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Write the research brief

Open Research requests and choose Create research request. The intake keeps the request, supporting files, and outside sources together from the beginning.

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Step 1: Describe the goal

Answer four questions in the brief:
  1. What decision are you making? Site selection, acquisition, underwriting, market entry, entitlement, outreach, or another goal.
  2. Where should Ploti research? Name a market, jurisdiction, corridor, address, portfolio, or other study area.
  3. What criteria matter? Include thresholds, exclusions, rankings, and definitions that could change the result.
  4. What should the deliverable contain? Ask for a map, comparison table, ranked list, memo, cited ordinance answer, file, or a combination.

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Example

State how Ploti should handle uncertainty. For example: preserve missing values, distinguish facts from assumptions, and cite regulatory conclusions.

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Step 2: Add documents

Attach any material that defines the assignment or improves the evidence:
  • Client or investment briefs
  • Offering memoranda and site packages
  • PDFs and Word documents
  • Spreadsheets, CSVs, JSON, or GeoJSON
  • Maps, screenshots, and images
Files can be up to 100 MB each. This step is optional.
Step 2 of a Ploti research request, showing the optional supporting-document upload area, supported file types, 100 MB file limit, and Continue and Skip controls.

Add a supporting brief, report, spreadsheet, data file, or image, or skip this optional step.

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Step 3: Add outside sources

Add public web addresses Ploti should inspect. For each URL, include a note explaining what matters—for example, a planning department page, an ordinance library, a utility service map, or a portfolio page. This step is also optional. Ploti can still locate relevant public sources during the research.
Step 3 of a Ploti research request, showing the optional outside-source URL field, Add control, and Check data and start button.

Add a relevant public URL before starting the data check, or continue without one.

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Submit and leave it running

After submission, Ploti creates a request page and begins the data-readiness check. The work is attached to the request, so you can safely close the page and return from Research requests.
Research request showing Checking your data, agent activity, and the submitted brief for finding coffee shop space around Winter Garden, Florida.

Ploti checks available data for a submitted coffee shop site search in Winter Garden, Florida.

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Next step

Data readiness

Learn how Ploti evaluates available data and handles gaps.