Literature Scans & Evidence Briefings

Staying on top of emerging research is increasingly challenging. Thousands of new studies, preprints, and technical reports are published every month, and even well-resourced teams struggle to keep pace. When your work depends on understanding the latest evidence, you need timely, reliable insights without wading through dense academic papers.

Literature scans and evidence briefings distil key information from recent publications into clear, plain-language summaries tailored to your needs. These briefings help you understand what’s new, what’s changing, and what matters for your organisation or programme, without the time burden of reading every paper yourself.

What a Scan or Briefing Provides

A focused, accessible overview of the research that matters to you

Each briefing synthesises the most relevant publications on your chosen topic and presents the essential information in a structured, easy-to-understand format. Depending on your requirements, this may include:

  • the research question or purpose

  • key findings and their implications

  • methodological approaches

  • limitations and uncertainties

  • links to source papers

The goal is to provide clarity and insight, allowing you to make evidence-informed decisions with confidence.

Tailored to Your Topic and Depth

Briefings can be as broad or as focused as you need

You may want updates on a general theme (e.g., nature-based solutions, community resilience, coastal hazards, biodiversity monitoring) or on a very specific research question. Summaries can highlight only the aspects most important to your work, such as study findings, methodological innovations, geographic focus, policy relevance, or analytical techniques.

These briefings can also extract structured details such as species, study sites, data types, or analytical tools, depending on your project needs.

Flexible Delivery Options

Choose the rhythm and format that works for you

Some organisations prefer regular updates (monthly, quarterly, or aligned to project cycles), while others need one-off summaries for a particular purpose, such as preparing a proposal, designing a programme, or staying aware of developments in an emerging topic.

Briefings can be delivered individually, in small batches, or on an ongoing basis.

When to Choose This Service

Keep on top of the literature

Literature scans and evidence briefings are particularly useful when you want:

  • a rapid understanding of recent developments

  • accessible summaries for non-specialist audiences

  • support for internal decision-making or programme design

  • evidence to inform policy discussions or strategic planning

  • early awareness of emerging trends or risks

If you need a deeper or more comprehensive synthesis of the evidence, you may be better served by a Literature Review or Evidence Synthesis service.

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I’d love to chat about your research or writing needs

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