SuperPrompts for Research

--- tags: Superprompting_guide --- # SuperPrompts for Research ## Project Planning with ChatGPT4: A One-Page Guide Academics often juggle teaching and research responsibilities. ChatGPT can provide some useful assistance in planning and executing research projects. This one-page guide will help you write effective prompts to support research project planning. It's worth remembering that the intention here isn't for GPT to do the work for you (you're the domain specialist not it!). GPT can give you some insights and starting points though, especially at the start of a project or study For those academics in the early stages of their careers it may help to support and develop project management techniques. You will notice that GPT3.5 (the standard model) has a habit of randomly making up nonsense. GPT4 does this a lot less often but outputs still needs to be quality checked. ## 1. Define the Objective Clearly outline the purpose and desired outcomes for the research project. > Objective: Develop a research plan to investigate the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems. ## 2. Be Specific and Contextual Provide enough context and information to guide the model response. Include relevant details, examples, and constraints as necessary. > Bad Prompt: Plan a research project on climate change. > > Good Prompt: Plan a research project investigating the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems, specifically coral reefs and associated species, in the Caribbean region. ## 3. Clarify the Desired Format Explicitly state the format you want the response in, such as a summary, bullet points, or a step-by-step plan. > Desired Format: Provide a step-by-step research plan, including background research, hypotheses, methods, data analysis, and dissemination of results. ## 4. Manage Response Length Specify the length of the response to ensure it is suitable for your intended use. > Response Length: Limit your answer to approximately 500 words. ## 5. Request Multiple Perspectives To encourage comprehensive planning, ask for alternative methodologies, potential challenges, or ethical considerations. > Additional Perspectives: Suggest two alternative methodologies and discuss the ethical considerations associated with this research project. ## 6. Encourage Sourcing Request the model to provide sources, references, or citations to back up its claims. > Sources: Include at least three reputable sources to support your research plan. --- ### Example SuperPrompt: Objective: Develop a research plan to investigate the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems. Prompt: Plan a research project investigating the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems, specifically coral reefs and associated species, in the Caribbean region. Provide a step-by-step research plan, including background research, hypotheses, methods, data analysis, and dissemination of results. Suggest two alternative methodologies and discuss the ethical considerations associated with this research project. Include at least three reputable sources to support your research plan. Limit your answer to approximately 500 words. ---