There’s a great Simpsons bit where Bart produces a newspaper article titled, “Extra Extra! Todd Smells”. And Todd asks dubiously if his source is reliable. It’s a great jumping off point to thinking through the quality of AI citing sources, are they reliable and what’s the source. ChatGPT and other AI models have a bad reputation for incorrectly citing sources. The reputation isn’t unearned, but it’s also not a deal breaker to using productivity.
So much of our writing is meant to persuade and inform. We need to appreciate how to work with AI when we’re citing facts, figures, and sources. Fabricating facts is simply not acceptable for most of our work. Uninformed users will cite this as a reason to not use AI, not appreciating they can simply turn it around and use AI to find great resources.
When seeking to include authoritative data, facts, or figures, crafting the right prompts for AI is essential and the first step of possibly many. The easy approach is to simply ask AI to include facts or figures to support your writing and cite those sources. Here are prompts that can be adapted to various topics:
Prompt 1: “Cite data, facts, or figures which support this writing.” It’s easy to build on your prompts by starting with a very open request and iterating on the results to dial in your needs. You may open yourself to hallucinations and unhelpful results, but that’s ok because you’re going to keep pushing AI to find better results.
Prompt 2: “Provide recent statistics and data to support the argument that remote work has significantly increased productivity in the tech industry?” This prompt seeks specific, quantifiable information. By asking for “recent statistics and data,” you ensure the information is up-to-date, and by specifying “the tech industry,” you narrow down the focus to relevant data. You’re giving some scope to its research.
Prompt 3: “What are the latest findings or figures about the environmental impact of electric vehicles compared to gasoline cars?” This prompt requests comparative data, directing AI to find not just any facts, but those that offer a direct comparison, making the information more compelling and relevant for an analytical or argumentative piece.
Your prompt can easily set parameters, such as: based on data from Wisconsin, research more recent than 2010, compare, contrast, from government agencies, or anything else helpful to your writing.
Some of your facts and figures, and those sources, will be wrong. It’s a fact of life with writing with AI. But don’t be discouraged. If you like the topic AI created but need better sources, ask AI to find sources that meet your needs. Writing is an exploratory process, it’s ok to start generic and dial in your writing with future drafts.
How do we do this, with follow up prompts of course. The magic happens deep into chat session, not after the first one or two chats. Here are some prompt examples you can use:
Prompt 1: “You cited incorrect facts in your writing. I’d like you to find at least five examples of sources online that are accurate an are similar to what you cited. Listed them in order for me to review.” Ask for a new list, find a good source, and swap out the bad information for the good.
Prompt 2: “I need you to find me five more sources of data that support this writing. You should looks specifically for industry trade journals and research papers.” This prompt helps refine what type of source data you’re looking for. Many industries value industry research more than generic sources.
Prompt 3: “Your source is good, but I’d like to find alternative opinions or ideas on this topic. Find me five sources that can be a counter point to your writing.” Many of us write to project ideas and concepts that do not have a definitive yes or no, or are black and white. Or we simply need to provide a more balanced approach in our writing. Ask AI to find alternatives to balance your writing or challenge you to think more critically about your writing.
In all of these examples, we’re allowing AI to give us a first draft, refining our needs, and being specific with what we need to do next.
The importance of accurately citing sources cannot be overstated. Citation manuals, such as APA, MLA, and Chicago, serve as invaluable guides, ensuring that your references are not only correct but also consistent with academic and professional standards. It’s a safe bet many readers haven’t thought about these manuals since their college days.
You have an amazing research tool at your fingers tips which will help you find the best way to cite your sources.
Prompt 1: “Give me an overview of the standard writing manuals to ensure I’m following the correct style.” If you can’t remember any of them, ask AI!
Prompt 2: “Based on my writing, how should I accurately cite my source and cite it correctly for me.” In your role, a style manual is something that you might not need to follow. It’s more important cite a source rather than follow a specific manual. Let AI choose!
Regularly referring to citation manuals and incorporating their guidelines into your writing routine not only ensures accuracy but also helps you develop stronger writing habits. You become more attentive to the sources you use, how you integrate them into your work, and how you credit the original authors, ultimately elevating the quality and integrity of your writing.
Using sources and applying facts, figures, and sourced information is important across industries. Giving proper credit, and being factual, reinforces your credibility as a writer and communicator. Instead of being turned off by AI’s easy ability to provide bad information, you’ll iterate on the material to find amazing solutions for you and your reader.