Words to Include for Performing Specific Tasks:
To Ask Specific Questions:
To Include Specific Contexts:
A prompt is the instruction or question you give to an AI tool to start a task. Think of it like giving directions--the clearer and more specific you are, the better the AI can help.
Example:
❌Weak Prompt: Tell me about climate change
✅Better Prompt: Summarize three major causes of climate change in under 100 words, using simple language.
Instruction: Including explicit instructions for the desired behavior, such as: ask the model to think step by step, to rephrase an idea, to summarize an idea, to synthesize two or more ideas. If you are able to, include context as well.
Context: Add context to your prompt - this is generally the simplest and is very powerful. It could be by giving the AI a persona, by giving it an audience, or by giving it an output format.
Explain & Check: Explain your topic or query and check the generative AI understands.
Clarifying Questions: Have the generative AI ask questions to clarify what output you want.
Tone and Direction: Guide the generative AI for their output to be in a particular direction, style, tone or format.
Provide Examples: Use the few shot technique (sometimes called showing examples). This means giving the AI tool several examples to work from so that it follows the logic. This can work well for classifying qualitative research data and similar activities. Provide an example that you have already created or have found, such as: demonstrations of the output needed, a set of keywords, or a reference text.
Task | Weak Prompt | Better Prompt |
---|---|---|
Study Help | Explain photosynthesis. | Explain photosynthesis in one paragraph using simple language. |
Brainstorming Ideas | What should I write about? | Give me five research paper ideas about climate change and technology. |
Getting Feedback | Is this paragraph good? | Review this paragraph and suggest how I can improve clarity and flow. |
Research | Tell me about World War II. | List three major causes of World War II, each in one sentence. |