AI Prompts for Research & Analysis: 40+ Ready-to-Use Templates

TL;DR - Best AI Prompts for Research & Analysis

Looking for ready-to-use AI prompts for research? This guide contains 40+ copy-paste prompts that work with ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Each prompt is completely self-contained—just copy, customize the placeholder comments, and paste. For foundational prompting skills, see the Prompt Engineering Fundamentals guide.

What’s included:

• Literature Research — Literature reviews, source synthesis, gap analysis
• Competitive Intelligence — Competitor analysis, market positioning, feature comparison
• Market Research — Industry analysis, trend identification, customer insights
• Data Analysis — Survey analysis, qualitative coding, data interpretation
• Research Methodology — Research design, hypothesis development, methodology selection
• Synthesis & Reporting — Research summaries, insight extraction, findings presentation

💡 Pro tip: Every line starting with # REPLACE: is a placeholder. Replace these with your actual content before pasting into your AI assistant. For understanding AI limitations in research, see the Understanding AI Safety, Ethics, and Limitations guide.

How to Use These Research Prompts

Each prompt below is ready to copy and paste. Here’s how they work:

1. Copy the entire prompt from the code block
2. Replace the placeholder comments (lines starting with # REPLACE:) with your actual content
3. Paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or your preferred AI
4. Get your result and iterate if needed

Example of customization:

# Before (placeholder):
# REPLACE: Your research question (e.g., "How does remote work affect employee productivity?")

# After (customized):
How do flexible work arrangements impact software developer productivity and job satisfaction?

Literature Research Prompts

Synthesize Literature Review

You are a research analyst helping synthesize academic literature on a topic.

=== RESEARCH TOPIC ===
Topic: 
# REPLACE: Your research topic (e.g., "Impact of artificial intelligence on healthcare diagnostics")

Research Question: 
# REPLACE: The specific question you're investigating
# Example: "How do AI-assisted diagnostic tools compare to traditional methods in accuracy and efficiency?"

=== FIELD/DISCIPLINE ===
Academic Field: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "Healthcare informatics, medical AI")

Related Fields: 
# REPLACE: Adjacent disciplines to consider
# Example: "Computer science, clinical medicine, health policy"

=== SOURCES TO SYNTHESIZE ===
# REPLACE: Paste summaries or key findings from your sources
# 
# Source 1: Smith et al. (2023) - "AI in Radiology: A Systematic Review"
# Key findings: AI achieved 94% accuracy in lung cancer detection vs 87% for radiologists.
# Limitations: Small sample size, single institution.
#
# Source 2: Johnson & Lee (2022) - "Machine Learning Diagnostics in Primary Care"
# Key findings: ML tools reduced diagnostic time by 40% but required significant training.
# Limitations: Only studied urban clinics.
#
# Source 3: Chen (2024) - "Patient Outcomes with AI-Assisted Diagnosis"
# Key findings: No significant difference in patient outcomes at 1-year follow-up.
# Limitations: Selection bias in patient enrollment.
#
# (Add more sources as needed)

=== TIME FRAME ===
Publication Years: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "2019-2024, focusing on recent developments")

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Synthesize these sources into a comprehensive literature review. Provide:

1. THEMATIC SYNTHESIS
   Organize findings by theme rather than by source:
   - Theme 1: [Name] - What the literature collectively says
   - Theme 2: [Name] - What the literature collectively says
   - Theme 3: [Name] - What the literature collectively says

2. AREAS OF CONSENSUS
   What do most/all sources agree on?

3. AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT
   Where do sources contradict or present conflicting evidence?

4. METHODOLOGICAL PATTERNS
   Common approaches, strengths, and weaknesses across studies.

5. RESEARCH GAPS
   What questions remain unanswered? Where is more research needed?

6. EVOLUTION OF THINKING
   How has understanding of this topic changed over time?

7. KEY STATISTICS TABLE
   | Finding | Value | Source | Year |
   Compile the most important quantitative findings.

8. SYNTHESIS PARAGRAPH
   A cohesive narrative (300-400 words) weaving together the key findings.

Maintain academic rigor. Cite sources appropriately. Note limitations.

Identify Research Gaps

You are a research consultant helping identify gaps in existing literature.

=== RESEARCH AREA ===
Field: 
# REPLACE: Your research field (e.g., "Educational technology")

Specific Topic: 
# REPLACE: Narrow focus (e.g., "Gamification in K-12 mathematics education")

=== CURRENT STATE OF RESEARCH ===
# REPLACE: Summarize what HAS been studied
# 
# What's been extensively studied:
# - Gamification in higher education (many large studies)
# - Game-based learning vs traditional instruction
# - Student engagement metrics
#
# What's been partially studied:
# - Long-term retention effects (limited longitudinal studies)
# - Teacher adoption barriers (qualitative studies only)
#
# What's rarely addressed:
# - Equity impacts across socioeconomic groups
# - Integration with existing curricula
# - Cost-effectiveness analysis

=== METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES USED ===
# REPLACE: Common research methods in this area
# - Randomized controlled trials (limited)
# - Quasi-experimental designs (common)
# - Surveys and self-report (very common)
# - Learning analytics (emerging)

=== POPULATIONS STUDIED ===
# REPLACE: Who has been the focus of research?
# - College students (over-represented)
# - Urban schools (over-represented)
# - Special needs students (under-represented)
# - Rural schools (under-represented)

=== YOUR RESEARCH INTERESTS ===
# REPLACE: What are you potentially interested in studying?
# - Teacher professional development needs
# - Implementation challenges in under-resourced schools

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Analyze the research landscape and identify promising gaps. Provide:

1. GAP ANALYSIS MATRIX
   | Gap Category | Specific Gap | Importance | Feasibility | Research Questions |
   
   Categories: Theoretical, Methodological, Population, Context, Time

2. UNDEREXPLORED RESEARCH QUESTIONS
   Generate 10 research questions that address identified gaps, ranked by:
   - Significance to the field
   - Feasibility to study
   - Potential impact

3. METHODOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITIES
   What methods could address current limitations?
   - Untried approaches that could yield new insights
   - Ways to strengthen existing methodologies

4. POPULATION/CONTEXT GAPS
   | Group/Context | Why Understudied | Why Important |

5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS
   - Underutilized theories that could inform new research
   - Connections to other fields not yet explored

6. RECOMMENDED RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
   Top 3 most promising directions with:
   - Justification
   - Potential research questions
   - Suggested methodology
   - Expected contribution

7. GAP PRIORITIZATION
   Rank gaps by: Urgency × Impact × Addressability

Summarize Academic Paper

You are an academic research assistant creating a comprehensive summary of a research paper.

=== PAPER DETAILS ===
Title: 
# REPLACE: Paper title

Authors: 
# REPLACE: Author names

Publication: 
# REPLACE: Journal/conference and year

=== PAPER CONTENT ===
# REPLACE: Paste the abstract, key sections, or full text
# 
# Abstract: [Paste here]
#
# Introduction Key Points: [Paste or summarize]
#
# Methodology: [Paste or summarize]
#
# Key Results: [Paste or summarize]
#
# Discussion/Conclusion: [Paste or summarize]

=== YOUR PURPOSE ===
Why you're reading this: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "For my dissertation literature review on X" or "To understand if this methodology applies to my research")

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Create a comprehensive yet concise summary. Provide:

1. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY
   The paper's contribution in one sentence.

2. STRUCTURED SUMMARY (300 words max)
   - Research Question/Objective
   - Methodology
   - Key Findings
   - Contribution to Field

3. KEY FINDINGS TABLE
   | Finding | Evidence | Significance |

4. METHODOLOGY BREAKDOWN
   - Research design
   - Sample/participants
   - Data collection
   - Analysis approach
   - Strengths of the methodology
   - Limitations acknowledged

5. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
   What theories/concepts does this build on?

6. CRITICAL EVALUATION
   - Strengths of this research
   - Weaknesses or limitations
   - Questions the paper raises
   - What's missing

7. CONNECTIONS
   - How this relates to other work in the field
   - Implications for practice
   - Implications for future research

8. QUOTABLE PASSAGES
   2-3 key quotes that capture important ideas (with page numbers if available).

9. RELEVANCE ASSESSMENT
   How relevant is this to [your stated purpose]? What's useful?

10. CITATION
    Properly formatted citation (APA, MLA, Chicago - specify your preference).

Competitive Intelligence Prompts

Analyze Competitors

You are a competitive intelligence analyst conducting a comprehensive competitor analysis. For more on AI-powered research tools, see the [RAG, Embeddings, and Vector Databases guide](/tech-articles/rag-embeddings-vector-databases/).

=== YOUR COMPANY ===
Company: 
# REPLACE: Your company name

Industry: 
# REPLACE: Your industry

Your Position: 
# REPLACE: Brief description of your market position
# Example: "Mid-market SaaS project management tool, strong in tech sector"

=== COMPETITORS TO ANALYZE ===
# REPLACE: List competitors with what you know about them
#
# Competitor 1: Asana
# - Founded: 2008
# - Funding/Revenue: Public company, ~$500M revenue
# - Key products: Project management, portfolios, goals
# - Target market: Enterprise and mid-market
# - Known strengths: Brand recognition, integrations
#
# Competitor 2: Monday.com
# - Founded: 2012
# - Funding/Revenue: Public company, ~$600M revenue
# - Key products: Work OS platform
# - Target market: All sizes
# - Known strengths: Flexibility, marketing
#
# (Add more competitors as needed)

=== ANALYSIS DIMENSIONS ===
# REPLACE: What aspects to compare
# - Pricing and packaging
# - Feature set
# - Target market and positioning
# - Go-to-market strategy
# - Technology and platform
# - Customer satisfaction
# - Growth trajectory

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Conduct a thorough competitive analysis. Provide:

1. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OVERVIEW
   Summary of the competitive environment (market maturity, key trends, consolidation).

2. COMPETITOR PROFILES
   For each competitor:
   - Company overview
   - Product/service offerings
   - Target market and ideal customer
   - Value proposition
   - Pricing strategy
   - Strengths
   - Weaknesses
   - Recent strategic moves
   - Threat level to your business (High/Medium/Low)

3. FEATURE COMPARISON MATRIX
   | Feature | Your Company | Competitor 1 | Competitor 2 | Competitor 3 |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   Use ✅ = Has feature, ⚠️ = Partial, ❌ = Missing, 🏆 = Best in class

4. POSITIONING MAP
   Describe a 2x2 positioning map with:
   - Axes to use (e.g., Price vs Feature Richness)
   - Where each competitor falls
   - White space opportunities

5. PRICING COMPARISON
   | Tier | Your Price | Comp 1 | Comp 2 | Notes |

6. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ANALYSIS
   | Competitor | Key Strengths | Key Weaknesses | Implication for You |

7. COMPETITIVE DYNAMICS
   - Who is gaining/losing share?
   - Recent moves that changed the landscape
   - Predicted next moves

8. STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
   - Where you have competitive advantage
   - Where you're vulnerable
   - Opportunities to differentiate
   - Threats to monitor

9. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
   Top 5 actions based on competitive analysis.

Feature Comparison Analysis

You are a product analyst conducting a detailed feature comparison across competing products.

=== PRODUCTS TO COMPARE ===
# REPLACE: List products with their core focus
#
# Product 1: Figma
# Type: Design tool
# Core use case: UI/UX design and prototyping
#
# Product 2: Sketch
# Type: Design tool
# Core use case: UI design for Mac
#
# Product 3: Adobe XD
# Type: Design tool
# Core use case: UI/UX design in Adobe ecosystem
#
# (Add more as needed)

=== FEATURE CATEGORIES ===
# REPLACE: Categories to organize comparison
# - Core design capabilities
# - Prototyping features
# - Collaboration features
# - Developer handoff
# - Plugin/extension ecosystem
# - Platform availability
# - Pricing

=== EVALUATION CRITERIA ===
# REPLACE: How to rate features
# - Existence (Yes/No)
# - Quality (1-5 scale)
# - Ease of use
# - Depth of capability

=== TARGET USER ===
# REPLACE: Whose perspective are we taking?
# Example: "Mid-size design team (5-15 designers) at a SaaS company"

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Create a comprehensive feature comparison. Provide:

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
   One paragraph summarizing which product wins for what use case.

2. DETAILED FEATURE MATRIX
   
   | Category | Feature | Product 1 | Product 2 | Product 3 | Winner |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   
   Rating scale: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5) to ⭐ (1), ❌ = Not available

3. CATEGORY SUMMARIES
   For each category:
   - Best overall: [Product] because [reason]
   - Detailed comparison
   - Key differentiators

4. USE CASE RECOMMENDATIONS
   | Use Case | Best Choice | Why | Runner-up |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   | Small team, budget limited | | | |
   | Enterprise, security focus | | | |
   | Heavy prototyping needs | | | |

5. PRICING ANALYSIS
   | Product | Free Tier | Paid Tiers | Value Assessment |
   
   TCO analysis for the target user profile.

6. MIGRATION CONSIDERATIONS
   What's involved in switching between products?

7. FUTURE ROADMAP (if known)
   Announced features or direction that could change the comparison.

8. FINAL RECOMMENDATION
   For [target user], recommend [product] because [reasons].
   Consider [alternative] if [specific circumstances].

Competitive Positioning Analysis

You are a strategy consultant analyzing competitive positioning in a market.

=== MARKET CONTEXT ===
Market: 
# REPLACE: Market you're analyzing (e.g., "Enterprise CRM software")

Market Size: 
# REPLACE: Approximate market size if known

Growth Rate: 
# REPLACE: Market growth rate if known

=== COMPANIES TO POSITION ===
# REPLACE: Companies to analyze and what you know about their positioning
#
# Company 1: Salesforce
# Current positioning: "Complete enterprise platform"
# Target: Enterprise, all industries
# Price point: Premium
#
# Company 2: HubSpot
# Current positioning: "Grow better together"
# Target: SMB and mid-market
# Price point: Freemium to mid-tier
#
# Company 3: Pipedrive
# Current positioning: "Built for salespeople"
# Target: Small sales teams
# Price point: Affordable

=== YOUR COMPANY (if applicable) ===
# REPLACE: Your company's current and desired position
# Current positioning: [What you're known for now]
# Desired positioning: [Where you want to be]
# Constraints: [Budget, brand, capabilities]

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Analyze competitive positioning and identify opportunities. Provide:

1. POSITIONING MAP ANALYSIS
   Create multiple 2x2 maps using different dimensions:
   
   Map 1: [Dimension A] vs [Dimension B]
   - Describe where each company falls
   - Identify white space
   
   Map 2: [Dimension C] vs [Dimension D]
   - Different view of the landscape
   
   Suggested dimensions: Price, Features, Complexity, Specialization, 
   Market focus, Innovation, Service model

2. POSITIONING STATEMENTS
   For each company, articulate their positioning:
   "For [target customer] who [need], [Company] provides [solution] 
   that [key benefit]. Unlike [competitors], we [differentiator]."

3. VALUE PROPOSITION COMPARISON
   | Company | Primary Value Prop | Supporting Claims | Proof Points |

4. TARGET SEGMENT ANALYSIS
   | Company | Primary Segment | Secondary Segment | Underserved Segments |

5. MESSAGING ANALYSIS
   How each company communicates their position:
   - Key themes
   - Language and tone
   - Channels used
   - Effectiveness assessment

6. POSITIONING GAPS
   | Gap/White Space | Opportunity | Risk | Best Positioned to Fill |

7. POSITIONING RECOMMENDATIONS
   For [your company]:
   - Current position assessment
   - Recommended positioning shift
   - Key messages to emphasize
   - Messages to de-emphasize
   - Positioning proof points to develop

8. COMPETITIVE RESPONSE SCENARIOS
   If you reposition, how will competitors likely respond?

Market Research Prompts

Industry Analysis

You are a market research analyst conducting a comprehensive industry analysis.

=== INDUSTRY ===
Industry: 
# REPLACE: Industry to analyze (e.g., "Electric vehicle charging infrastructure")

Geographic Scope: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "North America" or "Global")

=== KNOWN INFORMATION ===
# REPLACE: Data you already have about the industry
#
# Market size: $XX billion in 2024
# Growth rate: XX% CAGR projected
# Key players: Company A (XX% share), Company B (XX% share)
# Recent developments:
# - [Development 1]
# - [Development 2]

=== ANALYSIS PURPOSE ===
Why this analysis: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "Evaluating market entry opportunity" or "Investor due diligence")

Key Questions: 
# REPLACE: Specific questions to answer
# - Is this market attractive for new entrants?
# - What are the barriers to entry?
# - Which segments are growing fastest?

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Conduct a comprehensive industry analysis. Provide:

1. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
   - Industry definition and scope
   - Current market size and growth
   - Stage of industry lifecycle
   - Key products/services

2. MARKET STRUCTURE
   - Concentration (fragmented vs consolidated)
   - Key players and market shares (table)
   - Recent M&A activity
   - Vertical integration trends

3. PORTER'S FIVE FORCES
   For each force (High/Medium/Low with explanation):
   - Threat of new entrants
   - Bargaining power of suppliers
   - Bargaining power of buyers
   - Threat of substitutes
   - Competitive rivalry
   
   Overall industry attractiveness assessment.

4. MARKET SEGMENTATION
   | Segment | Size | Growth | Key Players | Attractiveness |

5. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS
   - Key activities in the value chain
   - Where value is created
   - Margin distribution
   - Potential for disruption

6. TRENDS AND DRIVERS
   | Trend | Impact | Timeframe | Implications |
   
   Categories: Technology, Regulatory, Consumer, Economic

7. REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT
   - Current regulations
   - Pending/proposed changes
   - Compliance requirements
   - Regulatory risks

8. SWOT FOR THE INDUSTRY
   (Not any specific company, but the industry as a whole)

9. FUTURE OUTLOOK
   - 3-5 year projection
   - Key uncertainties
   - Scenarios (bull/base/bear)

10. STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
    Based on purpose and key questions, what does this mean?

Trend Analysis

You are a research analyst identifying and analyzing trends in a specific domain.

=== DOMAIN ===
Area of Analysis: 
# REPLACE: Domain to analyze (e.g., "Workplace technology" or "Consumer fintech")

Time Frame: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "2020-2024, with projection to 2030")

=== TREND SIGNALS ===
# REPLACE: Data points, observations, or signals you've noticed
#
# Signal 1: Remote work adoption increased 500% since 2020
# Signal 2: Investment in collaboration tools reached $15B in 2023
# Signal 3: "Hybrid work" mentions in earnings calls up 300%
# Signal 4: Commercial office vacancy rates at historic highs
# Signal 5: Employee preference surveys show 70% want flexibility
#
# (Add more signals as needed)

=== DATA SOURCES ===
# REPLACE: Types of data you have access to
# - Industry reports
# - Patent filings
# - Funding data
# - Survey results
# - Social media trends
# - Search data

=== ANALYSIS GOALS ===
# REPLACE: What do you need from trend analysis?
# - Identify investment opportunities
# - Inform product roadmap
# - Prepare thought leadership content
# - Strategic planning input

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Analyze trends comprehensively. Provide:

1. TREND IDENTIFICATION
   List 5-10 significant trends, for each:
   | Trend Name | Description | Strength | Trajectory | Confidence |
   
   Strength: Strong/Moderate/Emerging
   Trajectory: Accelerating/Stable/Decelerating
   Confidence: High/Medium/Low

2. MEGA-TRENDS VS MICRO-TRENDS
   
   Mega-trends (long-term, broad impact):
   - [Trend] - Why it's significant
   
   Micro-trends (shorter-term, specific):
   - [Trend] - Why it's notable

3. TREND DEEP DIVE
   For top 3 most significant trends:
   
   **Trend: [Name]**
   - Definition and scope
   - Evidence and data points
   - Driving forces
   - Barriers or resistance
   - Who benefits/loses
   - Timeline and stages
   - Implications by stakeholder
   - Related trends

4. TREND INTERCONNECTIONS
   How do these trends relate to and reinforce each other?
   (Identify clusters and dependencies)

5. EARLY INDICATORS
   What signals would indicate trend acceleration or reversal?
   | Trend | Acceleration Signals | Reversal Signals |

6. SCENARIO PLANNING
   Based on trend trajectories:
   
   Scenario A: [Name] - If trends accelerate
   Scenario B: [Name] - If trends continue at current pace
   Scenario C: [Name] - If trends reverse or stall

7. IMPLICATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES
   | Trend | Threats | Opportunities | Actions to Consider |

8. MONITORING PLAN
   How to track these trends going forward:
   - Metrics to watch
   - Data sources to monitor
   - Review frequency

Customer/User Research Synthesis

You are a user researcher synthesizing findings from customer research.

=== RESEARCH CONTEXT ===
Product/Service: 
# REPLACE: What was being researched? (e.g., "Mobile banking app redesign")

Research Objective: 
# REPLACE: What were you trying to learn?
# Example: "Understand pain points in current bill pay experience"

=== RESEARCH CONDUCTED ===
# REPLACE: List research activities
# 
# Activity 1: User Interviews
# - 15 participants, 45-60 min each
# - Mix of power users and occasional users
# - Semi-structured interviews
#
# Activity 2: Usability Testing
# - 8 participants
# - Task-based testing of current app
# - Think-aloud protocol
#
# Activity 3: Survey
# - 500 respondents
# - NPS and satisfaction questions
# - Open-ended feedback

=== KEY FINDINGS ===
# REPLACE: Paste or summarize your findings
#
# Interview Finding 1: Users struggle to find scheduled payments
# - 12/15 participants mentioned this
# - Quote: "I can never remember where I set up autopay"
#
# Interview Finding 2: Security anxiety when paying new payees
# - 9/15 participants
# - Quote: "I triple-check the account number, worried about mistakes"
#
# Usability Finding 1: 6/8 participants couldn't complete bill pay in under 2 min
#
# Survey Finding: NPS = 32, with payment experience rated lowest
#
# (Add all key findings)

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Synthesize research findings into actionable insights. Provide:

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
   Key takeaways in 3-5 bullet points that anyone could understand.

2. SYNTHESIZED INSIGHTS
   Transform findings into insights (insights = findings + implications):
   
   | Insight # | Insight Statement | Supporting Evidence | Implication |
   
   Organize insights by theme, not by research method.

3. THEMATIC ANALYSIS
   
   **Theme 1: [Name]**
   - What we learned
   - Evidence (with participant quotes)
   - User need this reveals
   - Opportunity this presents
   
   (Repeat for each theme)

4. USER NEEDS HIERARCHY
   Ranked list of user needs:
   | Priority | User Need | Evidence Strength | Unmet Today? |

5. PERSONA INSIGHTS
   How do findings differ across user types?
   | User Segment | Key Behaviors | Pain Points | Needs | Opportunities |

6. JOURNEY PAIN POINTS
   Map findings to the user journey:
   | Stage | Finding | Severity | Frequency | Improvement Ideas |

7. OPPORTUNITY AREAS
   Based on insights, where should the team focus?
   | Opportunity | User Impact | Business Impact | Feasibility | Priority |

8. RECOMMENDATIONS
   Specific, actionable recommendations:
   1. [Recommendation] - Addresses [insight] - Impact: [expected outcome]

9. QUOTES LIBRARY
   Most powerful user quotes organized by theme.

10. RESEARCH GAPS
    What questions remain unanswered? What additional research is needed?

Data Analysis Prompts

Survey Data Analysis

You are a research analyst interpreting survey results and extracting insights.

=== SURVEY OVERVIEW ===
Survey Topic: 
# REPLACE: What the survey was about (e.g., "Employee engagement survey 2024")

Sample Size: 
# REPLACE: Number of respondents (e.g., "847 employees, 68% response rate")

Survey Period: 
# REPLACE: When conducted (e.g., "October 15-30, 2024")

=== SURVEY RESULTS ===
# REPLACE: Paste your survey data/results
#
# Question 1: "I am satisfied with my job overall" (1-5 scale)
# Results: Mean = 3.8, Median = 4, Mode = 4
# Distribution: 1=5%, 2=8%, 3=22%, 4=40%, 5=25%
# Previous year: Mean = 3.9 (decline of 0.1)
#
# Question 2: "I would recommend this company as a great place to work"
# eNPS calculation: Promoters (9-10) = 35%, Passives (7-8) = 42%, Detractors (0-6) = 23%
# eNPS Score: +12 (Previous year: +18, down 6 points)
#
# Question 3: Open-ended - "What would improve your experience?"
# Top themes: 
# - Better communication from leadership (mentioned 127 times)
# - More flexibility in work location (mentioned 98 times)
# - Career development opportunities (mentioned 87 times)
#
# Demographic breakdowns:
# - Engineering dept satisfaction: 4.2 (highest)
# - Sales dept satisfaction: 3.2 (lowest)
# - Tenure < 1 year satisfaction: 4.1
# - Tenure > 5 years satisfaction: 3.5
#
# (Add more data as available)

=== ANALYSIS GOALS ===
# REPLACE: What questions need answering?
# - What are the biggest areas of concern?
# - Which groups need attention?
# - What's driving the decline from last year?
# - What actions should leadership take?

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Analyze the survey data and provide insights. Include:

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
   3-5 key takeaways for leadership (plain language, action-oriented).

2. KEY METRICS DASHBOARD
   | Metric | Score | Benchmark | Trend | Status |
   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
   Status: 🟢 Good, 🟡 Caution, 🔴 Concern

3. TOPLINE FINDINGS
   For each major survey section:
   - Overall score
   - Change vs previous period
   - Notable patterns
   - Interpretation

4. SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS
   Significant differences by demographic groups:
   | Segment | Score | Diff from Avg | Significance | Notes |
   
   Identify which groups are most/least satisfied and why.

5. CORRELATION ANALYSIS
   What correlates with overall satisfaction?
   (Which factors predict happy employees?)

6. OPEN-ENDED RESPONSE THEMES
   | Theme | Frequency | Sentiment | Example Quotes | Actionability |

7. YEAR-OVER-YEAR ANALYSIS
   What improved? What declined? Why?

8. ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
   For the biggest problem areas, analyze potential causes.

9. PRIORITY MATRIX
   | Issue | Impact | Ease to Address | Priority |
   Based on data, what should be addressed first?

10. RECOMMENDATIONS
    Specific actions to take, tied directly to data findings.

11. LIMITATIONS
    Caveats about the data (response bias, sample size, etc.)

Qualitative Data Coding

You are a qualitative researcher coding and analyzing unstructured data.

=== DATA OVERVIEW ===
Data Type: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "Interview transcripts" or "Open-ended survey responses" or "Customer reviews")

Volume: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "20 interview transcripts, avg 45 min each")

=== RESEARCH QUESTIONS ===
# REPLACE: What are you trying to understand?
# - RQ1: How do customers perceive our brand vs competitors?
# - RQ2: What factors drive purchase decisions?
# - RQ3: What unmet needs exist?

=== DATA SAMPLE ===
# REPLACE: Paste representative samples of your data
#
# Participant 3: "I've been using their product for years, but lately 
# the quality seems to have dropped. My friends say the same thing. 
# I'm starting to look at alternatives because I don't feel like they 
# care about quality anymore. Price keeps going up too."
#
# Participant 7: "What I love is the community aspect. Other brands 
# don't have that. When I have questions, I can find answers from 
# other users. That's worth paying a premium for to me."
#
# Participant 12: "The customer service is terrible. I waited 3 days 
# for a response to a simple question. That's unacceptable."
#
# (Paste more examples - the more data, the better the analysis)

=== CODING APPROACH ===
# REPLACE: What type of coding do you want?
# - Inductive (themes emerge from data)
# - Deductive (applying existing framework)
# - Mixed
#
# If deductive, list predefined codes:
# - Quality perception
# - Price sensitivity
# - Brand loyalty
# - Service experience

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Code and analyze the qualitative data. Provide:

1. CODEBOOK DEVELOPMENT
   | Code | Definition | Example | Frequency |
   
   Create or apply codes that capture key concepts in the data.

2. CODING SUMMARY
   For the data sample provided:
   | Data Excerpt | Codes Applied | Notes |

3. THEMATIC ANALYSIS
   Group codes into higher-order themes:
   
   **Theme 1: [Name]**
   - Codes included: [list]
   - Description
   - Representative quotes (3-5)
   - Frequency across participants
   - Sub-themes if applicable
   
   (Repeat for each theme)

4. THEMATIC MAP
   How do themes relate to each other?
   Describe the relationships between themes.

5. FREQUENCY ANALYSIS
   | Theme | # Participants | % of Data | Strength of Theme |

6. CONTRASTING CASES
   Where do participants disagree? What explains the variation?

7. ANSWERING RESEARCH QUESTIONS
   For each RQ:
   - What the data reveals
   - Confidence level
   - Supporting evidence
   - Nuances and caveats

8. KEY INSIGHTS
   Transform themes into actionable insights:
   | Theme | Insight | Implication | Recommended Action |

9. QUOTE BANK
   Most powerful/illustrative quotes organized by theme.

10. QUALITY REFLECTION
    - Are themes saturated?
    - What perspectives might be missing?
    - Potential researcher bias to acknowledge

Research Methodology Prompts

Design Research Study

You are a research methodologist helping design a research study.

=== RESEARCH TOPIC ===
Topic: 
# REPLACE: What you want to study
# Example: "Impact of four-day work week on employee productivity and wellbeing"

=== RESEARCH QUESTIONS ===
# REPLACE: Specific questions to answer
# RQ1: Does a four-day work week affect individual productivity?
# RQ2: How does it impact employee stress levels and job satisfaction?
# RQ3: What implementation factors influence success?

=== CONTEXT ===
Organization/Setting: 
# REPLACE: Where will research take place?

Available Resources: 
# REPLACE: Time, budget, access constraints
# - 6 months to complete
# - Budget: $15,000
# - Access to 3 companies willing to pilot

Population of Interest: 
# REPLACE: Who/what you're studying
# - Knowledge workers in tech companies
# - All levels (IC to manager)

=== CONSTRAINTS ===
# REPLACE: Limitations to work within
# - Can't randomize employees (ethical constraints)
# - Companies want minimal disruption
# - Need results within 6 months

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Design a comprehensive research study. Provide:

1. RESEARCH DESIGN OVERVIEW
   - Recommended approach (qualitative/quantitative/mixed)
   - Rationale for this design
   - Alternative approaches considered

2. METHODOLOGY SELECTION
   For recommended methodology:
   - Description
   - Why it's appropriate for these RQs
   - Strengths and limitations
   
   | Method | Appropriate For | Pros | Cons |

3. SAMPLING STRATEGY
   - Target population
   - Sampling approach
   - Sample size and justification
   - Inclusion/exclusion criteria
   - Recruitment strategy

4. DATA COLLECTION PLAN
   For each data collection method:
   | Method | Purpose | Instrument | Sample | Timeline |
   
   - Detailed description of instruments/protocols
   - Pilot testing recommendations

5. VARIABLES/CONSTRUCTS
   | Variable | Type | Operationalization | Measurement |
   - Independent variables
   - Dependent variables
   - Control variables
   - Potential confounds

6. DATA ANALYSIS PLAN
   For each research question:
   - Data to analyze
   - Analysis technique
   - How results will be interpreted

7. TIMELINE
   | Phase | Activities | Duration | Deliverables |

8. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
   - Informed consent requirements
   - Data protection
   - Potential risks to participants
   - IRB/ethics board requirements

9. VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY
   - Threats to internal validity and mitigation
   - Threats to external validity and mitigation
   - Reliability measures

10. BUDGET ESTIMATE
    | Category | Cost | Notes |

11. LIMITATIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENT
    What this study design cannot address.

Develop Research Hypotheses

You are a research methodologist helping develop hypotheses for a study.

=== RESEARCH AREA ===
Field: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "Organizational psychology")

Specific Topic: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "Relationship between remote work and team cohesion")

=== RESEARCH QUESTION ===
Main Question: 
# REPLACE: The overarching question
# "How does the proportion of remote work affect team cohesion and project outcomes?"

=== THEORETICAL FOUNDATION ===
# REPLACE: Theories or frameworks guiding your thinking
#
# Theory 1: Social Identity Theory
# - Suggests shared physical presence strengthens group identity
# - Predicts remote work may weaken team cohesion
#
# Theory 2: Media Richness Theory
# - Video calls lower richness than in-person
# - May affect relationship building
#
# Existing research suggests:
# - Study A found negative correlation between remote work and cohesion
# - Study B found no significant difference with good tools
# - Study C found moderation by team tenure

=== VARIABLES OF INTEREST ===
# REPLACE: Key variables in your study
# 
# Independent variable: Proportion of remote work (0-100%)
# Dependent variables: Team cohesion, project success
# Potential moderators: Team tenure, communication tool quality
# Potential mediators: Communication frequency, trust

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Develop hypotheses for this research. Provide:

1. CONCEPTUAL MODEL
   Describe the proposed relationships between variables:
   - Direct effects
   - Moderating effects
   - Mediating effects
   (Describe as text, or draw as ASCII diagram)

2. HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT
   For each proposed relationship:
   
   **H1: [Hypothesis statement]**
   - Direction: Positive/Negative/Non-directional
   - Theoretical rationale
   - Empirical support from literature
   - Testability assessment
   
   (Repeat for each hypothesis)

3. HYPOTHESIS SUMMARY TABLE
   | # | Hypothesis | IV | DV | Moderator | Expected Direction |

4. ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESES
   Competing explanations to consider.

5. NULL HYPOTHESES
   Explicit null hypothesis for each H.

6. OPERATIONALIZATION
   How to measure each variable to test hypotheses:
   | Variable | Operationalization | Measure | Scale |

7. STATISTICAL TESTS
   | Hypothesis | Recommended Test | Assumptions | Power Considerations |

8. POTENTIAL OUTCOMES
   For each hypothesis, what would it mean if:
   - Hypothesis is supported
   - Hypothesis is not supported
   - Results are inconclusive

9. CONTRIBUTION
   If hypotheses are supported, what does this contribute to:
   - Theory
   - Practice
   - Future research

Synthesis & Reporting Prompts

Create Research Report

You are a research writer creating a comprehensive research report.

=== RESEARCH PROJECT ===
Title: 
# REPLACE: Project title

Research Type: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "Market research study" or "UX research project")

Commissioner/Audience: 
# REPLACE: Who will read this report?

=== RESEARCH SUMMARY ===
# REPLACE: High-level summary of what was done and found
#
# Objective: Understand customer preferences for sustainable packaging
# Methodology: Mixed methods - survey (n=1,500) + 30 in-depth interviews
# Key finding 1: 78% willing to pay 5-10% more for sustainable packaging
# Key finding 2: "Recyclable" resonates more than "biodegradable"
# Key finding 3: Gen Z most sustainability-conscious but least willing to pay premium

=== DETAILED FINDINGS ===
# REPLACE: Paste detailed findings, data, quotes, etc.
# (The more detail you provide, the better the report)

=== RECOMMENDATIONS ===
# REPLACE: Your recommendations based on findings
# 1. Prioritize recyclable materials messaging
# 2. Focus premium sustainable line on Millennials, not Gen Z
# 3. Partner with recognized certification bodies

=== REPORT REQUIREMENTS ===
Length: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "10-15 pages" or "Executive brief, 3 pages")

Sections Required: 
# REPLACE: Any specific sections needed

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Create a professional research report. Include:

1. TITLE PAGE
   Title, date, authors, commissioning organization

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (1 page)
   - Background and objectives
   - Methodology overview
   - Key findings (top 5)
   - Recommendations (top 3)
   (This should stand alone for executives who only read this page)

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS

4. INTRODUCTION
   - Background and context
   - Research objectives
   - Scope and limitations

5. METHODOLOGY
   - Research design
   - Sample and sampling
   - Data collection
   - Analysis approach
   - Limitations and caveats

6. FINDINGS
   Organized by theme or research question:
   
   **Finding Area 1: [Topic]**
   - Key insight
   - Supporting data (tables, charts described)
   - Implications
   
   (Repeat for each major finding area)

7. DISCUSSION
   - Synthesis of findings
   - Relationship to industry/prior research
   - Implications for commissioner

8. RECOMMENDATIONS
   | Priority | Recommendation | Rationale | Expected Impact | Next Steps |

9. APPENDICES
   - Detailed methodology
   - Survey instrument
   - Full data tables
   - Additional charts

10. REFERENCES (if applicable)

Format professionally with proper headings, clear data presentation, and actionable language.

Present Research Findings

You are a research communicator helping present findings to stakeholders.

=== RESEARCH COMPLETED ===
Research Topic: 
# REPLACE: What research was conducted

Key Findings: 
# REPLACE: The main findings to present
# 1. Finding A with supporting data
# 2. Finding B with supporting data
# 3. Finding C with supporting data

=== AUDIENCE ===
Who you're presenting to: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "Executive leadership team" or "Product team" or "Client stakeholders")

Their priorities: 
# REPLACE: What do they care about most?

Their knowledge level: 
# REPLACE: How familiar are they with the research/topic?

Time available: 
# REPLACE: (e.g., "20 minute presentation + 10 min Q&A")

=== DESIRED OUTCOME ===
# REPLACE: What should happen after the presentation?
# - Decision to fund Phase 2
# - Alignment on recommended approach
# - Buy-in for proposed changes

=== INSTRUCTIONS ===
Create presentation content and talking points. Provide:

1. PRESENTATION STRUCTURE
   Outline with timing for each section.

2. SLIDE-BY-SLIDE CONTENT
   For each slide:
   - Slide title (action-oriented, not topic labels)
   - Key message
   - Content/visuals to include
   - Talking points (what to say)
   - Transitions to next slide

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SLIDE
   The entire story on one slide for exec audiences.

4. KEY DATA VISUALIZATIONS
   Describe the best chart/visual for each data point:
   | Data | Visualization Type | Why | Key Insight to Highlight |

5. NARRATIVE ARC
   The story that connects all findings:
   - Setup (context, why this matters)
   - Tension (what we learned that's surprising/important)
   - Resolution (what to do about it)

6. ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS
   | Question | Prepared Answer | Supporting Data |
   Include skeptical questions and be prepared.

7. APPENDIX SLIDES
   Supporting slides if questions go deep.

8. HANDOUT VERSION
   Key points structured for a leave-behind document.

9. FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS
   Clear next steps to present at the end.

Make recommendations specific and actionable. Ground everything in data.

Quick Reference

Tips for Better Research Prompts

1. Provide Data and Context

❌ "Analyze my survey results"
✅ "Analyze these survey results from 847 employees. Key data:
    - Overall satisfaction: 3.8/5 (down from 3.9 last year)
    - eNPS: +12 (down from +18)
    - Top complaint: leadership communication (127 mentions)"

2. State Your Research Questions

# Clear research frame:
# - RQ1: How does X affect Y?
# - RQ2: What factors moderate this relationship?
# - RQ3: How can we improve Y?

3. Specify the Rigor Level

# For academic research: Follow APA guidelines, cite sources properly
# For business research: Focus on actionable insights, okay to be less formal
# For quick analysis: Provide directional insights, note confidence levels

4. Include Comparison Points

# Compare against: Previous year's results, industry benchmarks, competitor data
# This provides context for interpretation

5. Define Your Audience

# Output for: Executive team (high-level, action-oriented)
# vs: Research team (methodological detail, nuance)
# vs: Implementation team (specific, practical)

6. Ask for Confidence Levels

# For each finding, indicate confidence: High/Medium/Low
# Note: This finding is based on N=15 interviews (moderate confidence)

7. Request Alternative Interpretations

"What are alternative explanations for these findings?"
"Challenge this conclusion—what could we be missing?"

Workflow: Complete Research Project

Here’s how to combine prompts for end-to-end research:

Phase 1: Research Design Use: Design Research Study → Develop Research Hypotheses

Phase 2: Literature Foundation Use: Synthesize Literature Review → Identify Research Gaps

Phase 3: Competitive Context Use: Analyze Competitors → Industry Analysis

Phase 4: Data Collection & Analysis Use: Survey Data Analysis → Qualitative Data Coding

Phase 5: Synthesis Use: Customer/User Research Synthesis → Create Research Report

Phase 6: Communication Use: Present Research Findings

What’s Next

• 📚 AI Prompts for Data Scientists — Data analysis techniques
• 📚 AI Prompts for Business Analysts — Requirements and analysis
• 📚 AI Prompts for Consultants — Strategy frameworks
• 🛠️ Business Case Generator — Generate business cases with AI

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