Crafting Effective Prompts

Use clear instructions. Start with what you need, then add detail or ask follow-up questions if the answer is not useful. You do not need to include every element below in every prompt.

• Start with a clear task
  “Explain [concept] in 120–150 words, then ask me a question to check my understanding.”
  
  
• Give context without personal details
  “I’m a first-year business student and new to this topic.”
  
  
• Say what it should work from
  “Using the brief notes I have written below, make three practice questions. If my notes do not cover something, say so.”

  Do not upload Library-licensed material or share personal information, unpublished research or substantial parts of your work. See AI and data privacy for the full guidance.

• Specify the format
  “Present the answer as five bullet points with a one-sentence explanation for each.”
  
  
• Ask for an example of a style
  “Show me how an explanation of [concept] differs in plain English and academic writing. Point out the differences so I can write my own version.”
  
  
• Say what level or perspective you need
  “Explain this in plain English for a first-year student who is new to lab work.”
  
  
• Add useful constraints
  “Keep it concise and define any key terms. If you are unsure, say so rather than guessing.”
  
  
• Collaborate before you start
  “Help me improve this prompt for [learning task]. Ask about any important missing details, then suggest a clearer version for me to edit.”
  
  
• Identify what needs checking
  “List any assumptions, gaps or claims in your answer that I should check against my course materials or academic sources.”

  This may give you a starting point for checking, but an AI tool cannot verify its own answer independently. See Evaluating AI outputs.

• Ask for search ideas
  “Suggest three or four keywords or themes I could try in LibrarySearch or an academic database.”
  
  
• Refine the answer
  “Expand point two with a short example to help me understand it.”

Tip: If you need accessible output, state what would help, such as “Use short sentences and bullet points.” You do not need to explain why.

You do not need to write a perfect prompt first time. Experiment, ask follow-up questions and keep responsibility for your thinking and writing.

These examples could help you generate ideas, explore a concept or prepare for your own research. Whether you can use AI for a particular assessment depends on its brief. Do not include generated material in your work unless that use is permitted, and follow any acknowledgement requirements.

• Brainstorming: “Suggest five possible research questions about social media and mental health among university students.”
• Exploring a concept: “What key terms should I understand to begin learning about opportunity cost?”
• Preparing to research: “Suggest search terms I could try when looking for recent academic literature on climate change adaptation in coastal cities.”
• Considering a method: “What factors should I consider when evaluating semi-structured interviews for a study of workplace diversity?”
• Preparing for critical analysis: “What questions could I ask when evaluating the relevance of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory in modern psychology?”

AI-generated suggestions are a starting point, not academic sources or evidence for your claims.

Dos

1. Be specific about what you need.
2. Include context that helps the tool understand your task.
3. Break a complex task into manageable questions.
4. Specify a format when it would make the answer more useful.
5. Ask follow-up questions and refine a prompt that has not worked.

Don’ts

1. Ask AI to produce an entire essay or assessment for you.
2. Rely on an AI answer without checking information you intend to use.
3. Let AI replace the critical thinking or analysis you are expected to do.
4. Include personal or sensitive information in a prompt.
5. Present AI-generated work as your own. Follow your assessment brief and acknowledge AI use where required. Acknowledgement does not make a use permitted if your brief rules it out.

The following examples illustrate prompts that could lead to academic misconduct or over-reliance on AI in a university context as they ask AI to do substantial academic work for you or to stand in for finding and reading sources.

• Write a 2,000-word essay on the impact of Brexit on UK businesses.”
  This asks AI to produce an assessment in place of your own work.
• “Provide the critical analysis of Foucault’s concept of power for my essay.”
  This asks AI to carry out analysis you may be expected to develop and defend yourself. You could instead ask for questions that help you examine the concept.
• “Summarise the key findings of the latest peer-reviewed research on renewable energy technologies.”
  An AI answer cannot establish on its own which studies exist or whether its account of them is accurate. Find and read relevant papers, then check any AI-supported summary against them.
• “Generate a literature review on the effects of social media on mental health among university students.”
  This asks AI to replace the work of finding, selecting, reading and evaluating literature.
• “What’s the solution to the case study problem in this week’s assessed seminar?”
  This asks AI to solve assessed work for you. Check your assessment brief: submitting an AI-generated solution as your own may be treated as academic misconduct.

1. Follow your assessment brief. It determines whether and how you may use AI.
2. Keep the learning yours. Use prompts to explore ideas and practise skills without handing over work you are expected to do yourself.
3. Check what matters. Compare claims you intend to rely on with course materials, academic sources or other appropriate evidence.
4. Acknowledge your use. Follow the University’s guidance on acknowledging AI use and any instructions in your assessment brief.
5. Protect information. Check AI and data privacy before entering text or uploading material.