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Student researcher

Go from topic panic to a source-backed brief with visible caveats.

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Student researcher

Students turning a broad question into a cited, defensible brief. · Go from topic panic to a source-backed brief with visible caveats.

Lessons4Time~85 minArtifactA one-page trusted-source brief: question, source table, claim map, and citation caveats.Levelbeginner
Before you start
  • Assignment topic chosen
  • Basic familiarity with web search
0%0/4 steps

Workbench downloads

Free templates for the brief. Fill them before you trust an AI answer — no account required.

Path artifact

A one-page trusted-source brief: question, source table, claim map, and citation caveats.

Finish every lesson and you should have: A one-page trusted-source brief: question, source table, claim map, and citation caveats..

Narrow the question

10 minPerplexity

Rewrite the assignment into one answerable question, one boundary, and one thing you will not claim.

Pitfall
Starting with a search prompt before you know what counts as a source.
Verification
A reader can tell what evidence would change your mind.
→ See playbook step 1 in detail

Collect sources in two passes

25 minSemantic Scholar

Use Semantic Scholar or Perplexity for the first pass, then save only opened sources into Zotero or your notes.

Pitfall
Counting cited answer cards as bibliography entries without opening the links.
Verification
Every source row has a URL, date checked, source type, and one reason it belongs.
→ See playbook step 2 in detail

Map claims to evidence

30 minNotebookLM

Write three claims and attach the strongest source, weakest source, and caveat for each.

Pitfall
Letting a summary tool flatten disagreement between sources.
Verification
No claim survives without at least one source and one named limitation.
→ See playbook step 3 in detail

Ship the brief, not the chat

20 minZotero

Turn the source table into a one-page brief with a methods note and explicit citation warnings.

Pitfall
Pasting generated prose where the assignment asked for your reasoning.
Verification
Someone can audit your source trail without reading your prompt history.
→ See playbook step 4 in detail
Finish line

You should now have: A one-page trusted-source brief: question, source table, claim map, and citation caveats..

  • A reader can tell what evidence would change your mind.
  • Every source row has a URL, date checked, source type, and one reason it belongs.
  • No claim survives without at least one source and one named limitation.
  • Someone can audit your source trail without reading your prompt history.