Starfield crafting and research guide: how to unlock and make new items

Advance the field of science so that you can make your guns shoot better.

A red-bearded Starfield standing in a triumphant pose while wearing an engineer's worksuit.

The research lab

Research categories, how to research, research skills.

  • Crafting guide

Crafting and research are key to your adventure in Starfield , and though they can be a little overwhelming, once you understand how it all works they're pretty simple systems. By doing research to unlock new items and mods, and then crafting them using resources collected out in space, you can gain a real edge over all the Spacers and other dangers in the game. 

A screenshot of a computer terminal in the Research Lab of the Lodge in Starfield.

To get started doing research in Starfield, the first step is to find a research lab. You'll find one of these little computer consoles in the spaceship you start with, but I find the best place to go is the Lodge in New Atlantis . You can fast travel there with ease, and there's a lovely setup for all your research and crafting needs in the basement. 

Alternatively, you might want to build yourself a little den of science at one of your outposts—check out our Starfield outpost guide for more info on that. 

Pharmacology

A screenshot showing the Performance Enhancement I research project in Starfield.

Learn how to make new drugs and medical supplies. Very useful if you love stacking buffs on yourself.

Food and Drink

A screenshot showing the Old Earth Cuisine I research project in Starfield.

Learn how to make meals that can restore health and provide other buffs. I've found this one the least useful, as there are usually better aid items to be found in Pharmacology—but then I do have Alien DNA which makes food less effective for me, so maybe it's just me…

Outpost Development

A screenshot showing the Manufacturing I research project in Starfield.

Learn how to make new buildings that can be placed at your outposts. Very useful if you intend to go big on building bases. Pick projects carefully depending on the kind of building you like to do—for example, some buildings are purely cosmetic, while others have specific useful functions.

A screenshot showing the Helmet Mods 1 research project in Starfield.

Learn how to make new upgrade mods for your helmet, spacesuit, and boost pack. These are handy for increasing things like your oxygen and boost pack capabilities, but you'll find Weaponry has a bigger impact on what you can get away with in combat.

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A screenshot showing the Barrel Mods 1 research project in Starfield.

Learn how to make new upgrade mods for your guns. Easily the most important one, I've found—you'll find yourself in gunfights all the time, and mods will enable you not only to make your weapons more powerful, but also tweak them to your preferred playstyle with things like scopes and silencers.

Click through to one of these categories, and you'll discover a list of projects ready to be researched. Each covers multiple new items—Barrel Mods I under Weaponry, for example, unlocks new barrel mod options for all the different guns in the game. 

A screenshot of the Research Lab interface in Starfield, showing the different research categories and current research in progress.

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To research a project within a category, you just need to click on it and feed the relevant resources into it from your inventory. Helmet Mods 1, for example, requires three Tungsten, two Cosmetic, and three Polymer. Pay the cost, and the project is complete—you don't have to wait for it to finish or anything like that.

Sometimes you won't even have to pay the full cost. When you complete a particular resource requirement, there's a chance of receiving an "overflow" bonus, which automatically fills out some of the other resource requirements of the project for free. Using that Helmet Mods 1 example, if you handed over the three Tungsten, and got an overflow, it might give you the two Cosmetic for free. This means that even if you don't have all the resources you need to complete a project, as long as you have enough for one or two steps, it may be worth feeding them in anyway for a chance at not actually needing the bits you're missing after all. 

Past the initial set, most research projects are gated by your Starfield skills . Unfortunately, unlocking them isn't as easy as just dumping points in one science-based skill—each category of research demands a different category of skill, and progressing in them all can mean investing a lot of points, especially as you need to rank them up further to do more demanding projects.

The skills relevant to research are the following:

Chemistry (Science)

Determines what Pharmacology projects you can complete. It may take you a while to get this one—it requires eight points invested in Science skills before you can even start putting points in Chemistry. 

Gastronomy (Social)

Determines what Food & Drink projects you can complete. This is an easy one to get—it's available without any other investment in Social skills, and many backgrounds start with it already picked. It's annoying, however, that it isn't in the Science tree, because it means that points invested here aren't getting you any closer to other relevant research and crafting skills.

Outpost Engineering (Science)

Determines what Outpost Development projects you can complete. Like Chemistry, this one requires eight points in Science, so if building bases is your main focus in Starfield, my advice is to invest early and often in this skill category. 

Spacesuit Design (Science)

Determines what Equipment projects you can complete. Only four points in Science skills are needed to get to this one, so it's a good one to grab early on.

Weapon Engineering (Science)

Determines what Weaponry projects you can complete. Like Spacesuit Design, it's only four points deep in the Science tree—for the impact it'll have on combat, that makes it well worth taking. 

Research Methods (Science)

While this skill doesn't gate any of your research projects, it's still worth considering because it makes them cheaper. If you're struggling with finding enough resources for your projects, it's a good pick, but only if you're happy to rank it up to max ASAP—the early bonuses are quite small, but by rank four you're spending 60% less resources and getting overflow bonuses twice as often. 

The only other thing to note with these skills is that levelling up in Starfield isn't as simple as just assigning points—once you have your first rank in a skill, you have to complete a challenge to unlock the ability to advance to the next rank. In the case of these skills, however, that usually just means crafting a certain amount of items, so as long as you're actually making the stuff your research is unlocking, you should be able to keep up. Speaking of crafting…

Starfield crafting guide

A crafting workstation in a Starfield research lab.

Once you've researched some projects, it's time to turn theory into action and actually craft some of the goodies you've unlocked. Again, the perfect place to do this is the Lodge, because it has all the crafting stations ready for you in one room in the basement, and you can just fast travel there whenever you like. Some ships do have crafting stations—the starting ship has a Galley where you can make food, for example—but I'm yet to find one with the complete suite, and though you can build crafting stations at your outpost for a more home-made feel, it can (ironically) take a while to unlock them all and gather the resources needed to make them.

Speaking of outposts—though outpost buildings are made using resources, they're not actually crafted at a crafting station. You just plonk them down in build mode when you're managing your outpost. 

The crafting stations at your disposal include:

Cooking Station (or Galley)

Used to craft food and drink. One thing to be careful of at this station is that many meals use as their ingredients other items that can be eaten or drunk in their own right. An Alien Sandwich, for example, requires bread, but you can just eat bread on its own if you prefer, so make sure you're not cooking away anything you'd rather munch on raw. Or put on display at your outpost, I suppose.

Industrial Workbench

A Starfield player character looking at an Industrial Workbench in a research lab.

Used to turn raw resources like metals into more specific items such as wire and building frames, which can then be used for research projects, other crafting, or making outpost buildings. It can be a little confusing to know what you need from here—my advice is to only make stuff once you know exactly what you need, rather than filling your inventory with Adaptive Frames and then discovering you have no use for them.

Pharmaceutical Lab

Used to craft drugs and medical supplies, for keeping yourself in tip-top shape—or better than tip-top, if you indulge in performance-enhancers. 

Spacesuit Workbench

Used to craft and install mods for your spacesuit, helmet, and boost pack. Simply click on the relevant object, and you'll be taken to a list of different mod types that can be applied to it—from there, you can make and apply them.

Weapons Workbench

A Starfield screenshot of the mod selection interface for a silenced sniper rifle.

Used to craft and install mods for your guns. Just like spacesuit modding, all you need to do is click on a gun, pick a category for that gun (such as barrel, scope, or stock), and you'll be presented with the relevant options available for crafting. Keep in mind that different guns have different mod slots, and different mods that can be placed in those slots. Not every gun can have a laser sight, for example, and you can't change an Old Earth Hunting Rifle's stock.

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how to start research project starfield

Task Search

All interactive maps and locations, how to complete starfield research projects with console commands.

Completing research projects can be quite the time investment, requiring you to craft and gather various materials in order to unlock new outpost buildings, recipes, and mods. If you’re on PC and looking for a shortcut, you may be considering spawning in the relevant materials using Starfield console commands - but there’s an even faster way to achieve the same result using the Research Project console commands below.

Complete Research Projects Starfield Cheat

The console command to instantly complete* a Starfield Research Project is:

In order for this cheat to work, you’ll need to enter the specific Research ID for the research project you wish to autocomplete (without brackets).

We've put together a table below with all the Research Project IDs we can find, but if we're missing one you need, you can find it yourself using the command console.

How to Find Starfield Research Project ID

To find a Research Project ID, you'll need to search for one word from the relevant project, in the following format:

So for example, help spacesuit 4 RSPJ would show you the codes for each spacesuit mod.

Starfield-research-cheats.jpg

All Starfield Research Project IDS

Pharmacology
Medical Treatment 1 00389EEA
Medical Treatment 2 00389EEB
Medical Treatment 3 00389EEC
Performance Enhancement 1 00389EEF
Performance Enhancement 2 00389EF0
Performance Enhancement 3 00389EF1
Innovative Synthesis 1 00389EF4
Innovative Synthesis 2 00389EF5
Innovative Synthesis 3 00389EF6
Food and Drink
Mixology 1 00389EF9
Mixology 2 00389EFA
Mixology 3 00389EFB
Beverage Development 1 00389EFD
Beverage Development 2 00389EFE
Beverage Development 3 00389EFF
Old Earth Cuisine 1 00389F01
Old Earth Cuisine 2 00389F02
Old Earth Cuisine 3 00389F03
Exotic Recipes 1 00389F05
Exotic Recipes 2 00389F06
Exotic Recipes 3 00389F07
Outpost Development
Manufacturing 1 00389F11
Manufacturing 2 00389F12
Manufacturing 3 00389F13
Resource Extraction 1 00389F0B
Resource Extraction 2 00389F0C
Decoration 1 00100B8B
Decoration 2 00100B8A
Decoration 3 00100B8C
Horticulture 1 00389F09
Horticulture 2 00389F0A
Domestication 1 003E3D4D
Domestication 2 003E3D4E
Power Generation 1 00389F14
Power Generation 2 00389F15
Power Generation 3 00389F16
Robots 1 00389F0F
Robots 2 00389F10
Outpost Defense 1 00389F0D
Outpost Defense 2 00389F0E
Equipment
Pack Mods 1 000C11A5
Pack Mods 2 000C11A6
Pack Mods 3 000C11A7
Spacesuit Mods 1 001520B9
Spacesuit Mods 2 00178D03
Spacesuit Mods 3 00178D1A
Helmet Mods 1 00178D1B
Helmet Mods 2 00178D1C
Helmet Mods 3 00178D1D
Weaponry
Barrel Mods 1 00389F18
Barrel Mods 2 00389F19
Magazine and Battery Mods 1 00389F1A
Magazine and Battery Mods 2 00389F1B
Magazine and Battery Mods 3 00380C4D
Optic and Laser Mods 1 00389F1C
Optic and Laser Mods 2 00389F1D
Optic and Laser Mods 3 00389F1E
Internal Mods 1 00389F1F
Internal Mods 2 00389F20
Internal Mods 3 00389F21
Grip and Stock Mods 1 00389F22
Grip and Stock Mods 2 00389F23
Grip and Stock Mods 3 00389F24
Receiver Mods 1 00389F25
Receiver Mods 2 00389F26
Muzzle Mods 1 00389F27
Muzzle Mods 2 00389F28
Muzzle Mods 3 00389F29

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Starfield

Starfield: How The Research Lab Works

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The best game on every playstation console, monopoly go: roaring discoveries event guide (august 11-12), quick links, what does the research lab do, how to use the research lab, research progress overflow explained, how to improve research lab efficiency, unique research projects, where to find research labs.

The worlds of Starfield are extremely dangerous, and you’ll need to keep on top of your research at the Research Lab so you can upgrade your equipment and spacesuit. You never know when you might encounter the ruthless Crimson Fleet or hazardous planet surface conditions or, dare we say, have a run-in with a bloodthirsty Terrormorph.

Related: Starfield: How To Find Structural Materials

That’s why you should collect every resource and material you can find on your space-faring adventures so that you can fully utilize the Research Lab and learn new crafting schematics from outpost structures to weapon mods and everything in between.

Starfield: Research Lab

Before you can craft an item, whether it be optics and lasers for your weapons or cooking up a meatloaf at a Cooking Station, you’ll need to unlock how to craft it in the Research Lab.

The Research Lab features five research categories:

  • Pharmacology
  • Food And Drink
  • Outpost Development

Each category has a series of research projects. The available research projects are displayed on each Research Lab's main menu.

You must level up your skills to carry out higher-level projects. At the start of the game, you can research all level-one projects (as long as you have the resources available).

Starfield: Research Projects

To complete a research project, you are required to deposit resources and materials into the Research Lab . Each item that is deposited will be consumed .

For example, if you wanted to learn how to cook Meatloaf, you would need to complete the Old Earth Cuisine level one project, requiring that you deposit the following items into the Research Lab:

Once you complete a project, you’ll then be able to craft each item at their corresponding crafting stations, in this case, the Meatloaf at the Cooking Station.

Advanced research projects will require more materials and deposits to unlock.

Starfield: Research Progress Overload

When you deposit resources into a project, you may make a “Sudden Development” in research , rewarding you with other bonus materials . Research Overflow can even complete a research project if you’re lucky.

Due to Research Overflow, It’s a good idea to deposit materials you carry a lot of since you could potentially use them to fill in materials you don’t have for the project.

Starfield: Research Methods Skill

Starfield wouldn’t be a Bethesda RPG without an extensive skill tree. There are a plethora of skills and certifications to unlock to improve your character's abilities and skills, and the Research Lab is no exception.

The Research Methods skill is a Novice Science skill that reduces the cost of required resources and the number of resources required to complete a research project.

The Research Methods skill has four ranks that increase the potency of the skill’s effect with each rank, but you must complete each rank’s challenge before you can purchase it with a skill point.

Starfield: Special Projects

Not all research projects are automatically displayed in the Research Lab. Some projects are locked behind specific skills .

The Special Projects skill found under the Master Science skill tree will allow you to research experimental projects and craft rare, exotic, and unique items .

The Gastronomy skill found under the Novice Social skills tree allows you to cook and research unique food and drink recipes .

You'll want to carefully consider which character background you choose for your character since this could give you access to unique research projects quicker than usual.

Starfield: Ship Research Station

Research Labs can be found all over the galaxy! In fact, you’ll never be far from a Research Lab since you'll have one aboard your ship . Furthermore, you'll find countless Research Labs in major settlements like the bustling city of New Atlantis and facilities that you find on remote planets.

The Constellation Lodge is a fantastic place to make a preliminary base since your room features a safe with infinite storage. As Walter Stroud states, the Lodge has every type of crafting station you could possibly need, including a Research Lab.

Next: Starfield: How To Make Credits Quickly

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how to start research project starfield

how to start research project starfield

Starfield - Research Project Guide

September 19, 2023 James Starfield 0

Starfield - Research Guide

Research Guide for Starfield

How to research, go to the research lab.

You can conduct or start a research project at the Research Lab. The Research Lab can be found on your ship and in major settlements.

The first Research Lab you’ll come across is in New Atlantis, located in the basement of The Lodge. Access the research lab terminal to access all available research projects.

Research Lab Location

To find the Research Lab, you must enter the Jemison planet in the Alpha Centauri system.

Head to New Atlantis City and proceed to The Lodge. Follow the path on the right towards the basement to find the room with research project terminals.

Choosing a Research Project

Once you access the terminal, you will have to choose an item you want to research from the five categories of research projects.

Select a project within the category and input the materials required to start the research project. Note that it is not necessary to input all the materials required at once since the research will still progress even if you input a small amount.

Furthermore, even if you leave the research lab, all your progress will be saved, allowing you to resume the project from where you left off even if you go to other research labs.

Types of Research Project

Type Details
Unlocks crafting recipes for aiding items and items that cure status ailments.
Unlocks crafting recipes for consumable items and items that increase stats.
Unlocks modules that allow you to build outposts (storage, mines, and research hubs).
Unlocks crafting recipes for armor mods that can be used to modify your armor’s stats.
Unlocks crafting recipes for weapon mods that can be used to modify your weapon’s stats.

Starfield List of All Recipes (Research Project)

Complete a Research Project to unlock a new one

Completing a research project allows you to unlock a new one that depends on the “Research Tree”.

You can check out the branches of research projects in the “Research Tree” menu.

There are Research Projects that require Special Skills

Some research projects may require you to use advanced, expert, master skills.

Skills List Coming soon!

What are Research Projects?

Unlocks crafting recipes and information about items and equipment.

Research Projects provide information about items and equipment upon completion. The information you acquire allows you to acquire recipes to craft these items and equipment.

“Research Lab lets you discover new crafting recipes by completing research projects. Each research project requires materials in order to make progress. The materials needed can range from raw minerals extracted from planets, to organic substances extracted from alien creatures and plantlife, to manufactured components that can be made at an Industrial Workbench.”

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how to start research project starfield

What to research first in Starfield – Progression Guide

Image of Chris Carter

Very early on in  Starfield , you’ll board your first ship and can immediately start researching things. Whoa hold on now, don’t get too excited! Here’s what to start researching first.

What does researching do in  Starfield ?

Beyond the skill system and the confines of your equipment, you can research specific mechanics and unlock them for your playthrough. Much of it involves more options for crafting, including new food, medicine, and gear. You’ll kick this process off on your ship through the Research Laboratory . Researching requires materials, so you can’t just go willy-nilly and unlock everything immediately.

If you’re so inclined, you can pick up the “Research Methods” skill early on after leveling up , which reduces the resources required to craft items and complete research projects by 10%.

how to start research project starfield

When can you start researching things in  Starfield ? After the tutorial

After completing the initial mining cave tutorial, you’ll wake up, fend off some pirates, meet Barrett, and board your first ship. Inside of that very ship is where the first Research Laboratory is located. Interact with it to bring up the research menu.

A visual representation of the laboratory can be found in the image directly above.

how to start research project starfield

What to research first in Starfield

So there are several options right away to research:

  • Pharmacology
  • Food and Drink
  • Outpost Development,

Provided that you have the materials, equipment, and weaponry are good first choices to dive into, especially at higher difficulties. Equipment advancements will allow you to craft helmet mods in the early game, while weaponry will let you build up weapon mods. Both research categories are fairly easy to find materials for early on, making them an enticing option.

Pharmacology and Food and Drink aren’t bad early shouts either, as performance enhancements and buffs are extremely useful and simple to craft. Just take Alien Boba Tea, which provides an XP boost when consumed ! It’s one of the first things you can research at the laboratory through the Food and Drink category, under “Beverage Development 1.”

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Crafting and upgrading items and equipment have been a staple of Bethesda games for years, and Starfield does not stray from this long tradition. In fact, these mechanics are so heavily engrained into Starfield 's gameplay loop, that a considerable amount of play time will likely be devoted to gathering the materials required to use them. Luckily for players, this is not a bad thing, as Starfield goes to great lengths to make the system incredibly enjoyable.

At the center of this system is the Research Lab, the first step on any path to crafting or upgrading in Starfield. Instead of simply having access to the many recipes available in the game, here the player must first research the specific area they are wanting to work in. Working in conjunction with the game's many skills, the Research Lab ensures that every project feels like it was earned.

Related: Starfield: How to Fast Travel

Where to Find Research Labs in Starfield

Starfield-Research-Lab-Alone

Research Labs are very common in the world of Starfield , and finding them will never pose a significant challenge, especially once the player knows what they are looking for. The first lab that appears in the game will be found in the basement of the Lodge, which is Constellation's home base. The player's first ship, the Frontier, will also feature a Research Lab in the crew cabin.

When players head out into the Settled Systems, they are likely to find Research Stations at many of the areas built up in any way. Civilian Outposts, Abandoned Factories, even enemy-heavy areas, will usually feature a Research Lab. The only limit on their use is during combat or conversation.

How to Use Research Labs in Starfield

Starfield-Research-Lab-Main-Menu

Research Labs are the backbone of the crafting and upgrade system in Starfield, and they will be the first stop when players are looking to craft new items or mods. The Research Station is made up of the following five categories:

  • Chems and health items
  • Edible items that provide health and specific boosts
  • Research upgrades for personal outposts
  • Spacesuit, Pack, and Helemt Mods
  • Weapon Mods

Each of the five categories will have a selection of projects that are available from the beginning of the game. For example, completing the Helmet Mods 1 project in the Equipment category will allow the player to craft all mods associated with that project at the Spacesuit Workbench.

Once a player has completed a Level 1 project, they will then start the process of accessing the next near, such as Helmet Mods 2. When players begin reaching the second tier and higher, Research Labs begin to work in conjunction with Starfield 's skill trees .

How Research and Skills Work Together in Starfield:

Starfield-Research-Lab-Spacesuit-Design-Skill

When the player tries to begin the Helmet Mods 2 research project, they will notice that a key requirement is the Spacesuit Design skill, from Starfield 's Science skill tree . This means that players will have to use a skill point, which are gained through experience points, to unlock that specific skill. Some higher tier projects will even require more than one skill.

This interaction between research and skill is found throughout the research project. Researching better food items will require the Gastronomy skill, and better health items will require the Chemistry skill. As a result, each new set of unlocks feels like it was truly earned, and forces the player to truly consider how each skill point should be spent.

Related: Starfield: Every Status Affliction (& How to Heal Them)

Materials and Sudden Development:

Starfield-Cook-Sudden-Development

Each research project requires a certain 'recipe,' made up of various materials that the player will find in the world. Each material requirement will be clearly stated to the right of the corresponding project. When players begin to fill in these materials, there is the possibility of a 'Sudden Development' occurring. This mechanic randomly adds 'overflow' materials to the project, filling in some or all of a required material.

There are two chem items that players can use to influence both of these mechanics. Synapse Alpha lowers the material requirements of all research projects for 10 minutes. Neurajack does the same, but adds a 50% boost to the chances of a Sudden Development occurring during that same ten minutes.

Remember to store heavy materials in the Ship's cargo hold, as the Research Lab and crafting stations all draw from both personal inventory, and the cargo hold.

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Starfield | Research Projects - List & How To Unlock

Starfield | Research Projects - List & How To Unlock - GameWith

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The guide on how the Research Lab on your ship works in Starfield. Includes list of crafting recipes, how to craft, required materials, and recommended skill for research.

Table of Contents

  • Research Project List
  • Benefits of Research
  • How To Use Research Station?
  • What Is Research Lab?

Research Projects List

Tap to Jump
▼Pharmacology ▼Food and Drink ▼Outpost Development
▼Equipment ▼Weaponry

Pharmacology

Project NameRequired SkillsRequired Materials
Performance Enhancement 1NoneArgon x2
Medical TreatmentNoneAntimicrobial x3

Food and Drink

Project NameRequired SkillsRequired Materials
Old Earch Cuisinet 1NoneBread x3
Beverage Development 1NoneSpice x3
Mixology 1NoneAromatic x2

Outpost Development

Project NameRequired SkillsRequired Materials
Manufacturing 1NoneZero Wire x2
Resource Extraction 1Outpost Engineering Rank 1Drilling Rig x5
Decoration 1NoneStructural x3
Horticulture 1Outpost Engineering Rank1 Mag Pressure Tank x8
Domestication 1Outpost Engineering Rank1 Molecular Sieve x5
Power Generation 1Outpost Engineering Rank1Zero Wire x10
Robots 1NoneZeroWire x2
Outpost Defense 1Outpost Engineering Rank 2Zero Wire x8
Project NameRequired SkillsRequired Materials
Helmet Mods 1NoneTungsten x3
Spacesuit Mods 1Spacesuit Design Rank 1Polytextile x8
Pack Mods 1Spacesuit Design Rank 1Monopropellant x5
Project NameRequired SkillsRequired Materials
Barrel Mods 1NoneIron x3
Grip and Stock Mods 1NoneAluminum x3
Optic and Laser Mods 1NoneAluminum x3
Muzzle Mods 1Weapon Engineering Rank 1Titanium x5
Magazine and Battery Mods 1Weapon Engineering Rank 2Titanium x5
Internal Mods 1Weapon Engineering Rank 2Zero Wire x5
Receiver Mods 1Weapon Engineering Rank 3Isotopic Coolant x5

Why Do You Need Research?

Essential for creating & upgrading equipment.

Weapon Workbench

To craft equipment and weapons, you need the recipe from research. Without it, even if you have the materials, you can't craft a weapon with specific features , such as an optical laser.

Weaponry Takes Priority Over Equipment

Weaponfy mods

Researching Equipment allows for improving the helmet's oxygen or the pack's capability, while researching Weaponry unlocks weapon mods to gain more advantages in early-game combat .

How To Progress Research Projects?

Access research station on your ship or outposts.

Research station on your ship

During your journey, you will find several Research Stations. The first is located on your ship, the Frontier . Additionally, you can construct a Research Station when building an Outpost.

Select The Project You Want To Research

Research station select

From the Research Projects of 5 categories, choose the one that allows you to craft the items you want or enhance crafting abilities.

Materials And Skills Are Required

Materials Available

The projects that have available materials are highlighted with a yellow banner on the left side, and the available materials flash. If you don't have enough materials, you can use Track Project to help you search for them . Additionally, some projects require certain Skills to unlock.

Sudden Development May Happen

Sudden Development

Inputting the required amount of material may lead to a Sudden Development , which will distribute research progress overflow to other aspects of the project.

The "Research Methods" Skill Enhances Efficiency

Research Methods Rank4 Icon

RankEffect
1Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 10%.
2Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 20%.
3Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 40%.
4Sudden developments during research are twice as common. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 60%.

With the "Research Methods" science skill, research efficiency greatly increases by reducing required items and time needed . As rank increases, efficiency improves further.

What Does Research Lab Do?

Unlocks recipes to craft items.

Research Lab

The Research Lab allows you to unlock new crafting recipes by completing research projects , which require specific materials to make progress.

Collect Materials By Extracting Or Manufacturing

The materials needed can range from raw minerals from planets and organic substances from creatures to manufactured components at Industrial Workbench.

5 Types Of Recipes Can Be Unlocked

There are five categories of research:

  • Pharmacology:
  • Craft healing items and enhances the potency.
  • Food and Drink:
  • Create edible items with boosting effects.
  • Outpost Development:
  • Construct development modules at outposts.
  • Craft armor mods.
  • Craft weapon mods.

It is important to prioritize the categories you want to research. While all categories are important, It is best to focus on one first .

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how to start research project starfield

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How to craft and research in Starfield

How to craft and research in Starfield

Written by 

Tarran Stockton

Published 

9th Sep 2023 16:56

It's vital for players to understand how the crafting and research process works in Starfield, as it unlocks lots of new possibilities for progression with weapon mods, gear upgrades, and more. 

As a role-playing game in a multitude of ways, you can expect all the typical ways to progress, ranging from levelling up and gaining the different skills in Starfield , to finding or crafting new gear to equip and improve your stats.

To maximise the usefulness of your gear with upgrades and mods, keep reading for a full breakdown of how crafting and research work in the Bethesda RPG. 

Crafting & research explained

Crafting and research are two sides of the same system in Starfield, with the former defining what you build, and the latter defining what you can build . 

In the game, you can craft weapon mods, space suit upgrades, medicine, food, and outpost structures. 

Some of these things can be crafted from the start of the game, but for other stuff, you will need to begin researching them at a Research Station to unlock the crafting recipes. There are five areas of research in Starfield:

  • Food and Drink
  • Outpost Development
  • Pharmacology

a room with a Research Station and crafting stations in Starfield

For example, you can research the Helmet Mods One project in the Equipment category, which then unlocks new helmet mods that can be crafted at a Spacesuit Upgrade bench.

How to research

 To begin researching new projects, you will need to ensure you have the corresponding skill . Each category has a relevant skill that unlocks higher-tier projects. These are:

  • Chemistry (Pharmacology)
  • Astronomy (Food and Drink)
  • Outpost Engineering (Outpost Development)
  • Spacesuit Design (Equipment)
  • Weapon Engineering (Weaponry)

an image of how to research in Starfield

To complete a research project, you will need to select it from a Research Station , and then input the listed ingredients . If all the ingredients are entered, the research project will then finish, and the new crafting recipes that you can use will then be available at the relevant station. 

How to craft in Starfield

Crafting in Starfield requires you to use the relevant station , so if you want to make a weapon mod, interact with a Weapon Workbench. 

Staying with the same example of a weapon, select the gun you want to modify and then choose a component such as the barrel. You can then pick a specific mod to install and see the required ingredients for the crafting recipe on the right side of the screen.

an image showing how to craft in Starfield

Crafting works essentially the same for everything else: Medicine or stims are made at a Pharmaceutical Lab, food is crafted at a Cooking Station, and spacesuit upgrades can be done at a Spacesuit Upgrade bench.

The only thing you can craft that doesn't require you to visit a specific station is outpost modules, as these are crafted when you enter the outpost menu when exploring a planet. 

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Now that you know how to craft and research, for more Starfield guides, stick with GGRecon. Alternatively, take a look at the best mods , how to pick up and throw items , earn credits fast , or how to recruit crew .

Tarran Stockton

Established in 2019, we don’t just cover games - we live them. Our expert team is full of dedicated gamers, qualified journalists, and industry insiders who collectively boast decades of experience covering gaming and esports. This deep-rooted expertise allows us to provide authoritative and nuanced perspectives first-hand from a team who are playing, and researching every game covered on our website. 

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How Crafting and Research works in Starfield

Build skills.

If you’re going to head to the most distant reaches of Starfield’s universe to battle pirates, aliens, and goodness knows what else, you’re going to need some good tech. Then you’re going to want to modify that tech until it’s beautifully honed and looks good enough for NASA to hire you on the spot.

Starfield ’s extensive crafting and research systems are there to help you achieve that perfection. If you have the right Skills , access to a few crafting terminals, and a pile of resources, you’ll be able to improve your spacesuit, tune your weapons, build better outposts and even become a better cook.

How? Simply follow this guide to crafting and research in Starfield and become the craftiest astronaut this side of the milky way.

How crafting works in Starfield

How to unlock more crafting options in starfield.

To craft an item in Starfield you simply find the right Workbench, choose the item you want, and then pay the required resources to craft it.

There are five types of crafting workbench scattered across the universe. Luckily you won’t have to go hunting for them too hard, as you can find a room with all five - plus a Research Station - in a basement on New Atlantis.

Starfield crafting research guide

To get there, head to New Atlantis and fast travel to the Lodge. Just before the doorway leading through to the library (the one with the cool spinning anti-grav rings), turn right, go through the doorway pictured above, and take the stairs down. There you will find the following…

  • Spacesuit Workbench - Craft and apply mods to your spacesuits, helmets and packs.
  • Weapon Workbench - Upgrade weapons by crafting and applying mods to barrel, laser, optic, muzzle, grip and stock, magazine and battery, internal, and skin slots.
  • Cooking Station - Make food and drinks for your journey.
  • Pharmaceutical Lab - Craft chems and aid items to fix Afflictions and give you buffs in the field.
  • Industrial Workbench - Craft basic manufactured components for use in Outpost construction. To craft more advanced components you need to set up Resource Extractors at Outposts you have already built.

The crafting process is the same across all of these benches. When you highlight a crafting choice, a display on the right will list all of the components you need. If you have all of the components, you can craft the item right away.

Starfield crafting research

If you don’t have all of the components, press the Track button to help you find them. Once components are tracked a blue magnifying glass icon will appear next to these materials in the field.

In the beginning you might not be able to craft anything particularly advanced. To open up Starfield’s crafting options you need to advance the right Skills to unlock new research projects and then complete those research projects at Research Labs . Once the new mods are researched, they will be available to craft at Workbenches.

You will find all of the Skills you need in the Science Skill Tree .

  • Research Methods doesn’t unlock any new mods to research, but it does reduce the cost of research projects.
  • Spacesuit Design lets you research more spacesuit, helmet and pack mods.
  • Weapon Engineering unlocks new weapon mod research options.
  • Chemistry unlocks new Chem research options.
  • Outpost Engineering Lets you research new Outpost modules at the Research Lab.

Starfield crafting research guide

Now it’s time to research those new crafting options ! You complete research projects at Research Lab terminals. Remember that some Aid items can help you to research more efficiently, so be sure to apply them to your character before you get started.

Once you have selected a research project you can contribute resources towards its completion bit by bit until all of the requirements are fulfilled. You can add resources to that project at any Research Lab you find, including the one on board your ship.

Every so often, Sudden Developments can occur. That may sound slightly alarming, but it’s a good thing. Sudden Developments reduce the amount of resources required for a project.

Starfield crafting research guide

There are five Research categories to match the five types of Workbench you can find:

  • Equipment lets you research new spacesuit, helmet and pack options.
  • Weaponry includes new weapon mod research projects.
  • Pharmacology covers new medical treatments and performance-enhancing chems.
  • Food and Drink gives you more meal options.
  • Outpost Development lets you research new Outpost modules.

Completing a research project can unlock further research options. Head to the Research Projects screen and look at the Research Tree to plan a route to the technology you really want.

That might sound like a lot of steps at first, but in practice it’s easy to do a quick lap of the terminals at the Lodge on New Atlantis, research a useful chem, craft a nice barrel for your space pistol, and then jet away to take on your next mission. We’re enjoying how many slots there are to tinker with on the game’s suits and weapons. What are your favourite mods?

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Starfield:Research Laboratory

The Research Laboratory provides a mechanism to expend materials to acquire new crafting recipes for consumables, outpost components, and equipment upgrades.

how to start research project starfield

Most projects require completion of previous projects in the research tree before they can be started. Some projects also require the player to possess certain Skills . There is no limit to the number of in-progress projects, either within or across categories.

  • 1.1 Sudden Developments
  • 2 Pharmacology
  • 3 Food and Drink
  • 4 Outpost Development
  • 5 Equipment

Mechanics & Game play [ edit ]

Interacting with a Research Lab opens the main Research menu, which displays the projects currently in progress for each category. Selecting one of the categories will open the projects list for that category, which displays all currently-visible projects. The current status of each project can be quickly assessed by the colored bar to the left of each entry:

  • Solid green bar - project completed. There will also be a large "Completed" label to the right of the entry.
  • Checkered green bar - project is in progress.
  • Checkered yellow bar - project is in progress, and the player has materials in their inventory that can be contributed to the project.
  • No bar - project is blocked or not started.

All level 1 projects for each category are visible by default, and have no skill requirements or prerequisites. Higher-level projects become visible as lower-level projects in the tree are finished, even if the player does not possess the skill needed to start the next project. For instance, the Performance Enhancement 2 project requires the Chemistry Rank 1 skill, and becomes visible after the player completes the Performance Enhancement 1 project even if the player does not possess Chemistry Rank 1. In these cases, the project is marked as Blocked in the Research Projects list, but the Required Skills, Required Materials, Research Tree, and Description for that project are still viewable. This allows players to plan their skill development and search for ingredients to craft items of interest.

Research projects are progressed by adding materials to the project. The numbers of required materials, and the amount of each material already added, are listed in the Research Materials window. The number of available materials in the player's inventory is also listed where applicable. When a player uses a Research Lab inside of or within range of their Home Ship, the inventory of the Home Ship is also considered.

Similar to the materials tracking system in Fallout 4, the materials required for each project can be tracked using the Track Project button. This will add magnifying glass icons to each material in the project's list, allowing the player to identify tracked items when they are encountered in the world.

Sudden Developments [ edit ]

how to start research project starfield

When adding a material to a project, there is a small chance of triggering a Sudden Development, which adds a random number of missing materials to the project. These "Overflow" materials allow the research to progress faster, even for projects which require rare or difficult-to-find materials. The chance of triggering a Sudden Development can be increased by acquiring ranks in the Research Methods skill, by taking certain chems, and by wearing certain apparel. The chance of triggering a Sudden Development also seems to increase when adding many items to the project at once, e.g., adding 10 Titanium has a higher chance of triggering a Sudden Development than adding 3 Titanium (verification needed).

Pharmacology [ edit ]

Pharmacology projects provide new recipes for synthesizing enhanced drugs, medicines, and other medically-related consumables. It has at least 12 projects.

Pharmacology Research Tree
Project Name Prerequisite Required Skills Materials Required Description
Performance Enhancement 1 None None x2
x2
x3
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Performance Enhancement 2 Performance
Enhancement 1

Rank 1
x10
x10
x5
x5
x5
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Performance Enhancement 3 Performance
Enhancement 2

Rank 2
x10
x10
x10
x5
x5
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Performance Enhancement 4 Performance
Enhancement 3

Rank 3
x20
x10
x10
x10
x8
Discover how to create at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Medical Treatment 1 None None x3
x2
x2
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Medical Treatment 2 Medical
Treatment 1

Rank 1
x10
x10
x10
x5
x5
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Medical Treatment 3 Medical
Treatment 2

Rank 2
x10
x20
x10
x10
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Medical Treatment 4 Medical
Treatment 3

Rank 3
x5
x20
x10
x10
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Innovative Synthesis 1 Medical
Treatment 4
Performance Enhancement 4
Rank 3
Rank 1
x3
x5
x10
x5
x5
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Innovative Synthesis 2 Innovative Synthesis 1 Rank 3
Rank 1
x5
x5
x10
x5
x5
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.
Innovative Synthesis 3 Innovative Synthesis 2 Rank 3
Rank 1
x10
x8
x10
x10
x5
x5
Discover how to create and at a Pharmaceutical Lab.

Food and Drink [ edit ]

Food and Drink projects provide new recipes for crafting foods and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. It has at least 16 projects.

Food and Drink Research Tree
Project Name Prerequisite Required Skills Materials Required Description
Old Earth Cuisine 1 None None Bread x3
Red Meat x2
Cheese x2
Discover how to prepare a Reuben and Meatloaf at a Cooking Station.
Old Earth Cuisine 2 Old Earth Cuisine 1 Gastronomy
Rank 1
Spice x5
Cheese x5
Egg x5
Butter x5
Poultry x5
Discover how to prepare Carbonara, Chicken Marsala, and Latkes at a Cooking Station.
Old Earth Cuisine 3 Old Earth Cuisine 2 Gastronomy
Rank 2
Spice x10
Nutrient x20
Beer x10
Poultry x10
Dairy x10
Egg x10
Discover how to prepare a Barbacoa Wrap, Chapaguri, and Chicken Tikka at a Cooking Station.
Beverage Development 1 None None Spice x2
Fiber x3
Water x3
Discover how to prepare Alien Tonic, Yellow Giant Splash, and Boba Alien Tea at a Cooking Station.
Beverage Development 2 Beverage
Development 1
Gastronomy
Rank 1
Aromatic x5
Benzene x5
Spice x5
Metabolic Agent x10
Tranquilitea Sunray x5
Discover how to prepare an Alien Energy Drink and Sunray Tonic at a Cooking Station.
Mixology 1 None None Aromatic x2
Alkanes x2
Spice x3
Discover how to prepare Alien Liquor at a Cooking Station.
Mixology 2 Mixology 1 Gastronomy
Rank 1
Aromatic x10
Spice x10
Liquor x5
Can-Uck! Poutine x5
Discover how to prepare Colonel's Choice and Lumberjack Julep at a Cooking Station.

Outpost Development [ edit ]

Outpost Development projects provide new recipes for crafting resource fabricators and extractors, furniture and decorations, power systems, flora and fauna management, outpost defenses, and other outpost-related items. It has at least 20 projects.

Outpost Management Research Tree
Project Name Skills Materials Description
Manufacturing 1 Requires no trained skills 2, 3, 3, 3
Manufacturing 2 at level 1 10, 5, 30, 30, 20, 20, 10
Manufacturing 3 Requires at level 2 20, 10, 5, 30, 40, 30, 30, 10
Resource Extraction 1 Requires at level 1 5, 8, 10, 30, 20, 10
Resource Extraction 2 Requires at level 2 5, 8, 20, 40, 20, 20
Decoration 1 Requires no trained skills Materials: 3, 3, 2
Decoration 2 Requires at level 1 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Decoration 3 Requires at level 2 30, 30, 20, 20, 30, 5
Horticulture 1 Requires and at level 1 8, 10, 10, 10, 10
Horticulture 2 Requires at level 2 and at level 1 10, 20, 20, 30, 30, 10
Domestication 1 Requires and at level 1 5, 10, 30, 30, 10
Domestication 2 Requires at level 2 and at level 1 8, 20, 40, 30, 30, 10
Power Generation 1 Requires at level 1 10, 8, 10, 30, 20, 10
Power Generation 2 Requires at level 2 23, 5, 3, 3, 20, 30, 30
Power Generation 3 Requires at level 3 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 5, 5, 30, 30
Power Generation 4 Requires at level 3 and at level 1 8, 30, 20, 10, 10, 5, 10, 40, 50
Robots 1 Requires no trained skills 2, 3, 3
Robots 2 Requires at level 1 8, 30, 8, 30, 30, 30, 10
Outpost Defense 1 Requires at level 2 8, 3, 30, 10, 5, 5
Outpost Defense 2 Requires at level 3 8, 3, 3, 30, 40, 10, 10

Equipment [ edit ]

Equipment projects provide new recipes for enhancements (mods) to Equipment, including Helmets, Spacesuits, and Packs. It has at least 9 projects.

Equipment Research Tree
Project Name Skills Materials Description
Helmet Mods 1 Requires no trained skills 3, 3, 3
Helmet Mods 2 Requires at level 1 5, 5, 8, 10, 10
Helmet Mods 3 Requires at level 2 8, 5, 8, 10, 30, 10
Spacesuit Mods 1 Requires at level 1 8, 5, 5
Spacesuit Mods 2 Requires at level 2 5, 5, 10, 10, 10
Spacesuit Mods 3 Requires at level 3 Materials: 8, 5, 8 10, 30, 20
Pack Mods 1 Requires at level 1 5, 8, 10, 10
Pack Mods 2 Requires at level 2 5, 10, 10, 8, 10
Pack Mods 3 Requires at level 3 and at level 1 10, 20, 10, 20, 10, 20

Weaponry [ edit ]

Weaponry projects provide new recipes for enhancements (mods) to Weapons. It has at least 19 projects.

Equipment Research Tree
Project Name Skills Materials
Barrel Mods 1 None 20, 20, 10
Barrel Mods 2 1 5, 10, 5
Grip and Stock Mods 1 None 3, 3, 3
Grip and Stock Mods 2 1 8, 5, 10
Grip and Stock Mods 3 2 10, 10, 20
Optic and Laser Mods 1 None 3, 2, 3
Optic and Laser Mods 2 1 8, 8, 10, 8
Optic and Laser Mods 3 2 10, 20, 20, 20
Muzzle Mods 1 1 5, 10, 5
Muzzle Mods 2 2 8, 10, 10, 10
Muzzle Mods 3 3, 1 10, 10, 17, 10, 20
Magazine and Battery Mods 1 2 5, 8, 5
Magazine and Battery Mods 2 3 8, 8, 10, 20, 10
Magazine and Battery Mods 3 3, 1 8, 20, 17, 30, 17
Internal Mods 1 2 5, 8, 10, 10
Internal Mods 2 3 8, 8, 10, 10, 10
Internal Mods 3 4 2, 10, 20, 10, 20, 10
Receiver Mods 1 3 5, 3, 10, 30, 10
Receiver Mods 2 4 7, 4, 17, 17, 17

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Section header image

  • Starfield Early Access Release Times Revealed 1
  • Starfield System Requirements: Minimum and Recommended Specs Revealed 2
  • How To Play Starfield Early Access Via Gamepass 3
  • How O2 & CO2 Work in Starfield: Use Available Oxygen Challenge 4
  • How to Pick Locks with the Digipick in Starfield 5
  • How to Highlight Loot and Scan Objects in Starfield 6
  • Starfield Lung Damage Explained: How to Cure Lung Damage 7
  • How to Store Items on Your Ship - How to Access and Upgrade the Cargo Hold in Starfield 8
  • How to Dock at Space Stations and Spaceships in Starfield 9
  • Where to Sell Contraband in Starfield 10
  • How to Change Your Appearance in Starfield 11
  • Difficulty Differences in Starfield 12
  • What is Starfield New Game Plus? 13
  • Where is House Va'Ruun? Can You Join The Faction in Starfield? 14
  • All Settlements in Starfield 15
  • 10 Best Starfield Backgrounds To Choose 16
  • Best Starfield Traits For All Playthrough Types 17
  • Best Starfield Skills To Use For All Builds 18
  • How to Use Hero Worshipped - Advantages and Disadvantages of The Adoring Fan 19
  • What Happened to Earth in Starfield? 20
  • Starfield Dream Home Guide: Location, Payments & More 21
  • Starfield Grav Jump Pending Explained 22
  • Starfield Grav Jump Guide: How to Grav Jump, Grav Jump Distance & Fuel 23
  • How to Use The Boostpack in Starfield 24
  • Starfield Planet Traits Explained: How To Unlock Them 25
  • How To Dock Safely in Starfield 26
  • All Romance Options in Starfield and How They Work 27
  • Can You Join Every Faction in Starfield? 28
  • How to Wait and Pass Time in Starfield 29
  • How to Get Rid of Your Bounty in Starfield 30
  • How to Rename Your Ship in Starfield 31
  • How to Get Vendors to Restock Their Money in Starfield 32
  • How to Earn Money Quickly in Starfield - Grinding Bounties for Credits 33
  • Starfield Easter Eggs: Landing Sites, Scientists, & Skyrim References 34
  • How to Disable Engines and Board Ships 35
  • How to Furnish Houses in Starfield 36
  • Where to Get Quantum Essence and How to Use It 37
  • Every Starfield Starborn Power and What They Do 38
  • Where To Sell Survey Data In Starfield 39
  • All Trade Authority Locations in Starfield 40
  • All Earth Landmarks in Starfield 41
  • All Skill Magazines in Starfield 42
  • How to Level Up Fast in Starfield 43
  • Who is The Mysterious Captain? - New Game + Trader Shop 44

Section header image

  • Starfield Stealth Sniper Build: Featuring Traits, Background & Skills 45
  • Starfield Melee (Ronin) Build: Best Skills, Backgrounds and Traits 46
  • Starfield Unarmed Build: Best Skills, Traits & Background 47
  • Best Unique Starfield Weapons in the Early Game 48
  • Where to find a Sniper Rifle in Starfield 49
  • All Melee Weapons in Starfield: Tips, Outfits, Skills & More 50
  • Best Weapons in Starfield For All Weapon Types 51
  • Best Stealth Weapons in Starfield 52
  • List of Particle Beam Weapons in Starfield 53
  • How to Find Your Parents in Starfield - Kid Stuff Trait Rewards and Encounters 54
  • Best Barrel Modifications in Starfield 55
  • Best Muzzle Modifications in Starfield 56
  • Best Laser Modifications in Starfield 57
  • Best Optic Modifications in Starfield 58
  • Best Receiver Modifications in Starfield 59
  • All Weaponry Research Projects - Unlocks, Crafting Costs & More 60

Section header image

  • All Crew Skills in Starfield 61
  • Best Companion Weapons in Starfield 62
  • Sam Coe Romance Guide in Starfield 63
  • Andreja Romance Guide in Starfield 64
  • Andreja's Starfield Companion Guide: Affinity, Stats, Location & More 65
  • Sarah Morgan Romance Guide in Starfield 66
  • Starfield's Sarah Morgan Companion Guide: Skills, Location & More 67
  • How to Complete Sarah's Companion Quest - In Memoriam 68
  • Barrett Romance Guide in Starfield 69
  • How to Complete Barrett's Quest - Breach of Contract 70

Section header image

  • List of All Freestar Collective Faction Quests in Starfield 71
  • How to Join Freestar Collective in Starfield 72
  • Deputized Walkthrough: How to Kill the Ruffians in Starfield 73
  • Where Hope is Built Walkthrough: How to Defeat the Outlaw Ships in Starfield 74
  • Shadows in Neon Walkthrough: Should You Attack or Persuade Emmet Goodman in Starfield 75
  • On The Run Walkthrough: Should You Kill or Help Marco in Starfield? 76
  • Surgical Strike Walkthrough: Where to Find Maya Cruz in Starfield 77
  • First to Fight, First to Die Walkthrough: Where to Find Paxton Hull in Starfield 78
  • The Hammer Falls Walkthrough: Spare or Kill Ron Hope in Starfield 79
  • List of All UC Faction Quests 80
  • How to Join the UC Vanguard in Starfield 81
  • Supra et Ultra: UC Vanguard Orientation & Exam 82
  • Grunt Work - How to Beat the Terrormorph 83
  • Delivering Devils Starfield Walkthrough - How to Get Percival Out of Debt 84
  • Eyewitness - How to Defeat The Spaceport Terrormorphs 85
  • Friends Like These - How to Gain All Three Factions Approval in Starfield 86
  • The Devils You Know - Where to Find Reginald Orlasse 87
  • War Relics - How to Get a Microcell 88
  • Hostile Intelligence - How to Get All The Terrormorph Samples 89
  • A Legacy Forged - Rewards For Completing The UC Vanguard Faction 90
  • All Crimson Fleet Faction Quests and Rewards 91
  • Deep Cover: How to Join the Crimson Fleet in Starfield 92
  • Burden of Proof: All 20 Evidence Locations 93
  • Rook Meets King: Save or Kill Austin Rake? 94
  • Echoes of the Past: The Lock, Krux's Legacy & Cell D-02-106 Cache 95
  • Breaking the Bank: Larry Dumbrosky and Earth Savior Award 96
  • The Best There Is: Huan Daiyu, Ensign Uniform & ComSpike 97
  • Absolute Power: How to Stealth Through Generdyne 98
  • Eye of the Storm: Side with UC SysDef or Crimson Fleet? 99
  • Legacy's End: Siding with the UC SysDef 100
  • List of All Ryujin Industries Faction Quests in Starfield 101
  • How to Join Ryujin Industries in Starfield 102
  • One Step Ahead Guide - Upload Program at CELTCORP 103
  • A New Narrative: Plant the Files at Laredo Firearms 104
  • Access is Key: Suit and Security Card Location 105
  • Sowing Discord Guide: Influence Arthur Cruz and Zola Adisa 106
  • Accidents Happen Walkthrough: Where To Plant the ARC Device in Starfield 107
  • Maintaining the Edge Walkthrough: How to Obtain the Schematic Undetected in Starfield 108
  • Top Secret Walkthrough: Retrieve The Projection Dominion Files in Starfield 109
  • Background Checks Walkthrough: How To Stealth Through Ryujin Tower 110
  • Guilty Parties Guide: Masako or Ularu 111
  • The Key Ingredient Guide 112
  • Sabotage: Best Way to Break into Infinity LTD 113
  • Executive Level: Acquire Infinity and Shelving the Project 114

Section header image

  • Main Quest List in Starfield 115
  • Follow Distortions on the Scanner Walkthrough for Starfield 116
  • Back to Vectera Walkthrough in Starfield 117
  • The Empty Nest Walkthrough in Starfield 118
  • Into the Unknown Mission Walkthrough in Starfield 119
  • Power from Beyond Walkthrough - How to Get Atmosphere and Grav Dash Powers 120
  • All That Money Can Buy Walkthrough 121
  • Starborn Walkthrough 122
  • Short Sighted Walkthrough - How to Fix The Eye 123
  • No Sudden Moves Walkthrough in Starfield: Persuade or Attack 124
  • High Price To Pay Walkthrough in Starfield: Who Dies & Fighting Hunter 125
  • Unity - How to Speak With All Three Religions 126
  • In Their Footsteps Walkthrough - Speaking to The Emissary and The Hunter 127
  • Missed Beyond Measure Walkthrough 128
  • Final Glimpses Walkthrough - Where to Get A Ship With 21LY Grav Jump 129
  • Entangled Walkthrough - How to Save Both Universes 130
  • Unearthed Walkthrough - Should You Side With The Hunter or The Emissary 131
  • Revelation Walkthrough - How to Complete Starfield's Final Battle 132
  • One Giant Leap Walkthrough - What Happens When You Choose to Become a Starborn 133
  • How to Complete the Lair of Mantis and Obtain The Legendary Razorleaf Ship 134
  • How to Complete First Contact in Starfield: All Outcomes Guide 135
  • Juno's Gambit: Save or Destroy Juno? 136
  • Keeping the Peace Side Quest in Starfield: Where to Find The Package 137
  • How to Find and Complete Run the Red Mile in Starfield 138
  • How to Complete Overdesigned in Starfield: Kepler R or Kepler S 139
  • Starfield Alternating Currents: Junction Box & Choice Walkthrough 140
  • Starfield Tapping The Grid Requires Computer Door Puzzle 141
  • Operation Starseed: Side with Genghis, Roosevelt or Amanirenas? 142
  • Groundpounder Walkthrough: How to Defeat the Spacers 143

Section header image

  • Almagest Station Casino: Jackpot Combination Solution 144
  • Neon City Map & Location Guide In Starfield 145
  • Akila City Map & City Guide in Starfield 146

Section header image

  • What Religion to Choose in Starfield 147
  • Serpent's Embrace - How to Use The Vah'Ruun Trait 148

Section header image

  • Where to Get a TerraCino for Donna in New Atlantis 149
  • A Tree Grows in New Atlantis Walkthrough 150
  • Beautiful Secrets: Warner's Lost Data Slate Location 151
  • Due in Full: How to Find Dieter Maliki 152
  • Should You Sell the Lucky Boots to Conrad - The Boot Walkthrough and Choices 153
  • Red Tape Blues Walkthrough - How to Become The Executive's Assistant 154
  • Red Tape Runaround Walkthrough - What to Do With The Govenor Hurst's Ship 155
  • Red Tape Reclamation Walkthrough - Should You Kill Henry? 156
  • Loose Ends: Save or Kill Felix Sadler? 157
  • What's in Izna's Evicted Sleepcrates in Ebbside? 158

Section header image

  • All Starfield Console Commands and Cheats 159
  • All Perks Console Item IDs for Starfield 160
  • All Armor and Weapon Item IDs in Starfield 161
  • The Best Starfield Mods and Tweaks 162

Section header image

  • The Weight Lifting Skill in Starfield: Increasing your Encumbrance 163
  • The Wellness Skill in Starfield: Increasing Your Health 164
  • How to Sneak Attack in Starfield - Completing the Stealth Challenges 165
  • The Security Skill in Starfield: Unlocking Master Level Locks 166
  • The Medicine Skill in Starfield: Increasing Your Healing Potency 167
  • The Astrodynamics Skill in Starfield: Increasing Your Grav Jump Distance 168
  • The Persuasion Skill in Starfield - Increasing Your Persuasion Success 169
  • The Commerce Skill in Starfield: Decreasing Shop Prices 170

Section header image

  • How to Buy and Upgrade Ships in Starfield 171
  • Best Ships For Sale - Narwhal Location and Stats 172
  • All Class C Ship Locations 173
  • All Starfield Ship Stats Explained - Max Crew, Mass, Hull and More 174
  • All Ship Errors and Warnings in Starfield - How to Fix Ship Builder Errors 175
  • Best Reactors in Starfield 176
  • How to Select Hab Variants - What Habs Do in Starfield 177
  • All Ship Weapons Explained - How to Use EM Weapons and Turrets in Starfield 178
  • What Do Ship Classes Mean - How to Unlock Class C Ships and Reactors 179
  • How to Get The Starborn Ship - Starborn Guardian Stats 180

Section header image

  • Outpost and Base Building Guide in Starfield 181
  • How to Remove an Outpost in Starfield 182
  • What is the Best Planet for your First Outpost in Starfield 183
  • Best Outpost Skills in Starfield 184
  • Starfield's Best Planets For Outposts: Best Outpost Locations Explained 185
  • A Guide To Starfield's Outpost Links & Connecting Outposts Together 186
  • Outpost Extractors: How to Extract Ores, Gases and Liquids in Starfield 187
  • How to Build Robots For Your Outpost in Starfield 188
  • How to Assign Crew to an Outpost 189
  • How Many Outposts Can You Have in Starfield? 190
  • How to Make Profit From Your Outposts in Starfield 191
  • How to Set Up a Simple Fabricator at an Outpost 192
  • Outpost Domestication: Setting Up an Animal Husbandry Facility 193
  • Outpost Horticulture: Setting Up a Greenhouse 194
  • All Outpost Research Projects and Costs 195
  • All Outpost Extractors and Building Costs 196
  • All Outpost Power Items and Building Costs 197
  • All Outpost Storage in Starfield and Building Costs 198
  • All Outpost Fabricators and Building Costs 199
  • All Outpost Crafting Stations and Building Costs 200
  • All Types of Outpost Furniture and Building Costs 201
  • All Outpost Structures and Building Costs 202
  • All Outpost Robots and Building Costs 203
  • All Outpost Displays and Costs 204
  • All Outpost Decorations and Building Costs 205
  • All Outpost Defenses and Building Costs 206
  • All Misc Outpost Items and Building Costs 207
  • Where to Find Tungsten in Starfield 208
  • Where to Find Titanium in Starfield 209
  • Starfield Caelumite Guide: Farm & Uses 210
  • How to Get Indicite Wafers in Starfield 211
  • How to Get High Tensile Spidroin in Starfield 212
  • Where to Find Helium-3 in Starfield 213
  • Where to Find Veryl in Starfield 214
  • Where to Find Nickel in Starfield 215
  • Where to Find Fiber in Starfield - Locations, Plants & Uses 216
  • Where to Find Sealant in Starfield - Locations, Plants & Uses 217
  • How to Get Polymer in Starfield 218
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Builds Research Projects

All weaponry research projects - unlocks, crafting costs & more.

how to start research project starfield

Time to start upgrading your weapons!

Weaponry Research Projects List ¶

how to start research project starfield

All Barrel Mod Research Projects ¶

Barrel Mods can impact a variety of things in your guns, from accuracy, to fire rate, damage, recoil control and aim down sight speed (ADS). Many of the best Barrel Mods require some research to unlock them. If you’re looking for a breakdown of the Best Barrel Mods, take a look at our Best Barrel Mod page!

Research Project Crafting Cost Skill Required Unlocks
Barrel Mods 1 x2 , x3 , x3 None , ,
Barrel Mods 2 x2 , x4 , x2 1★ , , ,

The Magnetic Rails increase the Rate of Fire and Damage!

The Magnetic Rails increase the Rate of Fire and Damage!

All Grip and Stock Mod Research Projects ¶

As the name suggests, this weapon mod category is all about improving your weapon’s grip and/or stock (the back bit of your gun). Many of these mods will impact aim down sight (ADS) or recoil, as well as range and accuracy. Some will give added stability and recoil control at the cost of ADS speed, whilst others like the Ergonomic Stock and Tactical Stock offer quicker ADS and accuracy.

Research Project Crafting Cost Skill Required Unlocks
Grip and Mods 1 x3 , x3 , x3 None , , ,
Grip and Mods 2 x4 , x3 , x2 1★
Grip and Mods 3 x4 , x8 , x4 2★

All Muzzle Mod Research Projects ¶

Muzzle Mods will modify the end bit of your gun, and can improve damage, accuracy and noise. In this category, you’ll find mods such as the Suppressor , which will be a popular mod amongst players who enjoy stealth missions! For more information on Muzzle Mods, you can head over to our guide on the Best Muzzle Mods .

Research Project Crafting Cost Skill Required Unlocks
Muzzle Mod 1 x5 , x5 , x10 1★ , ,
Muzzle Mods 2 x4 , x4 , x3 , x4 2★ , , Spread Nozzle, ,
Muzzle Mods 3 x8 , x8 , x4 , x4 , x4 3★, 1★ ,

Suppressor Muzzle Mods will reduce the sound of your gun shots.

Suppressor Muzzle Mods will reduce the sound of your gun shots.

All Magazine and Battery Mod Research Projects ¶

These Modifications can improve the ammo your gun uses or even increase the size of the magazine cartridges your weapon holds. Some of these mods will offer extra damage perks to your ammo, such as armor-piercing and electromagnetic beams. And, larger magazines mean you’ll have to reload less, making combat feel smoother!

Research Project Crafting Cost Skill Required Unlocks
Magazine and Battery Mods 1 x8 , x5 , x5 2★ , , , , Standard Whitehot Round,
Magazine and Battery Mods 2 x8 , x4 , x4 , x3 , x3 3★ , , , , , , , ,
Magazine and Battery Mods 3 x12 , x8 , x8 , x3 , x8 3★, 1★ , , , , ,

All Optic and Laser Mod Research Projects ¶

Researching Optic and Laser Mods will allow you to modify the sights and lasers on your gun. In the laser category, you’ll find different tiers of laser sights that offer visual aid and increased accuracy. And in the Optics category, you’ll find some more visual aids as well as magnified scopes that can turn your rifles into the ultimate sniper! Head over to our guides on the best laser mods and the best optic mods for more advice.

Research Project Crafting Cost Skill Required Unlocks
Optic and Laser Mod 1 x3 , x3 , x2 None ,
Optic and Laser Mod 2 x4 , x3 , x3 , x3 1★
Optic and Laser Mod 3 x8 , x8 , x8 , x4 2★ , ,

Optic Mods can offer magnified scopes

(1 of 2) Optic Mods can offer magnified scopes

Optic Mods can offer magnified scopes (left), that allow you to turn your boring old rifle into a Sniper! (right)

All Internal Mod Research Projects ¶

The Internal Mods category feels like a bit of a “misc” category. Some of the mods will increase Fire Rate ( Hair Trigger , Bullet Hose , Overclocked ), whilst others will impact accuracy, range and damage ( High Velocity , Amplifier , High Powered ). Increased Fire Rates will determine how quickly your gun shoots when you pull the trigger, and combining increased Fire Rates with a Fully Automatic receiver (see below) could be a lethal combo! On the flip side, you could go for one of the damage increasing mods like High Powered or Amplifier, which won’t increase your fire rate but will increase overall damage pretty significantly.

Research Project Crafting Cost Skill Required Unlocks
Internal Mods 1 x10 , x10 , x8 , x5 2★
Internal Mods 2 x4 , x4 , x3 , x4 , x3 3★ ,
Internal Mods 3 x8 , x8 , x4 , x4 , x4 , x1 Power Circuit 4★ , ,

All Receiver Mod Research Projects ¶

Receiver Mods will enable players to change the way their gun shoots ammo. Not necessarily changing fire rate but instead determining how much ammo is shot when pulling the trigger. For example, the Fully Automatic mod will make it so your chosen weapon shoots for as long as the trigger is held down! For more information on the best receivers, head over to our guide .

Research Project Crafting Cost Skill Required Unlocks
Receiver Mods 1 x30 , x5 , x10 , x3 , x10 3★ ,
Receiver Mods 2 x3 , x8 , x2 , x8 , x8 4★ ,

The Fully Automatic receiver mod means your gun will shoot ammo as long as the trigger is pulled.

The Fully Automatic receiver mod means your gun will shoot ammo as long as the trigger is pulled.

Looking For More Weapon Guides? ¶

We’ve been busy writing a ton of pages on the best weapon mods and recommended weapon builds in Starfield . Take a look at some of them below:

  • Starfield Sniper Build
  • Best Stealth Weapons in Starfield
  • Best Particle Beam Weapons in Starfield

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how to start research project starfield

Guide Information

  • Platforms, PC, XB X|S
  • Genre Action Adventure, Action RPG, Shooter
  • Guide Release 30 August 2023
  • Last Updated 18 October 2023 Version History
  • Guide Author

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Starfield is an action role-playing game from Bethesda Game Studios set in a futuristic interpretation of space exploration and colonization. Earth has long been abandoned, but there are plenty of other planets in different star systems where humans have ventured and settled. You have the freedom to create your own character with a unique background, but the main story will take you through a series of adventures as you uncover more information about mysterious artifacts which create gravitational anomalies. Along the way, you can build and customize your own space ship, establish your own outpost, befriend and romance new companions, and more. As a Bethesda game, you can also expect to see a lot of creative mods which have the potential to change your experience of the base game, or take it in an entirely new direction.

This guide features the following:

  • Detailed explanations of the Basic Mechanics in the game
  • Tips & Tricks for Getting Started on your journey
  • Detailed builds including different Playstyles and Traits
  • Companion Guides including how to romance them
  • Faction walkthroughs for the Freestar Collective , United Colonies , Crimson Fleet and more
  • Mission walkthroughs for Main Missions and Misc Quests
  • An exploration guide including helpful maps for key areas
  • An overview of various Religions in the game
  • Area-specific guides including Activities for different regions
  • A mods section covering Console Commands and Best Mods
  • A guide for Skills and how to improve them quickly
  • Comprehensive guide to Ship Building
  • How to build your first Outposts

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The Nerd Stash

Starfield Research Stations: How Crafting Works

Not only will you be traveling from planet to planet with your companions and engaging in things that are both morally and ethically challenging in…

How to Get Research Stations in Starfield & What They Do

Not only will you be traveling from planet to planet with your companions and engaging in things that are both morally and ethically challenging in Starfield , but you will also be crafting things. There are a variety of things that you can craft but they all have one thing in common: you will most likely need a Research Station to actually do it. Using these stations is easy, but actively finding one can be a bit tricky. Considering that, we have outlined how to get Research Stations in Starfield and what they do to help make your adventure just a little bit easier.

How to Get Research Stations in Starfield

How to Get Research Stations in Starfield & What They Do

One of the first Research Stations that you come across will actually be on your ship, the Frontier. If you also happen to have the Dream Home trait or have been able to find a home for yourself in your travels, you can also build yourself a Research Station there. When you start building outposts, you will also be able to include a Research Station there as well. Each of these stations has five categories that you can research, including Pharmacology, Food and Drink, Outpost Development, Equipment, and Weaponry.

What do Research Stations do?

Each of the categories on Research Stations allows you to craft and create items from those categories. For example, the Pharmacology category allows you to create medicinal items that can help cure status effects that might have been lingering for a while. The best way to be able to advance your research is to upgrade different skills including the Chemistry rank and other aspects of the Science skill tree so that you can research even more projects. Having the first rank in Chemistry will allow you to research the Performance Enhancement 2 project which will give you the ability to research even more items.

If you want to, you’re also able to check out the progress of one of your projects by selecting the Track Progress option and seeing where the items you should still need. When you go into stores that are selling items that you need, you will notice that a small exclamation point appears next to its name, meaning that whatever you’re still missing will make itself known a little bit easier rather than shuffling back and forth between menus.

Imagine Dragons Release New Single For Starfield

Starfield  will launch on September 6 for PC and Xbox.

how to start research project starfield

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Starfield: 10 best research projects, ranked.

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Research is a key gameplay mechanic that allows you to make the most out of the resources you gather while exploring the expansive world of Starfield . In essence, Research is an improved version of the traditional crafting systems found in other Bethesda games like Skyrim or Fallout 4 . And just like in those games, you’ll need a crafting table before you can get anything done, which in the case of Starfield is known as a Research Station .

Related: Starfield: Research Explained

There are dozens of Research Projects you can complete in Starfield, most of which revolve around improving things like weapons, spacesuits, mods, outposts, and more. It’s important to think carefully before starting one of these Projects because many of them require a fair amount of resources. With that in mind, we’ve put together a handy list of the best Research Projects in Starfield to help you figure out how to best spend your hard-earned resources.

Starfield best research projects ranked - Robots

Robots are an integral part of any self-respecting sci-fi universe, and Starfield is no exception. Your very first companion is a friendly robot called Vasco and you'll encounter plenty of other bots during your travels, both friends and foes. In addition, you can build bots of your own and assign them to Outposts to help you with various tasks, or just to make your Outposts looker cooler. Most of the robots are primarily for decorative purposes, after all.

Robots is one of the cheapest projects to research as it only costs x3 Aluminum , x3 Beryllium , and x2 Zero Wire . As an added bonus, you don’t have to learn any specific skill in order to unlock the Research Project. Naturally, that will change if you want to unlock access to more types of robots. Starting with tier two, you’ll need the Outpost Engineering skill and rare components like Chlorosilanes , Austenitic Manifold, and Positron Batteries .

9 Pack Mods

Starfield best research projects ranked - Pack Mods

Packs are often ignored in favor of other types of gear like spacesuits, helmets, and of course, weapons. However, you should strongly consider researching the Pack Mods project as soon as possible because there are some pretty good mods here. Notable examples include Emergency Aid, Hazard Protection, Extra Capacity, and Medic. Some of these mods are absolute game-changers.

Related: Starfield: 10 Best Mods, Ranked

Researching the Pack Mods project requires a hefty amount of resources. Namely, x10 Aluminum, x10 Beryllium, x8 Mag Pressure Tank , and x5 Monopropellant . In addition, you also need to unlock the first rank of Spacesuit Design. The next two ranks require rare resources like Zero-G Gimbal , Biosuppressant , and Tau Grade Rheostat . Unlocking the first rank of Special Projects is mandatory as well.

8 Medical Treatment

Starfield best research projects ranked - Medical Treatment

The world of Starfield is a dangerous place and it pays to always be prepared for any situation because you’re very likely to get hurt while exploring the game’s many worlds. In addition to standard healing items, it’s a good idea to carry around some antibiotics and bandages with you at all times. These items can be used to treat burns, infections, contusions, and other afflictions, and can be crafted by the player after researching the Medical Treatment project.

You only need x2 Aluminum, x2 Amino Acids , and x3 Antimicrobial in order to research the first tier of Medical Treatment. The project doesn’t require any specific skills to unlock, so you can start researching it pretty much immediately after gaining access to a Research Laboratory. If you want to unlock the following three tiers, however, you’ll need to spend some points into Chemistry.

7 Resource Extraction

Starfield best research projects - Resource Extraction

While you don’t need any special equipment to mine and harvest most types of resources in Starfield, researching a project like Resource Extraction will still come in handy regardless. That’s because doing so will give you access to bigger and better extractors that will greatly increase the rate at which you gain resources. Whether you want to use those resources for research, Outposts, or to make tons of Credits is entirely up to you.

They say you need to spend money to make money and that’s certainly true when it comes to Resource Extraction. Researching the first tier of this project will set you back x30 Aluminum, x10 Chlorosilanes, x20 Copper , x10 Adaptive Frame , x5 Drilling Rig , and x8 Mag Pressure Tank. The second tier also requires a lot of resources, but once you’re done with that the project will be maxed out and you won’t need to worry about it anymore. In order to start researching Resource Extraction you’ll first need to spend at least one point into Outpost Engineering.

6 Performance Enhancement

Starfield best research projects ranked - Performance Enhancement

Researching the Performance Enhancement project will grant you access to a variety of aid items like the Red Trench of the AMP. These are essentially the equivalent of Chems in Fallout 4 or potions in Skyrim. They provide temporary buffs that can help you in combat, and while their effects typically don’t last for more than 2–3 minutes, they can still make all the difference in the world when you’re in a tense situation.

Related: Starfield: 15 Best Weapons, Ranked

Performance Enhancement 1 is a pretty cheap project to research that requires x2 Argon , x3 Metabolic Agent , and x2 Tetrafluorides . You don’t need any special skills to unlock it, so it’s a good idea to go for it as soon as you gain access to a Research Laboratory, provided you manage to gather the required resources by then of course. The project has three additional tiers, but you’ll need to start dumping skill points into Chemistry in order to unlock them.

5 Power Generation

Starfield best research projects ranked - Power Generation

Outposts require a huge amount of power in order to function properly, and that goes double for intricate bases with tons of buildings. There are several structures in Starfield capable of providing this power, most of which can be unlocked by researching the Power Generation project. That’s because Power Generation grants access to things like advanced Wind Turbines, Solar Domes, and Reactors.

Unsurprisingly, it takes a hefty investment of resources to research even the first tier of this project. We’re talking x20 Copper, x30 Silver, x10 Cobalt, x10 Adaptive Frame, x8 Isocentered Magnet, and x10 Zero Wire. You’ll also need to spend at least one point into the Outpost Engineering skill. If you need even more juice, you’ll be happy to know that Power Generation has three more tiers. The bad news is that they require an even more significant investment of resources. Spending a couple more points into Outpost Engineering and one point into Special Projects skill is mandatory as well.

4 Magazine And Battery Mods

Starfield best research projects ranked - Magazine and Battery Mods

Researching Magazine and Battery Mods will allow you to craft mods that increase your ammo capacity and imbue rounds and beams with a variety of effects that will make them significantly deadlier. Among other things, this Research Project unlocks Large Magazines and Large Batteries. Meanwhile, things like Explosive Rounds, Armor-Piercing, and Slug Shots are indispensable to players who want to increase the DPS of their weapons.

The Magazine and Battery Mods Research Project has three tiers, and you can start the first one once you unlock Weapon Engineering Rank 2. The first tier only requires x8 Lead , x5 Titanium , and x5 Adhesive , which isn’t a ton of resources in the grand scheme of things, especially considering what you’re getting in return. You’ll need several rare resources to reach tier three, including Tau Grade Rheostat, Positron Battery, and Ytterbium . In addition, you’ll also need to unlock at least the first rank of the Special Projects skill.

3 Manufacturing

Starfield best research projects ranked - Manufacturing

Outposts are a pretty divisive feature, with some players absolutely loving them and others feeling like they’re not much of an improvement over Fallout 4’s Settlements system. If you’re part of the first group and love base-building, you’ll definitely want to research Manufacturing asap. This project unlocks a variety of modules, fabricators, and other base-building components that can be used to spruce up your Outposts.

Manufacturing 1 doesn’t require any special skills to unlock, but you will need to spend a fair amount of resources to get things going. Namely, x3 Sealant , x3 Iron , x3 Adaptive Frame, and x2 Zero Wire. Past that, you’ll need to invest some points into Outpost Engineering in order to unlock Manufacturing 2 and Manufacturing 3. This is in addition to even more resources, some of which can be quite difficult to come by, such as Positron Batteries and Reactive Gauges .

2 Spacesuit Mods

Starfield best research projects ranked - Spacesuit Mods

Just as its name indicates, this Research Project unlocks various mods designed to improve your spacesuits. Most of these mods can be used to boost resistance to certain types of damage like ballistic, energy, or electromagnetic. There’s also one mod called Heavy Shielding that increases spacesuit resistance to all types of damage. Resistance aside, Spacesuit Mods come with other benefits, such as increased carrying capacity, increased melee damage, and more.

Related: Starfield: 15 Best Companions, Ranked

You can start researching Spacesuit Mods as soon as you unlock the first rank of the Spacesuit Design skill. Spacesuit Mods 1 only costs x5 Copper, x5 Cosmetic, and x8 Polytextile, but there are two more ranks you’ll need to research afterward in order to max it out. Some of the other resources you’ll need for that include Semimetal Wafer, Microsecond Regulator, and Positron Battery.

1 Internal Mods

Starfield best research projects ranked - Internal Mods

Internal Mods are some of the most important weapon mods in Starfield. These mods improve the core capabilities of weapons, increasing their range, rate of fire, damage, and more. Researching Internal Mods will allow you to unlock High Powered and Amplifier, two of the best mods in the game. Other mods like High Velocity and Hair Trigger are not to be overlooked either.

There are three tiers to this Research Project, the first of which unlocks once you Reach Weapon Engineering Rank 2. You’ll need x8 Iridium, 10x Sealant, 10x Tungsten, and 5x Zero Wire to get the ball rolling by researching Internal Mods 1. That’s a hefty amount of resources, but again, these are some of the best weapon mods in the game. Once you manage to get your hands on rare resources like Europium and Ytterbium, you can gradually start working your way up to Internal Mods 3 in order to unlock the most powerful modifications.

Next: Starfield: All Backgrounds, Ranked

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Research Methods

  • Edit source
Rank Challenge Bonuses
1 Craft 5 unique food, drinks, drugs, weapon mods, or equipment mods. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 10%.
2 Craft 10 unique food, drinks, drugs, weapon mods, or equipment mods. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 20%.
3 Craft 15 unique food, drinks, drugs, weapon mods, or equipment mods. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 40%.
4 N/A Sudden developments during research are twice as common. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 60%.

Progression and Strategy [ ]

Leveling Research can be a bit tricky, as finding all the materials needed to craft and research may be time consuming. This can be avoided if the player is willing to spend credits to acquire the crafting materials.

Research has a hard cap in how useful it is, because there is only so many things to craft and research in the game. Next, Research would have to be secondary to skills that actually give the player recipes to craft. In the late game, where the player typically has a healthy reserve of credits, the player may prefer simply buy items rather than craft them. Even if they decide to craft, some well-built mining outposts will mean the player will have tons of crafting materials, and the lower costs may not be that impactful. On the flip side, some of the later research projects and crafting recipes use some materials that may be expensive or difficult to find. Needing less of these challenging goods is useful. All things considered, the player will (usually) have better choices unless they are a very crafting-centric player.

References [ ]

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Research Methods Skill Rank Up Guide

how to start research project starfield

★ Best Guides: Best Weapons | Best Skills ☆ All Ship Parts and Ship Part Level Unlocks ★ Advanced Outpost Guide ☆ Maps: New Atlantis | Cydonia | Akila City | Neon ★ Ship Designs : Rocinante | TARDIS | Millennium Falcon

Research Methods is a Novice Science skill that reduces the required crafting resources and speeds up the completion of research projects in Starfield. Read on to learn the effects of the Research Methods skill, how to unlock and rank up the Research Methods skill, and the backgrounds that know it.

List of Contents

  • How to Unlock and Overview
  • How to Rank Up
  • Related Guides

Research Methods How to Unlock and Overview

Research methods skill overview.

Research Methods Skill

Science

Novice
By skilfully employing both new and time tested methods, a researcher may complete projects faster, and even gain unexpected insights.

How to Unlock Research Methods

Spend a skill point to unlock skill.

As Research Methods is a Novice skill, it can be learned without having to spend skill points on other skills in the Science skill tree. You just need to spend a skill point on Research Methods to learn it.

Backgrounds with the Research Methods Skill

The Research Methods skill is automatically learned by the following backgrounds:

List of All Backgrounds

How to Rank Up Research Methods Skill

All rank challenges and effects.

Rank Challenge Effects
1 - Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 10%.
2 Craft 5 unique food, drinks, drugs, weapon mods, or equipment mods. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 20%.
3 Craft 10 unique food, drinks, drugs, weapon mods, or equipment mods. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 40%.
4 Craft 15 unique food, drinks, drugs, weapon mods, or equipment mods. Sudden developments during research are twice as common. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 60%.

Craft Different Items to Complete the Challenge

Starfield - Bandage Craft for Research Methods

This does not refer to any rarity of items such as Unique Weapons or Unique Armors , or the unique components you can craft in the Industrial Workbench .

Where to Craft Different Items

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How to Start a Research Project: Choosing a Topic

  • Choosing a Topic

Beginning Your Research Project

You have an assignment coming up in class. You need to write a research paper, create an annotated bibliography, or make a presentation. These are just some research projects you may need to do.

This guide will show you different ways to start a research project. When following this guide, please consider 3 concepts:

  • Center your personal research interests - What are you interested in?
  • Take as long on each step as you would like.
  • Skip steps and repeat steps as you need.

Starting from Nothing: The Mind Map

A mind map is a visual way of building a topic into a research question .

A topic is the basic idea that interests you. This is the idea that sparks your research. A topic could be "barbeque," "The Cold War," "flightless birds," or "the common cold." If you are having trouble choosing a topic , review the class syllabus or canvas modules. Find a topic covered in class that you can see yourself spending time with.

A research question is the focus of your research project. It is the thesis of your paper or the point of your presentation.

Work with us through the mind map steps to build your own research question .

To create a mind map , you will need to be able to write or type text, and the text must also be rearrangeable.

  • Start with an idea like "Kitchen Design". Place your idea in the center.

Photo of a desk with a card reading "Kitchen Design" in the middle.

  • Surround your central idea with related concepts. I wrote all the kinds of kitchens I could think of. I could have also chosen to list appliances or design themes instead.

Photo of a desk with cards listing kitchen types around a central card reading "Kitchen Design"

  • Out of the kitchen-types, I was most drawn to "Hospital Kitchens". I then added concepts around "Hospital Kitchens". These concepts can be moved to also combined with other ideas.

Photo of cards arranged in a mind map design

  • I also thought more about "Home Kitchens". I combined, "Kitchen Safety", "Consumer Preferences", and "Advertisements."

Photo of cards arranged in a mind map design

  • My final version of my mind map example is very small. Don't worry if you have many more ideas and need more time rearranging your cards and planning.

I have identified two different starting research questions by combining my concepts:

  • How could hospital managers design hospital kitchens to be safer for employees?
  • How do kitchen appliance manufacturers advertise the safety of their products to consumers?

Research Questions

A research question is the focus of your research project. It is the thesis of your paper or the point of your presentation. Here are some requirements of a good research question:

  • Research questions cannot be answered with "yes" or "no".
  • Research questions can be researched.
  • A small research paper shouldn't have a research question with a giant scope: How does preventative healthcare get planned?
  • A small research paper should have a research question with a manageable scope: How do preventative care programs for type II diabetes in Alabaman clinics get advertised?

In this example, we narrowed the scope of our initial research question in a few ways:

  • Type: "Preventative care" was limited to - "type II diabetes"
  • Place: We had no initial location limit. We limited ourselves to "Alabaman clinics"
  • Action: "Planned" was defined as "advertised"

Sometimes, research questions need to change slightly after you have done some research. If you were not able to find any useful resources for the example research question, then you could try changing the scope. If you cannot find anything specific to Alabaman clinics, then you could change that part of your research question to "United States clinics" or "Alabaman healthcare providers."

Still stuck? Please check Monash University's Developing Research Questions guide .

Turning your Research Question into a Search

Useful links.

  • Purdue OWL: Choosing a Topic This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources.
  • UNC: Brainstorming This handout discusses techniques that will help you start writing a paper and continue writing through the challenges of the revising process. Brainstorming can help you choose a topic, develop an approach to a topic, or deepen your understanding of the topic’s potential.
  • University Writing Center Schedule a session with a tutor at the University Writing Center.
  • Next: JSTOR >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 12, 2024 9:27 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.southalabama.edu/start-research

Booming solar industry has a growing appetite for weed-chomping crews

'we start thinking about agriculture at our solar projects on day 1,' says developer.

how to start research project starfield

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Under a blistering sun, Janna Grier hops out of her pickup truck to start moving hoses to fill up water troughs for her flock of sheep. One thousand of the shaggy, four-legged animals are spending their third summer at a solar farm about 40 kilometres east of Calgary.

Their job is simple: Eat weeds.

Grier and her crew are tasked with managing the land and ensuring none of the vegetation grows tall enough to block the sun from shining down on the nearly 110,000 solar panels on 130 hectares of prairie.

"A lot of people look at weeds and they don't want them around and we see them as a food source, right? Most of them are really high in protein. The sheep enjoy consuming them," said Grier, who began farming 15 years ago.

This summer, the flock has a few new friends with short snouts to lend a helping hand (or mouth). Grier is testing out eight female kunekune pigs, a breed originally from New Zealand.

A farmer walks in grass with pigs following her.

On this day, Grier moves the pigs to a new area to graze. "Come on ladies," she calls, as they plod along behind her. 

"In the next five to 10 years, we're going to see tons of solar development and so there's huge potential for it," said Grier, as she puts up a new temporary fence for the animals.

The growing number of large-scale solar fields has created an increased need for animals to help control the weeds and other vegetation. Using the same piece of land for both solar and agriculture is known as "agrivoltaics." The concept is not new, but is growing in popularity, especially with new government rules on the horizon.

A pig drinks from a water trough.

Sheep are the most common form of agrivoltaics because they reduce the need for herbicides and lawn mowing, which can kick up stones and break panels.

Research is underway to explore what other types of animals could be used on solar sites. Another area of focus by researchers is what types of crops could grow between and underneath the long rows of solar panels.

The proliferation of solar fields in rural areas has created some conflict as the renewable energy projects can change the landscape that was traditionally agricultural. The use of agrivoltaics though, can help mend fences.

Three sheep have their heads down in the grass between rows of solar panels.

"We start thinking about agriculture at our solar projects on day one," said Janet Annesley, chief sustainability officer with Kiwetinohk Energy, a Calgary-based energy company proposing to build three solar farms in Alberta. 

The company's proposed 400-megawatt Homestead project would be the second largest solar field in the country. 

"Many of our landowners would like to see some continuation of agricultural activities on their land," said Annesley. "They want to know how the soil is going to be protected and potentially enhanced over the life of the project."

Rows of solar panels are shown with a field in the distance.

The company is still deciding whether to have animals on its solar sites or to grow crops. In the meantime, Kiwetinohk is partnering with Alberta Innotech, a provincial government research organization, on a pilot project in southern Alberta to test how different types of plants grow underneath solar panels, while monitoring the amount of moisture and shade.

Buying tractors and farm equipment is unusual for an energy company, but Annesley says several of its employees grew up on farms on the Prairies.

"We actually didn't have to look very far to find people with dirt under their fingernails," she said. "We're really interested in creating another revenue stream [in addition to solar]."

A pig is shown standing in grass.

Landowner concerns were one reason why the Alberta government introduced a moratorium on new large-scale renewable energy projects last year. 

The moratorium has since been lifted , although new rules continue to be developed to restrict how, when and where such projects can be built. One of the proposed rules would require agrivoltaics on solar sites located on the most fertile Class 1 and 2 agricultural lands in the province to help ensure some of the best farmland will continue to be farmed in some capacity.

Agrivoltaics is in its infancy in Canada, but a plethora of research is underway to discover the best techniques in different parts of the country.

A worker sits in a field and uses soil sampling equipment

The University of Calgary is pursuing the development of a research park to explore how beef producers can use their land for both cattle production and solar energy generation.

The University of Alberta has researched growing spinach under different types of solar panels, while Western University has grown strawberries and a variety of other plants and traditional crops.

Various solar panels are shown with different plants underneath.

While solar companies are adding agriculture to their operations, there is potential for farmers to add solar panels to their existing operations.

"Farmers in general are fairly conservative. The last thing they want to do is mess up their crop and they've been very resistant to the idea of putting solar on their farms," said Joshua Pearce, a professor and researcher in the department of electrical and computer engineering at Western University.

"But as study after study comes out… we're seeing increases in yield," he said. 

A sheep is seen with a shepherd dog in the background.

Installing rows of solar panels puts obstacles in the path of tractors and machinery and requires more effort for farmers, but Pearce says the economic yield per acre can be higher with solar.

The reason is because some crops grow better with a bit more shade, while the panels can also help block the wind and increase soil moisture.

  • Alberta's potato industry is booming thanks to a global appetite for french fries
  • Analysis After the carbon capture industry gold rush, how many facilities will actually be built?

"The U.S., Europe, and Asia have been aggressively adopting large-scale crop-based agrivoltaics. Canada is now really just at the experimentation phase," he said.

how to start research project starfield

Booming solar industry creates growing appetite for weed chomping crews

Grier, the sheep farmer, is excited about the many opportunities to grow her business as more solar fields are built in Alberta and neighbouring Saskatchewan. The amount of solar electricity produced in the country grew by more than ten per cent in 2023.

"It's not solar development versus ag[riculture]. It's coming together to the table to say, how can we both be a benefit and work together?" she said.  "The sky is the limit when it comes to agrivoltaics."

As for her experiment with pigs, they adapted well to spending the summer at the solar field. Grier now plans to have four times as many of the animals helping to control the weeds at the solar site next year.

A black pig with white spots looks up from the grass.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

how to start research project starfield

Business Reporter

Kyle Bakx is a Calgary-based journalist with the network business unit at CBC News. He files stories from across the country and internationally for web, radio, TV and social media platforms. You can email story ideas to [email protected].

  • More by Kyle Bakx
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IMAGES

  1. The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Crafting & Research In Starfield

    how to start research project starfield

  2. How to Complete Starfield Research Projects with Console Commands

    how to start research project starfield

  3. Starfield: All Outpost Development Research Projects

    how to start research project starfield

  4. List of All Research Projects

    how to start research project starfield

  5. How to Find a Way into Research and Development in Starfield (Sabotage

    how to start research project starfield

  6. How to do Research in Starfield

    how to start research project starfield

COMMENTS

  1. Starfield crafting and research guide: how to unlock and ...

    By doing research to unlock new items and mods, and then crafting them using resources collected out in space, you can gain a real edge over all the Spacers and other dangers in the game. The ...

  2. How to Complete Starfield Research Projects with Console Commands

    To open the Starfield command console on PC, press the Tilde (~) or Grave (') key while in-game or when using the menu system. The console command to instantly complete* a Starfield Research ...

  3. Starfield: How The Research Lab Works

    The Research Lab features five research categories: Pharmacology. Food And Drink. Outpost Development. Equipment. Weaponry. Each category has a series of research projects. The available research projects are displayed on each Research Lab's main menu. You must level up your skills to carry out higher-level projects.

  4. List of All Research Projects

    How to Unlock Research Projects Complete Research Projects. Every Research Project category has a project tree of some sorts. The first tier of this tree has already been unlocked so you can start working on those! You need to complete the pre-requisite Research Projects in a tree in order to unlock all succeeding Research Projects in that tree.

  5. Starfield

    Go to the Research Lab. You can conduct or start a research project at the Research Lab. The Research Lab can be found on your ship and in major settlements. The first Research Lab you'll come across is in New Atlantis, located in the basement of The Lodge. Access the research lab terminal to access all available research projects.

  6. What to research first in Starfield

    What to research first in Starfield. So there are several options right away to research: Pharmacology. Food and Drink. Outpost Development, Equipment. Weaponry. Provided that you have the ...

  7. Starfield: How to Use the Research Lab

    Research Labs are the backbone of the crafting and upgrade system in Starfield, and they will be the first stop when players are looking to craft new items or mods. The Research Station is made up ...

  8. Every Starfield research project and unlock requirement

    There are five categories of research projects: Pharmacology - covers healing items, meds, and performance-enhancing drugs. Food and drink - unlocks more powerful food and drink recipes, which provide healing and stat bonuses. Outpost development - unlocks new modules and structures. Equipment - unlocks armor mods for your equipment ...

  9. List of All Pharmacology Research Projects

    You can research Pharmacology Research Projects at a Research Lab. These can be found in your ship, outposts, and major settlements in the game like New Atlantis. Once you're at the Research Lab, you can do the following. Access the Research Lab terminal and select the " Pharmacology " category. Next, choose a research project that you want to ...

  10. Starfield

    The Research Lab allows you to unlock new crafting recipes by completing research projects, which require specific materials to make progress. Collect Materials By Extracting Or Manufacturing. The materials needed can range from raw minerals from planets and organic substances from creatures to manufactured components at Industrial Workbench.

  11. How to craft and research in Starfield

    Crafting & research explained. Crafting and research are two sides of the same system in Starfield, with the former defining what you build, and the latter defining what you can build . In the game, you can craft weapon mods, space suit upgrades, medicine, food, and outpost structures. Some of these things can be crafted from the start of the ...

  12. The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Crafting & Research In Starfield

    In today's ultimate beginner's guide to crafting and research in Starfield, it's all about covering just how complex the harvesting, crafting, and research i...

  13. How Crafting and Research works in Starfield

    How crafting works in Starfield. To craft an item in Starfield you simply find the right Workbench, choose the item you want, and then pay the required resources to craft it. There are five types ...

  14. Starfield: Research Explained

    Research projects are pretty important within the world of Starfield. These projects will allow you to increase the number of Mods you can have on your spacesuits, weapons, and boost packs.

  15. Starfield:Research Laboratory

    Starfield:Research Laboratory. The Research Laboratory provides a mechanism to expend materials to acquire new crafting recipes for consumables, outpost components, and equipment upgrades. Most projects require completion of previous projects in the research tree before they can be started. Some projects also require the player to possess ...

  16. All Weaponry Research Projects

    Weapons are a big part of Starfield, and one of the most fun things you'll experience in the game is finding or being rewarded a really cool gun.But what if I told you, you could also craft your own unique dream weapon? With the Weapon Workbench, players can add weapon modifications to their guns, tailoring them to their individual playstyles.But, a lot of these modifications are locked ...

  17. Starfield: All Research Projects

    Starfield is the new open-world RPG from Bethesda Game Studios. To make your journey through the galaxy in this game, you'll need some powerful items and mods to help you out. That's why research projects are so important in Starfield.Research projects let you develop new items and mods. After you finish the research, you'll be able to craft these items and mods and use them to your ...

  18. Research

    Research is a feature in Starfield that allows the player to spend resources to gain access to more advanced items via crafting.[1] There are 5 Research trees in Starfield: Pharmacology Food and Drink Outpost Development Equipment Weaponry Each tree contains multiple Research Projects. Each Research Project may unlock multiple recipes. Multiple Projects can be researched simultaneously both ...

  19. Starfield Research Stations: How Crafting Works

    The best way to be able to advance your research is to upgrade different skills including the Chemistry rank and other aspects of the Science skill tree so that you can research even more projects. Having the first rank in Chemistry will allow you to research the Performance Enhancement 2 project which will give you the ability to research even ...

  20. Starfield: 10 Best Research Projects, Ranked

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  21. Research Methods

    Research Methods is a Novice Science Skill.[1] It makes Research and Crafting cheaper. Leveling Research can be a bit tricky, as finding all the materials needed to craft and research may be time consuming. This can be avoided if the player is willing to spend credits to acquire the crafting materials. Research has a hard cap in how useful it is, because there is only so many things to craft ...

  22. Research Methods Skill Rank Up Guide

    Research Methods Skill Rank Up Guide. Share! Research Methods is a Novice Science skill that reduces the required crafting resources and speeds up the completion of research projects in Starfield. Read on to learn the effects of the Research Methods skill, how to unlock and rank up the Research Methods skill, and the backgrounds that know it.

  23. How to Start a Research Project: Choosing a Topic

    A mind map is a visual way of building a topic into a research question.. A topic is the basic idea that interests you. This is the idea that sparks your research. A topic could be "barbeque," "The Cold War," "flightless birds," or "the common cold." If you are having trouble choosing a topic, review the class syllabus or canvas modules.Find a topic covered in class that you can see yourself ...

  24. Booming solar industry has a growing appetite for weed-chomping crews

    On this day, Grier moves the pigs to a new area to graze. "Come on ladies," she calls, as they plod along behind her. "In the next five to 10 years, we're going to see tons of solar development ...