# A research brief that keeps its sources

JBN · Version 1.0 · 26 October 2026
An editable template for filmmakers, producers and creative researchers.

Use this in a text editor or any document app. No subscription, assistant or upload is required. Work from copies you are entitled to use. If you involve an assistant, share only the material needed for the task and check its data settings first.

## How to use it

1. Write the human question before collecting more material.
2. Name the intended audience and the decision the brief must support.
3. Give each source an ID. Keep the exact page, paragraph or timecode beside each claim.
4. Separate what you know from what you think the story could be.
5. End with uncertainties and the conversations that could resolve them.
6. Have someone check the important claims against the originals before circulating the brief.

Do not mistake a compelling anecdote for a representative experience. Record disagreement. A missing source is a research task, not an invitation to fill the gap.

---

# [Working title]

Owner: [name]
Version and date: [version / date]
Decision this brief supports: [what needs to be decided, by whom and when]

## The human question

[Who is living with this subject? What choice, pressure or change could we follow?]

## Audience and purpose

Audience: [specific people; avoid “everyone”]
What they may already know: [assumption to check]
What we want them to understand: [one clear point]
Potential emotional stakes: [an editorial hypothesis, not a fact about contributors]

## What we know

| Claim | Source ID | Exact locator | Status / limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Claim in plain language] | S01 | [page / paragraph / timecode] | [Direct evidence? Estimate? Disputed?] |

## Sources

| ID | Title / creator | Date | URL or file reference | Access and permission notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S01 | [Title, named author] | [publication date] | [stable reference] | [public / permissioned / restricted; quote limits] |

## What we do not know

- [Question; why it matters; person or source that could answer it]
- [Conflicting account; what would resolve it]

## A possible story

[One short paragraph. Label the proposed narrative as an idea. Do not invent scenes, quotes or access.]

Visible evidence we could seek: [place, action, object, recorded event]
Contributor choices and consent to discuss: [what participation would involve]

## Next conversations

| Person / role | Why speak to them | Open question | Access status |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Role] | [What they can illuminate] | [Question that permits disagreement] | [Not contacted / introduction / confirmed] |

## Editorial decision

What looks strong: [evidence]
What might change the approach: [uncertainty]
Next step: [specific action, owner, date]

---

## Small worked example — fictional demonstration

This example uses two invented notes. It makes no claim about a real organisation.

S01, “Repair club coordinator note”, 10 October: “We now open on Saturday as well as Wednesday. Three volunteers have offered to run the extra session.”

S02, “Participant interview note”, 12 October: “I came because my lamp broke. I stayed because somebody showed me how to test the cable myself.”

Human question: What changes when someone learns to repair an object rather than handing it over?

Evidence: The club added a Saturday session [S01, sentence 1]. One participant describes learning a cable test [S02, sentence 2]. Neither note establishes how many people gained skills, how much waste was saved or whether the extra session will continue.

Editorial idea: Follow one repair from arrival to the moment its owner tries a test. This is a proposed scene; access and consent are unconfirmed.

Next conversation: Ask the coordinator how the extra session is staffed. Ask the participant what they could now do without help. Look for a participant whose repair could not be completed, so the film can show the limits as well as the appeal.

Human decision: Whether one repair is a useful way into the subject. The notes alone cannot decide that.

## Reuse

Original JBN resource. Free to download.
Check permissions for any material you add.