and consider graphs. Tables have catchy titles, highlight important cells, and are simple (4 columns, 6 rows); statistical significance is not necessary.
• Bulleted Lists:
  Express complete thoughts and use more than one or two words per bullet, ideally with groupings of 5-7 bullets. This provides a good visual break from the narrative.
• Callouts:
  They are used to emphasize a salient point and should be structured as a sentence or sentence fragment in a larger font, bolded and/or in a different color.
• Boxes and Sidebars:
  Reader can understand them without reading the main text; give a title; do not repeat the message from the text; make sure it adds something, is short, descriptive and stimulating.

Last Updated: 9/3/2025