How to Write a Great AI Prompt to Summarise a Research Paper
Most people ask AI to "Summarise this research paper"—and wonder why the output is mediocre. Here's how to write a prompt that actually gets you what you want on the first try.
"Summarise this research paper"
Too vague—AI has to guess what you want
"Summarise the following academic research paper for a non-academic business audience. Output: (1) one-paragraph plain-English summary, (2) top 3 key findings as bullets, (3) one practical implication for a B2B SaaS company, (4) any important limitations or caveats. Flag anything that is the authors' opinion rather than empirical finding."
Specific, clear, ready to use
What makes the strong prompt better?
Non-academic audience instruction prevents jargon-heavy summaries
Limitations section surfaces nuance that most AI summaries miss
Opinion vs. finding distinction is critical for research integrity
Pro tips for summarise a research paper prompts
- •Always specify your target audience or reader
- •Include concrete examples or context from your situation
- •Set tone guidance—formal, casual, witty, empathetic
- •Add length constraints to avoid rambling output
- •Exclude what you don't want (e.g., "no buzzwords", "no clichés")
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