Writing policy briefs: Books and articles
Articles from PittCat
- Arnautu, D., & Dagenais, C. (2021). Use and effectiveness of policy briefs as a knowledge transfer tool: a scoping review. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 8(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00885-9
- Dagenais, C., & Ridde, V. (2018). Policy brief as a knowledge transfer tool: to “make a splash”, your policy brief must first be read. Gaceta sanitaria, 32(3), 203–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2018.02.003
- Keepnews, D. M. (2016). Developing a Policy Brief. Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice, 17(2), 61–65. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527154416660670
- Mbonye, A. K., & Magnussen, P. (2013). Translating health research evidence into policy and practice in Uganda. Malaria Journal, 12(1), 274–274. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2875-12-274
- Nzobonimpa, S., Savard, J.-F., Caron, I., & Lawarée, J. (2024). Automating public policy: a comparative study of conversational artificial intelligence models and human expertise in crafting briefing notes. AI & Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-024-02103
- Vitente, A., Lazaro, R., & Chua, F. C. (2024). Writing Effective Policy Briefs to Bridge Research and Policy. Philippine Journal of Physical Therapy, 3(2), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.46409/002.IKST6314
- Wong, S. L., Green, L. A., Bazemore, A. W., & Miller, B. F. (2017). How to Write a Health Policy Brief. Families Systems & Health, 35(1), 21–24. https://doi.org/10.1037/fsh0000238
Books
The Little Guide to Writing for Impact by Call Number: EbookISBN: 1538181266Publication Date: 2024-03-12Everyone who writes in the world of public affairs wants to make arguments that will move readers and shape policy. That world, however, is busy and noisy, and even the best ideas often get squeezed out in the frenetic pace of policy debates. No author wants that to happen to their hard work. In this fresh and lively book, Barrett, Greene, and Kettl combine more than a century of experience in writing to present a series of guidelines that will enable readers to successfully frame a policy argument; pitch it to editors; organize the work so that the ideas have real impact; support it with data and stories; find the right publisher; and follow up after publication to ensure that the argument has enduring impact. These basic steps work well--but work differently--for a wide variety of policy writing, from short blog posts through an op-eds, commentaries and policy briefs, dissertations, articles for both the popular press and academic journals, and books. The book is a handy manual for writers in the world of research who want to explore the start-to-finish process of writing for impact--and for authors who want to explore a single writing challenge in-depth. It is full of examples of both good and bad writing, as well as the authors' own tales in navigating the road from a new idea to a written product that packs punch. It's a fun and useful primer for steering the policy debate.
Public Policy Writing That Matters by Call Number: HSLS General Collection: JF1525.C59 C35 2022ISBN: 9781421442327Publication Date: 2022-02-01A thoroughly updated and expanded guide to honing your public policy writing skills--and making a significant impact on the world. Winner of the George Orwell Award by the National Council of Teachers of English Professionals across a variety of disciplines need to write about public policy in a manner that inspires action and genuine change. You may have amazing ideas about how to improve the world, but if you aren't able to communicate these ideas well, they simply won't become a reality. In Public Policy Writing That Matters, communications expert David Chrisinger, who directs the Harris Writing Program at the University of Chicago and worked in the US Government Accountability Office for a decade, argues that public policy writing is most persuasive when it tells clear, concrete stories about people doing things. Combining helpful hints and cautionary tales with writing exercises and excerpts from sample policy analysis, Chrisinger teaches readers to craft concise, story-driven pieces that exceed the stylistic requirements and limitations of traditional policy writing. Aimed at helping students and professionals overcome their default impulses to merely "explain," this book reveals proven tips--tested in the real world and in the classroom--for writing sophisticated policy analysis that is also easy to understand. For anyone interested in planning, organizing, developing, writing, and revising accessible public policy, Chrisinger offers a step-by-step guide that covers everything from the most effective use of data visualization to the best ways to write a sentence, from the ideal moment for adding a compelling anecdote to advice on using facts to strengthen an argument. This second edition addresses the current political climate and touches on policy changes that have occurred since the book was originally published. A vital tool for any policy writer or analyst, Public Policy Writing That Matters is a book for everyone passionate about using writing to effect real and lasting change.
Challenges in Research Policy by Call Number: EbookISBN: 3031695798Publication Date: 2024-11-13This open access volume addresses major challenges in research policy and provides advice on how to approach them. With chapters designed as accessible policy briefs, the book serves as an essential resource for new actors in research policy. It offers evidence-based recommendations on approaching research governance, funding, and evaluation challenges by covering these topics: Identifying and facilitating high quality research Evaluating transdisciplinary research quality Evaluating societal impact The dilemmas of grant peer review How citations relate to research quality Reforming research assessment The use of metrics in academic recruitment Quality criteria and concentration of research funding Balancing basic and external research funding Designing performance-based research funding systems Strategic steering of research at universities The consequences of paying to publish Each chapter combines research with practical advice and provides an overview of the state-of-the-art in research on the specific topic, as well as references for further reading.
Book chapters
Reed, M. S. (2025). Policy briefs. In The Researcher’s Guide to Influencing Policy (1st ed., Vol. 1, pp. 123–146). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003494942-13
Websites: Developing policy briefs and examples
CDC Writing Briefs
About: "The CDC has identified four types of briefing documents that effectively communicate public health evidence. Professionals can utilize these resources to develop concise briefs that inform decision makers and stakeholders about the most effective approaches to address public health issues."
CDC Data Briefs
About: "Data Briefs are statistical publications that provide information about current public health topics. Each report takes a complex data subject and summarizes it in text and graphics that provide readers with easily comprehensible information in a compact publication (PDF) and webpage." A list of all Data Briefs is presented in an interactive, searchable, and sortable data tables format." These might be useful in your brief as an infographic.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
FAO is an organization within the United Nations. The title below is part of the Food Security Communications Toolkit.
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
About: "As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) champions and funds research and innovation within and alongside developing regions to drive global change. We invest in high-quality research in developing countries, share knowledge with researchers and policymakers for greater uptake and use, and mobilize our global alliances to build a more sustainable and inclusive world."
How to write a policy brief (Download the PPT; 3.2 MB)
- Planning your policy brief
- Walks through the process of developing a policy brief include: Purpose, Audience, Content, and Structure
- Policy brief template
- Executive Summary, Introduction, Research Overview, Discussion/Analysis of findings, Conclusion/Recommendations
- Designing your policy brief
- Titles and headings, Sidebars, Lists, Graphics
- Revising your policy brief
- Take a look at policy briefs in IDRC’s digital library
World Health Organization
Policy brief template: How to write an effective policy brief
Policy brief examples
- Strategic approach for urban health
- COVID-19
- Search WHO for individual policy briefs
New Zealand Aid Programme Awards
This is a funding agency that has excellent tips on writing a policy brief. See pages 2-5 (top paragraph).
Infographics resources and examples
Infographics (Wikipedia)
According to Wikipedia, infographics are "graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly.[1][2]"
A policy brief needs to be more than an infographic, but an infographic can convey a great deal of information in a small amount of space. Data presented in text can be difficult to follow, but a well-done visual representation of the data makes it easier to understand. Creating an infographic (if appropriate) can also allow you to focus on the interpretation of the data.
Infographics: Communicating Information Visually
Knowing how and when to use visuals to convey information can improve your ability to communicate and connect with your audience. This module will give you a brief overview of visualization, focusing on using infographics to tell visual stories. Included is a brief demonstration of an online resource (Piktochart) so that you can hit the ground running and create your own visuals. Not sure if this course is right for you? Explore Piktochart templates to see examples of the infographics we will create.
Graphic design with Canva
Using Canva, you can create posters, presentation graphics, social media posts, and more! This module will show you how to create an account, find free templates and stock photos, upload your own images, and download or print your finished product. Basic elements of design will also be discussed.
Canva infographics
Canva is a free online app (unless you choose to pay for additional content) which can help you design infographics fairly easily. You can create an infographic in Canva, export as a png or jpg file, and then add it to your Word doc as an image. And since it exports as an image, you can resize it to fit into the text as needed.
Infographics examples
Creating an infographic might seem a little hard so there are quite a few examples available from the sites below. See if any have a design that might work for your purposes, then use Canva to create an infographic modeled after the one you like.
CDC Infographics
The above link points to a search of the CDC site for "infographics" in English, Spanish, and other languages. Some of the resources include:
- Health Equity
- US Health data
- Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES)
- Keep food safe after a disaster
WHO Infographics
The above link points to a search of the WHO (World Health Organization) site for "infographics" in a very wide variety of languages.
PAHO Infographics
The above link points to a search of the PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) site for "infographics" in a very wide variety of languages.