A good brief names the decision first. State what the owner needs to choose, the audience for the answer, and the date by which the finding is useful. A topic alone is not a research question.
Specify scope before searching: geography, time period, definitions, acceptable source types, and excluded claims. This prevents a short deadline from turning into an unbounded reading list.
Define the output contract. Ask for a concise finding, an evidence ledger, uncertainties, and a recommended next step. Require the writer to distinguish sourced facts from interpretation.
Review the first few briefs against the same checklist. Repair ambiguous questions early, then preserve the approved format as a reusable template.