1. Research Scope, Issues and Sources
Purpose, instructions, legal issues, research questions, primary and secondary sources and format strengths and weaknesses.
How to study the CPQ Foundation stage
Prepare each separately assessed component on its own terms, then connect law, regulation, client service and research across the full stage.
Core concepts
Concept 1
A research task begins with the client or supervisor's purpose, jurisdiction, facts, scope and deadline.
Exam cue: Write a scope statement before searching.
Concept 2
Legal issues must be converted into answerable research questions.
Exam cue: Separate missing facts from questions of law.
Concept 3
Primary authority and secondary commentary perform different roles and carry different weight.
Exam cue: Use secondary sources to orient and primary sources to support conclusions.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Searching before understanding the question.
Guardrail: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Treating commentary as binding authority.
Guardrail: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Ignoring jurisdiction or effective date.
Guardrail: Do not mix module boundaries, confuse marks with item counts, exceed professional authority or rely on an outdated or unverified legal source.
Memory anchors
Research scope
Purpose, facts, issues, jurisdiction, date, output and deadline.
Source hierarchy
Primary authority supports; secondary material explains and locates.
Issue tree
Break the problem into elements, exceptions, remedies and missing facts.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
A supervisor asks, 'Can our client end the agreement?' What should the researcher clarify first?
Why should missing facts be separated from legal questions?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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