From blank page to finished paper
New to research? Follow this step-by-step guide to go from brainstorming a topic to writing your complete research paper using Cerise Scholar.
Stage 01
Brainstorm Your Research Topic
Every great research paper starts with a question. Think about what fascinates you, what problems you see in the world, or what gaps exist in current knowledge.
What to do
- Identify a broad area of interest (e.g., student mental health, technology impact, geopolitical effects)
- Narrow it down to a specific question (e.g., 'How does geopolitical uncertainty affect student career planning?')
- Write a preliminary hypothesis — what do you think the answer is?
- Identify your Independent Variable (what causes the effect) and Dependent Variable (what you're measuring)
Tips
- ★Your topic should be specific enough to research but broad enough to find sources
- ★Check if there's enough existing literature — you need sources to build on
- ★Make sure your hypothesis is testable — can you measure the variables?
Ready to start your research?
Create a free account and follow the steps above.