ChatGPT Prompts for Research With Source Checks

Four research prompts for source comparison, reading notes, unanswered questions and an evidence brief.

Extract a claim from a research paper

Read a paper you have access to without mistaking an abstract for the whole study.

Work only with the paper excerpt I paste below. Research question: {{question}}. Excerpt with page or section label: {{excerpt}}. Return a table with the paper's claim, the exact supporting passage, method or sample details actually stated, a limitation stated in the excerpt and a question I must verify in the full paper. If a field is absent, write 'not in supplied excerpt'. Do not invent a citation, DOI, result or author. After the table, suggest one follow-up question for my own reading.

See a worked example Illustrative

What you add

Illustrative excerpt, section 'Summary': 'In a classroom exercise, students who used retrieval cards answered more practice questions. The summary does not report the group size or a comparison score.' Question: What can I cite about the exercise?

Example result

Claim: students using retrieval cards answered more practice questions in this illustrative exercise. Supporting passage: 'students who used retrieval cards answered more practice questions.' Group size: not in supplied excerpt. Comparison score: not in supplied excerpt. Follow-up: read the methods and results before describing the size or reliability of the difference.

Before you use itOpen the paper and verify the passage, bibliographic details and study limits yourself. The example excerpt is fictional.

Compare two sources

See where two accounts agree, disagree or leave gaps.

Compare the supplied sources for {{question}}.
Source A:
{{source_a}}
Source B:
{{source_b}}
Return a table of claim, A's position, B's position, supporting passage and unresolved question. Do not fill gaps with outside knowledge. Distinguish disagreement from different scope or dates.

See a worked example Illustrative

What you add

Question: response time. A: support replies within one business day. B: live chat is available weekdays 9–5.

Example result

Both describe support but different measures: response target versus chat availability. Neither establishes round-the-clock support.

Before you use itCheck that differences in scope were not labeled as contradictions.

Find the missing questions

Turn an incomplete brief into a short research agenda.

Read this decision brief:
{{brief}}
Decision deadline: {{deadline}}.
List the five unanswered questions most likely to change the decision. For each, explain why it matters, suggest a source to consult and distinguish what is unknown from what is already supported. Do not answer questions without evidence.

See a worked example Illustrative

What you add

Brief: choose a booking tool. Need SMS reminders; export and cancellation policies are unknown.

Example result

Questions: Can records be exported in a usable format? What happens when a booking is canceled? Ask the provider's documentation before ranking options.

Before you use itKeep questions tied to the actual decision; a source suggestion is not a verified finding.

Build a one-page evidence brief

Make source notes readable for a teammate who needs to decide.

Create a one-page brief for {{audience}} from these notes:
{{notes}}
Decision: {{decision}}.
Use sections: question, supported findings, tradeoffs, unknowns, next step. Attach a source label to each finding. Do not turn an assumption into a recommendation. Keep it below 400 words.

See a worked example Illustrative

What you add

Notes: A exports CSV (A docs). B has SMS (B docs). Team has not ranked export versus SMS.

Example result

Findings: A CSV export; B SMS. Tradeoff: preferences not ranked. Next step: choose the required capability and verify the other option against it.

Before you use itOpen each deciding source and confirm that the brief preserves its qualifications.

Make it your own

Copy a prompt, replace the text in double braces with your details, then adjust the first draft.

Pick the research job

Your input	Use this prompt	Check before keeping the result
A paper excerpt	Extract a claim from a research paper	The cited passage, full paper and bibliographic record
Two source passages	Compare two sources	Whether dates, scope and definitions actually match
An incomplete decision brief	Find the missing questions	Whether each question could change the decision
Notes for a teammate	Build a one-page evidence brief	Every finding against its labeled source

Start with a question you can investigate

For a decision, state what could change your choice before comparing sources. For coursework, paste a permitted excerpt and ask for its specific claim and missing method details. A summary alone cannot establish a paper’s full findings.

Keep evidence separate from follow-up

A proposed source is a place to look, not proof. Read it before promoting a research question into a finding. If a paper excerpt lacks a sample size or comparison, keep those cells blank until you can inspect the full paper. For a broader task with several sources and an approval step, use the market research workflow.

Start from a flexible template

See where two accounts agree, disagree or leave gaps.

Compare the supplied sources for {{question}}.
Source A:
{{source_a}}
Source B:
{{source_b}}
Return a table of claim, A's position, B's position, supporting passage and unresolved question. Do not fill gaps with outside knowledge. Distinguish disagreement from different scope or dates.

Example input

Question: response time. A: support replies within one business day. B: live chat is available weekdays 9–5.

Example output

Both describe support but different measures: response target versus chat availability. Neither establishes round-the-clock support.

A quick check

Compare the result with the information you supplied.
Try the output on a small example before relying on it.

Keep in mind

Output depends on the assistant and the context you provide.
A prompt is a starting point, not a guarantee of a correct result.

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ChatGPT Prompts for Research With Source Checks

Extract a claim from a research paper

Your prompt

What you add

Example result

Compare two sources

Your prompt

What you add

Example result

Find the missing questions

Your prompt

What you add

Example result

Build a one-page evidence brief

Your prompt

What you add

Example result

Make it your own

Pick the research job

Start with a question you can investigate

Keep evidence separate from follow-up

Flexible template

A quick check

Keep in mind

Analytics

Your prompt

What you add

Example result

Your prompt

What you add

Example result

Your prompt

What you add

Example result

Your prompt

What you add

Example result

Make it your own

Pick the research job

Start with a question you can investigate

Keep evidence separate from follow-up

Flexible template

A quick check

Keep in mind

Related guides & workflows

Learn the method

Follow the full workflow