Effective prompting

Less effective prompts

Why are these prompts less effective?

• They are unspecific, which means that the tool may not generate the text suggestions you were looking for. For example, new information or references may be added. In addition, the suggested structure and style may differ greatly from what you had in mind.
• Since unspecific prompts can lead to both substantial and diverse changes in the text, it may be difficult to evaluate the suggestions.

More effective prompts

Why are these prompts more effective?

• These prompts provide a clear context for your text, which will probably give you more useful suggestions.
• You are asking for suggestions instead of rewrites. Therefore, you are forced to consider suggestions before making changes, which likely will allow you to learn more.
• You are also asking for explanations as to why different suggestions have been made. This will make it easier for you to make informed choices, and you also learn more.

Less effective prompts

Why are these prompts less effective?

• There is no context or purpose. AI tools cannot determine what you think is important.
• There is no information about what the summary should contain. AI tools cannot summarise; they can only shorten text.

More effective prompts

Why are these prompts more effective?

• It is clear what you want.
• You can verify the answers and deepen your understanding of the key concepts on your own.
• You will get a basic understanding of the text, which will make it easier for you to tackle the entire text and deepen your understanding of its content.

Less effective prompts  

Why are these prompts less effective? 

• The first consists of only a few words, not a full question. In these cases, AI tools will usually produce less helpful answers.
• Your question is biased. The phrasing assumes that melatonin could negatively affect dementia. The AI search tool may replicate that bias in its answers.

More effective prompts 

Why is the prompt more effective? 

• They are complete question, not just a few words.
• The question is objective and does not introduce bias.

Less effective prompts

Why are these prompts less effective?

• They lack detail about the desired format or purpose.
• They do not specify what kind of summary or quiz is needed.
• They assume the AI can determine what is important without context.
• AI tools do not "summarize" in the traditional sense. They shorten text based on patterns, not judgment.

More effective prompts

Why are these prompts more effective?

• They provide context, such as program, course, and learning objectives.
• They clarify purpose (for example, exam preparation).
• They specify the format and language of the output you need.

Traci 

The TRACI model offers a helpful framework to guide your prompt formulation. Each letter represents a key component:

1. T – Task  Clearly define the task you want the AI to perform. For example, “Summarise a research article” or “Generate patient education material.”
2. R – Role  Specify the role or perspective from which the content should be written. This could be a medical student, clinician, librarian, or researcher.
3. A – Audience  Indicate who the content is intended for, such as fellow students, patients, faculty, or journal readers.
4. C – Create  Provide instructions on the format or structure of the output. Do you want a bullet point list, formal report, infographic description, or a patient-friendly explanation?
5. I – Intent  Clarify the desired impact of the content. Do you want the text to be informative, persuasive, educational, or is the intent to simplify complex information?

Create

Create is an acronym of the components of this prompt model: context, result, audience, explanation, tone, edit. 

1. C – Context Include relevant background information and specify who is making the request. For example, “I am a medical student preparing for a pharmacology exam.”
2. R – Result Clearly state what you want the AI to produce. This could be a summary, a set of study questions, a patient information leaflet, or a draft for a research abstract.
3. E – Explanation Provide guidance on how the content should be structured or presented. Should it be formal, concise, visual, or conversational?
4. A – Audience Identify who the content is intended for, such as fellow students, patients, instructors, or journal reviewers. This helps tailor the language and depth of information.
5. T – Tone Specify the desired tone of the output. For example, should it be professional, empathetic, instructional, or neutral?
6. E – Edit Refine the response by reviewing and adjusting based on the previous components. You may ask follow-up questions or request revisions to better meet your needs.