The Prompt Engineering Guide by DAIR.AI has more techniques and guidelines for prompt development:
When using GAI, researchers will enter an input (prompt) to receive an output (result). The quality of users' output is dependent on a well written input. A poorly written input can result in irrelevant results leading to inadequate research practices and (at times) costly payments required for additional GAI usage. Review the listed tips to learn how to write a good input.
Before you begin crafting your prompts, keep these dos and don'ts of using GAI in mind. They were written with consideration of MUW's academic integrity policy and will serve to help you as you learn more about using AI ethically.
However, this list does not account for individual course or department policies concerning AI, so always check to ensure you are following your course and department specific policies.
| Do... | Don't... |
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1. Use AI to brainstorm research topic and ideas |
1. Replace AI with critical thinking |
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2. Use AI to find additional scholarly sources |
2. Fail to fact check everything AI provides you |
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3. Use AI to proofread your paper |
3. Forget to check for corrections missed by AI |
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4. Use AI to assist with creating visual aids |
4. Spread false information using AI results |
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5. Use AI to summarize dense and lengthy sources |
5. Plagiarize by copying everything AI provides |
Good inputs are CLEAR – a framework developed by Leo Lo, a librarian and professor at the University of New Mexico.
| Good | Needs Improvement | |
| Concise - Be clear and direct. Use keywords and phrases while omitting any unnecessary language. | Identify the top reasons undergraduate students attend Mississippi University for Women. |
I am trying to figure out if I should be applying to MUW and if I would like it there. (The AI doesn't know you or your preferences, there are multiple "MUW" institutions, & are you applying to high school? Undergrad? Grad school?) |
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Logical - Frame your prompt in an organized and sensical order. Give concise instructions. If it doesn't make sense to you, it won't make sense to the AI system. |
Summarize the most promising vaccine candidates that protect against multiple strains of influenza. |
Can we make a flu vaccine organically? (Are you asking about a vaccine made with eggs obtained through organic farming? A vaccine developed through "organic" research? Something else?) |
| Explicit - Don't leave prompts up for interpretation. Give specific details and guide the GAI to the best answer for your inquiry. | Give me a concise summary of the major strengths and weaknesses of Mississippi University for Women. |
What’s Mississippi University for Women like? (What's your comparison for MUW? Do you want a short answer or a long one?) |
In writing research, everything can be improved. Researching with GAI is no different. Use the last two sections to decide how to proceed with the GAI’s output to your input.
| Adaptive - Try a second prompt with keywords or topics suggested by the GAI in its output. If the GAI tool has filters or guidance settings, use them to refine your inquiry. |
Prompt 1: Why doesn’t Columbus, Mississippi have public transportation? Answer: (includes "local government") Prompt 2: What are governmental obstacles to Columbus, MS having public transportation? |
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Reflective - Consider the GAI’s answer. Does it make sense or refer to current research? Has the AI provided inaccurate information? Are there important considerations ignored in the results? Write additional prompts to address inconsistencies in the output. |
Prompt 1: Give me a concise summary of the major strengths and weaknesses of Mississippi University for Women. Prompt 2: Give me a concise summary of the major strengths and weaknesses of Mississippi University for Women, from the perspective of a first-generation college student. |
Read more about the CLEAR framework in 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
*Strunk, W. & White, E.B. (2005). The Elements of Style. Penguin. (Original work published 1979)
Prompt writing is a rapidly evolving field and papers are coming out every week (it seems). In addition to those listed below, the books and other resources on our Research Resources for AI page often contain chapters or sections on writing prompts.