The research brief

Start from the decision, not the topic. "Should we open a second location in Surrey" is a research question; "the Surrey market" is a browsing session. Write down what decision this feeds, who makes it, and what would have to be true for the answer to be yes.

Then set the evidence standard before you look at anything. Which claims need a primary source, which can rest on credible secondary reporting, and which are allowed to be estimates clearly labelled as such. Setting this first is what stops the standard from quietly relaxing as the deadline approaches.