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Policy Briefs will now be published as stand-alone articles on F1000Research. Gearóid Ó Faoleán, Publisher at F1000, introduces the new Policy Brief article type and its importance for bridging the gap between research and policy.

Research that seeks to inform policy makers may not reach its intended audience. This is because overviews and analysis of a policy or a policy-related issue have often been published alongside a research article. Being hidden away, these valuable findings and recommendations could be overlooked, rather than reaching policymakers and being used to make informed decisions to drive change, whether this be for education, social issues, health, or the environment to name a few. 

What is a Policy Brief?

To ensure these documents are given the prominence they deserve, we introduce the Policy Brief as a new stand-alone article type on F1000Research. A Policy Brief is valuable to communicate policy recommendations. They are clear and concise articles written for non-specialist audiences. Evidence of policy-related issues and the proposed solutions are presented in non-technical and jargon-free language, so they are an effective way of bringing important research and evidence-based policy to the attention of local authorities, policy makers and governments.

The short length and plain language format provide an accessible overview and is context-specific for a target audience. By offering these stand-alone articles on our open research platform, we hope to support researchers’ efforts, increasing the visibility and dissemination of the recommendations to maximize their impact.

Once published, the Policy Brief will undergo transparent and post-publication peer-review, so the information can be read and used while expert reviewers assess it. All peer review reports will be published alongside the article.

Preparing a Policy Brief

A Policy Brief can be as brief as authors feel is necessary to present an evaluation of a policy-related issue that is both practical and evidence-based. They should present the problem, provide implications or actionable recommendations, and the evidence to support the proposed solutions. The article should be no more than 3000 words.

See the article guidelines page for more guidance and information about writing a Policy Brief for F1000Research.

Hot off the press

F1000Research has published its first Policy Brief! Featured in the Research on Research, Policy & Culture Gateway, the article shares a new protocol for science diplomacy to support the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Read Global resilience through knowledge-based cooperation: a new Protocol for Science Diplomacy [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review] now to see a live example of this new article type in practice.

Please get in touch if you have any questions and start submitting your Policy Briefs.