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Using Generative AI To Do Research

Effective Prompt Strategies

The way you prompt using text-generating AI tools will have an important link to the output the tool gives you. Savvy prompting leads to better outputs! So learn here from the tips we share!

 

Prompting refers to the questions, instructions etc. that users enter into generative AI tools like ChatGPT to seek the desired output. They essentially prompt the model to behave in a certain way. Depending on the type of tool being prompted, it can respond with text, images, videos, code and more.

Bear in mind that the same prompt, even with the same tool, can lead to different outputs. This may seem odd but it is because these tools are complex and probabilistic. Put in other words, these tools are designed with randomness in their response generation. Differences in responses between tools can also happen because they have different architectures, datasets, optimization strategies and more. Continuous updates to AI models and their training data can also account for varying responses to the same prompt.

See below for some fundamental elements at the heart of all the best frameworks and guidelines on prompting that we've nutshelled down to the bullet points below. For more information consult at least one of the resources in the tabbed area above.

 

BASIC TIPS FOR WRITING EFFECTIVE PROMPTS

  • Provide context.
  • Give the AI tool a role or persona to play.
  • Be concise and direct (short sentences).
  • Be specific.
  • Provide constraints if applicable.
  • Spell out the goal or task you want to achieve.
  • Offer clear and full instructions.
    • Examples are often helpful or spelling out steps or subtasks where applicable.
  • Tell it how you want your output formatted, e.g., as code, a bulleted list, a chart, a presentation.
  • Consider defining your target audience for the output to be generated.
  • Define tone or style of output as needed.
  • Don't stop at one prompt! Doing research is iterative and dynamic and so is prompting! Keep conversing and developing your inquiry through prompting.

 

EXAMPLE OF PROMPTING FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES

Prompt Example - Topic Formulation & Search Strategy Help
1. Initial prompt: Large Topic - > Help identifying facets of it
I'm a university student writing a research paper for my undergraduate course in Sociology.  Act as a topic expert. I need help coming up with a topic. I'm interested in topics related to youth homelessness. Please give me a list of ten topic ideas related to this topic.
2. Example of next prompt based on ongoing interaction - > More specific topic - > Further sub-topic exploration
Now give me some sub-topics for mental health challenges among homeless youth [one of the ten topics ChatGPT suggests in response to prompt above] 
3. Example of next prompt based on ongoing interaction: Defined topic focus - > Help with search strategy and keyword generation
I'd like to focus on the topic of mental health interventions and programs for homeless youth. Act like a research expert. Give me tips to build a search strategy to search this topic including keywords and phrases I can use.
Adapted from: University of Arizona Libraries. "Using ChatGPT Effectively". Student Guide to ChatGPT. Creative Commons 4.0 License. CC BY.

CLEAR Framework

Concise, Logical, Explicit, Adaptive, Reflective
Category
Description
Examples
Concise
  • Be clear
  • Avoid superfluous information
  • Be specific
  • Indicate what is most important for your question/task

Do not use:  Tell me about the history of computing technology.

Use: Provide an overview of the milestones for technological advancements in computing from 1950 to today. Highlight the most renowned innovations relating to the history of personal computing based on their significance and impact. Include the names of important inventors or companies involved. Limit this response to 500 words.
Logical
  • Have a logical structure to the information in the prompt, e.g. if asking for steps or elements of a task or process, indicate a clear logical order that needs to underpin the output generated
  • Make relationships between concepts clear
  • Provide context that's useful

Do not use: What's the scientific method?

Use: Describe the steps in the scientific method, starting with forming a hypothesis and ending with drawing conclusions.
Explicit
  • Have clear output specifications, e.g, defining format, content or scope needed
  • Be specific about type of information sought

Do not use: What are some renewable energy sources?

Use: Identify five renewable energy sources and explain how each works.
Adaptive
  • Let your prompts evolve (rephrase and restructure them), informed by the ongoing interaction, i.e. be flexible
  • Experiment with different prompt formulations and phrasing, i.e., be adaptive
  • Be creative with prompts

Actually, that's not what I meant. I meant __________

Can you provide more examples?

Example: 

If asking: "What is the impact of social media on mental health?" and the responses are too general, consider a follow-up prompt such as: "Examine the relationship between social media usage and anxiety in adolescents?"
Reflective
  • Evaluate the outputs the generative AI tool produces
  • Be responsive and adaptive based on reflective evaluation, i.e., to inform how you engage in further prompting
 To help you with evaluating and verifying what a generative AI tool produces, consult the Verifying What You Find and Use section of this guide.

Source: Lo, L. S. (2023). The CLEAR path: A framework for enhancing information literacy through prompt engineering. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 49(4), 102720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2023.102720 

These are selected additional sources that are useful for learning about how to engage in effective prompting.