A prompt, for research AI tools, is usually a question, request, or topic posed by the researcher. In order to get the most precise, meaningful, and relevant results from AI tools, it's important for researchers to write good prompts.
A useful tool for crafting prompts is the CLEAR Framework — Concise, Logical, Explicit, Adaptive, and Reflective (Leo, 2023).
Concise (and Clear): Prompts should be brief and clear. Focus on keywords and avoid unnecessary words and jargon.
Identify the optimal number of students in an online undergraduate course
Find research articles on gluten intolerance in humans
Logical: Prompts should be structured and coherent. The relationship between words, concepts, and the context should be clear.
Discuss the order and purpose of each section of a research article
Describe the sequence of steps in diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome
Explicit: Prompts should set clear output specifications to produce an answer that is useful.
Identify five factors that led to the onset of World War I.
Describe the economic implications of climate change in developing countries over the next decade
Adaptive: Prompts should be flexible and customizable. Be willing to ask again in a different way, refining your prompt based on AI response.
1~What factors help nursing students pass the NCLEX on the first try
2~What student factors affect first-time pass rates on the registered nurse licensure exam
Reflective: AI output should be continually evaluated. You may need to craft additional prompts that target gaps or missing information in the initial response.
Leo, 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
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