Research Workflow in Cerise Scholar
Updated May 13, 2026
Learn how to move from project idea to sources, notes, literature review rows, synthesis, citations, and draft sections.
Workflow strip
Project -> Sources -> Notes -> Literature Review Table -> Synthesis -> Draft -> Citations
Project
Sources
Notes
Literature Review Table
Synthesis
Draft
Citations
1. Start with a research project
A project keeps your research question, source materials, notes, evidence rows, citations, and draft sections connected. Start one project per paper, assignment, thesis idea, or research question.
2. Add sources and materials
Add PDFs, readings, source links, course notes, datasets, and article references that belong to the selected project. Keep unrelated materials out of the project so your evidence stays clean.
3. Turn sources into notes
Use notes to capture claims, quotes, variables, methods, findings, limitations, and source context. Notes should help you remember why a source matters, not just summarize the article.
4. Build the literature review table
Convert source notes into evidence rows. A good literature review table helps compare studies, identify themes, track methods, notice gaps, and prepare synthesis.
5. Move into synthesis
Use evidence rows to develop claims, mechanisms, comparisons, and section-level arguments. Synthesis is where the project moves from collecting information to explaining what the evidence means.
6. Manage citations and references
Keep citations connected to source context. Before drafting, review whether each claim has evidence and whether each source is properly tied to the project.
7. Draft and review your paper
Move from synthesis into draft sections. Review evidence, citations, gaps, and unclear claims before exporting or submitting work.
8. Use Course Library alongside research
Course Library supports skill-building, such as evidence synthesis, citation mapping, and methods review. Course progress should support research work without replacing project-level evidence tracking.
9. Workflow best practices
Keep one active project selected, make next steps specific, avoid opening unrelated tools, keep notes linked to sources, and review citations before writing final claims.
10. Where to go next
Use Research Desk for project work, Course Library for skill support, Getting Started for setup, and Contact Us if something in the workflow is confusing.