Research Paper Prompts: Literature Review & Analysis Templates

Help me organize my literature review:

RESEARCH TOPIC: [YOUR TOPIC]
RESEARCH QUESTION: [MAIN QUESTION]
NUMBER OF SOURCES: [HOW MANY]
FIELD: [ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE]

I've collected sources on:
[LIST MAIN THEMES/SUBTOPICS OF YOUR SOURCES]

Help me:
1. Identify 3-5 major themes across sources
2. For each theme:
   - Key debates/disagreements
   - Points of consensus
   - Evolution of thinking over time
   - Gaps where research is lacking

3. Create a synthesis matrix template:
   - Rows = sources
   - Columns = themes
   - Cells = each source's contribution

4. Suggest organizational approaches:
   - Thematic
   - Chronological
   - Methodological
   - Theoretical

5. Identify:
   - Seminal/foundational works
   - Recent developments
   - Where my research fits

DO NOT write the literature review. Help me see patterns across my sources.

Help me synthesize these sources:

SOURCE 1: [AUTHOR, YEAR] - [KEY FINDING/ARGUMENT]
SOURCE 2: [AUTHOR, YEAR] - [KEY FINDING/ARGUMENT]
SOURCE 3: [AUTHOR, YEAR] - [KEY FINDING/ARGUMENT]
[Add more as needed]

MY RESEARCH QUESTION: [QUESTION]

Help me:
1. Find connections between sources
   - Where do they agree?
   - Where do they contradict?
   - How do they build on each other?

2. Craft synthesis statements like:
   "While [Author 1] argues X, [Author 2] extends this by showing Y, though [Author 3] challenges both with Z."

3. Identify:
   - The conversation these sources are having
   - What's missing from this conversation
   - How my research contributes

4. Suggest transitions between sources

5. Point out potential misreadings of sources

This is for understanding—I'll write the synthesis myself.

Help me identify research gaps:

MY FIELD: [DISCIPLINE]
MY TOPIC: [RESEARCH AREA]
WHAT I'VE READ: [SUMMARY OF LITERATURE]
WHAT SEEMS WELL-COVERED: [ESTABLISHED AREAS]

Analyze for gaps:
1. Theoretical gaps
   - Unexplored theoretical frameworks
   - Concepts not yet applied to this context

2. Methodological gaps
   - Methods not yet used
   - Populations not studied
   - Contexts not examined

3. Empirical gaps
   - Unanswered questions
   - Conflicting findings needing resolution
   - Outdated studies needing replication

4. Practical gaps
   - Real-world applications not explored
   - Implementation not studied

For each gap:
- Why it matters (significance)
- Why it exists (reasons for neglect)
- How my research could address it
- Potential challenges

Help me articulate my contribution to the field.

Help me design my research methodology:

RESEARCH QUESTION: [YOUR QUESTION]
FIELD: [DISCIPLINE]
CONSTRAINTS: [Time, budget, access]
DATA AVAILABLE: [What you can collect/access]

I'm considering:
- Qualitative / Quantitative / Mixed methods
- [SPECIFIC METHODS YOU'RE CONSIDERING]

Help me evaluate:
1. Which approach best fits my question
2. For my chosen approach:
   - Specific methods to use
   - Sample size/selection
   - Data collection procedures
   - Analysis techniques

3. Justify the methodology:
   - Why this approach?
   - Epistemological assumptions
   - How it addresses my question

4. Anticipate challenges:
   - Potential limitations
   - Validity/reliability concerns
   - Ethical considerations

5. Alternative approaches:
   - What else could work?
   - Trade-offs of each option

Be critical—help me see weaknesses before my committee does.

Help me plan my data analysis:

DATA TYPE: [Qualitative/Quantitative/Mixed]
DATA COLLECTED: [DESCRIBE YOUR DATA]
RESEARCH QUESTIONS: [WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ANSWER]
FIELD CONVENTIONS: [COMMON METHODS IN YOUR FIELD]

For my analysis:
1. Recommended analysis techniques
   - Primary method
   - Supporting methods
   - Why these fit my data/questions

2. Step-by-step process:
   - Data preparation
   - Coding/categorization (qual)
   - Statistical tests (quant)
   - Interpretation framework

3. Software recommendations:
   - Tools for my method
   - Learning resources

4. Quality assurance:
   - How to ensure rigor
   - Validity checks
   - Reliability measures

5. Common pitfalls:
   - Mistakes to avoid
   - Misinterpretations
   - Over-claiming from data

Help me analyze data correctly, not just run procedures.

Help me structure my abstract:

PAPER TYPE: [Journal article/Thesis/Conference]
WORD LIMIT: [USUALLY 150-300]
FIELD: [DISCIPLINE]

MY PAPER COVERS:
- Background: [CONTEXT/PROBLEM]
- Purpose: [WHAT I INVESTIGATED]
- Methods: [HOW I DID IT]
- Findings: [WHAT I FOUND]
- Conclusions: [WHAT IT MEANS]

Help me craft an abstract by:
1. Providing a sentence-by-sentence framework:
   - Sentence 1: Context/importance
   - Sentence 2: Gap/problem
   - Sentence 3: Purpose/aim
   - Sentence 4-5: Methods
   - Sentence 6-7: Key findings
   - Sentence 8: Implications

2. Suggest strong opening hooks
3. Identify keywords to include
4. Check against discipline conventions

Review for:
- Clarity (no jargon for broad audience)
- Completeness (all sections represented)
- Accuracy (matches paper content)
- Impact (makes reader want to read more)

I'll write it—give me the framework.

Help me structure my introduction:

RESEARCH TOPIC: [TOPIC]
RESEARCH QUESTION: [QUESTION]
KEY CONTRIBUTION: [WHAT'S NEW]
PAPER LENGTH: [TOTAL PAGES]

Create an introduction framework:
1. Opening (establish importance)
   - Hook options (3 approaches)
   - Broader context
   - Why this matters now

2. Literature context (set up the gap)
   - Key prior work to mention
   - The debate/conversation
   - What's been established

3. The gap (your opportunity)
   - What's missing
   - Why it matters
   - How you'll address it

4. Purpose statement
   - Clear aim/objective
   - Research questions
   - Scope and boundaries

5. Overview (roadmap)
   - What's coming in the paper
   - How it's organized

Also:
- Recommended length for each section
- Common mistakes in intros
- Phrases to avoid/use

This is structure—I'll write the actual content.

Help me structure my discussion section:

MY FINDINGS: [SUMMARIZE KEY RESULTS]
RESEARCH QUESTIONS: [WHAT I ASKED]
LITERATURE: [KEY SOURCES TO CONNECT TO]
SURPRISES: [UNEXPECTED FINDINGS]

Structure my discussion:
1. Opening: Restate main findings (1 paragraph)
   - Don't repeat results, interpret them

2. Connect to literature:
   - How findings confirm prior work
   - How findings extend knowledge
   - How findings contradict expectations

3. Explain the findings:
   - Why these results occurred
   - Alternative explanations
   - Which interpretation is strongest

4. Implications:
   - Theoretical contributions
   - Practical applications
   - Policy recommendations

5. Limitations:
   - What constrains conclusions
   - What I couldn't control for
   - How this affects interpretation

6. Future research:
   - What questions remain
   - Next steps for the field

Help me go beyond summarizing to analyzing.