Library Guides: Generative Artificial Intelligence : Prompting 101

Prompting

Prompting is the new programming!

A prompt is like a set of instructions for generative AI, telling it exactly what you want it to write or create. Below are quick tips to get started.

Quick Tips

Be specific: Be as specific as possible, stating the scope, boundaries or anything else to clarify the question. Example: "How has the rate of inflation affected household earnings?" is not as effective as "Prepare a 200 word summary on the effect of rate of inflation on household earnings in Canada for a director in a government agency as well as 5-10 succinct bullet points."
Provide context: State the context, role, perspective or audience for the question or information need. Example: "I am writing a college-level essay on the effects of climate change in the Yukon - provide a high level outline with sources to get started" is better than "what are the effects of climate change in the Yukon?"
Specify format of output: Specify the format and style of the output you wish to see with examples if you have them (as long as you would not be violating copyright by providing them.) Example: "Format these meeting notes into the format in this "minutes" template copied below" instead of "format these notes."
Break it down: Break down a big task with multiple smaller prompts.

Explore the related resources below that will help you learn how to effectively write prompts.

Prompting Checklist: SCORES!

Use this handy checklist when creating your prompts - just remember the acronym "SCORES"! The acronym is spelled out below:

S - Specific

Was I specific in terms of:

Format (e.g., memo, executive summary, college-level essay, etc.)
Style (informal, formal, etc.)
Type of content (e.g., poem, essay, etc.)
Context (e.g, school, work, formal presentation to professor, etc.)

C - Constraints

Did I set any necessary constraints such as word count, style requirements, etc.?

O - Output

Did I outline what I would like my result to look like, for example, a table, an essay, a business memo, a presentation, etc.?

Did I specify any necessary roles for the consumer of the output or for the generative AI tool? For example, "make the explanation easy to understand for a 5-year old" or "act as if you are a Jungian psychoanalyst and provide an explanation of..."

E - Examples

Did I include any helpful examples? Remember to avoid uploading anything to which you do not own the copyright or any intellectual property you do not own or wish to be made public.

S - Steps

Can I break down my request into smaller steps or refine/tweak my query in follow-up prompts to be as precise as possible?

Tips for Prompting

Context

Providing relevant context can help AI understand the task better, such as explaining the roles of both AI and the User in the task, outlining your requirements, and specifying the anticipated results. With a given role the AI model knows whether it should act as a knowledgeable assistant or any other specific character.
- Prompt: I’m a college student developing an educational escape room focused on climate change for a Global Warming course. Could you give me a step-by-step guide to help me begin?

Instructions

Include explicit instructions for the desired behaviour, for instance, asking the model to think step by step, rephrasing, searching, summarizing, synthesizing and so on.
- User: Please find recent news articles on how AI affects climate change. Compile a list of primary opposing viewpoints: AI hurts the environment, and AI has the potential to address climate change.

Examples

Providing example inputs can help the model understand the desired patterns or formats for its responses. Example inputs may include the use of examples, demonstrations of the expected behavior, a set of relevant keywords or descriptors, the abstract of an interested article, a reference text and so on.
- User: I came across a paper discussing how AI consumes significant energy and negatively affects the environment. Could you recommend a few more articles exploring AI's impact on climate change?

Outcome Indicators

Direct the model to generate a response for a given style, tone, format or scenario.

Please assist me in finalizing the gathered data presented for an essay on AI's effect on climate change. Divide them into four parts: An introductory paragraph, Body paragraph with 3 supporting ideas, and a Conclusion that restates the thesis.

Testing and Tuning

The process of prompt creation often involves lots of testing and refining of prompts, and the effectiveness of prompt techniques may differ depending on the particular task, language model, plugins / extensions/ sources employed and the user's prompt engineering experience.

Tips and Tricks

When crafting a prompt, use plain English and be specific about what you want the tool to do.
Providing background information, context, or examples can be helpful.
Divide a complex concept into smaller prompts.
Ask ChatGPT to act as an expert to explain a complex concept step by step.

Common Types of Prompts

Action Prompts

Can you write / explain / summarize / provide / analyze / compose / re-write /translate ...
Give me a table summarizing some of the key differences between ... and ...
Rephrase this sentence: ..... / Expand the idea based on the following descriptors .....

WH Prompts - (what, when, where, who, which, whose, why, how...)

What are the leading causes /factors / impacts / definitions / benefits of challenges, barriers, issues with .....
What would be a good image to use for my talk about plagiarism?
How to search / cite / code / convert (e.g., the data into a table) ...

Prompts To Set A Specific Context

Summarize the plot of ... in one short paragraph.
Create a list of five ChatGPT features that can be used to promote...
I will have a debate about the use of standardized testing in schools. Can you help me find some arguments in favour of this practice, as well as some counterarguments?

Adapted from "AI-Based Literature Review Tools" by Texas A&M University Libraries

Additional Resources

The Learning Portal - Prompt Engineering/Creation
From The Learning Portal, this page offers strategies for writing clear, targeted prompts that help AI tools better understand your questions or requests.
Using Generative AI - Basic examples
From Seneca College Library guide on Generative Artificial Intelligence
How to Craft Prompts
From Texas A&M university, this guide provides a comprehensive overview on how to craft prompts
Prompt Engineering
Prompt Engineering guide from OpenAI
Learn Prompting
Free learn how to prompt online course. Packed with visuals and practical exercises, this course provides an overview on how to craft effective prompts.

Disclaimer

It's important to note that the information provided here serves as a general guide. Generative AI might not be allowed in your courses or assignments. If your instructor offers specific guidelines that differ from the information presented here, it's crucial to adhere to your instructor's directives.