Translate a Research Brief Into a Workable Methodology

The brief tells you what they want to know but says nothing about how to find it out, and that gap is yours to fill. This translates the brief into a workable methodology: a precise research question, the right method, the sample, and the limits to be honest about. You design an approach that produces valid answers rather than a tidy-looking dead end.

<context>
You have received a research brief from {COMMISSIONING_BODY} that specifies what they want to know but leaves the methodology unspecified. You need to translate the brief into a method that will actually produce valid answers.
</context>

<task>
**Translate the brief into a methodology:**
1. Clarify the research question: restate the brief as a precise, answerable research question
2. Select the appropriate method: choose the methodology best suited to answering this specific question, with a brief justification
3. Define the sample or data sources: who or what will you research, how many, and why is that number sufficient?
4. Identify the validity threats: what could make the findings misleading or unrepresentative, and how will you mitigate each?
5. Outline the deliverable: what the output will be, in what format, and what quality standards it will meet
</task>

<output_format>
- A plain-English methodology outline across the five sections
- A one-paragraph summary suitable for including in a proposal
</output_format>