Summarize the research paper below for me as a careful academic reader who is new to this exact topic. Paper or notes: [PAPER TEXT OR NOTES] My background and purpose: [MY BACKGROUND AND GOAL] Summary length: [TARGET LENGTH] Terms I want explained: [TERMS TO EXPLAIN] Questions I need answered: [MY QUESTIONS] Produce a summary in this exact order:
1. Citation details available in the text, then a one-sentence plain-English takeaway. 2. Research question and why it matters. State the authors' stated aim, not an assumed aim. 3. Study design: population or dataset, setting, sample size, comparison groups, intervention or exposure, outcomes, and follow-up period where reported. 4. Methods in plain language: how the authors collected and analyzed evidence, including the study type. 5. Main findings: 3-5 findings with reported numbers, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or p-values only when present. Distinguish statistical significance from practical importance. 6. Interpretation: what the evidence supports, what it does not prove, and how broadly the result can be generalized. 7. Limitations named by the authors plus any clear limitation visible from the supplied text. 8. A short glossary for [TERMS TO EXPLAIN], then direct answers to [MY QUESTIONS]. Use [TARGET LENGTH] excluding the glossary. Preserve uncertainty words such as association, estimate, and may. Do not invent missing methods, results, citations, or causal claims. If the full paper is not supplied, label conclusions as based on the abstract or notes. Before answering, check that every numerical claim appears in the supplied material and that you have separated author conclusions from your own explanation. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [PAPER TEXT OR NOTES] | Paste the paper, abstract, or your notes, including tables or result excerpts when available. | Abstract and results section from a 2023 cohort study on night-shift work and hypertension among 4,218 nurses. |
| [MY BACKGROUND AND GOAL] | State your familiarity with the topic and why you need the summary. | I am an undergraduate public-health student preparing for a seminar discussion. |
| [TARGET LENGTH] | Enter a word count or a short format such as 500 words or one page. | 650 words |
| [TERMS TO EXPLAIN] | List technical terms, measures, or methods you want defined. | hazard ratio, confounding, 95% confidence interval |
| [MY QUESTIONS] | List the specific questions you want the summary to answer. | Did the study show causation? How large was the observed risk? |
How to use
- Paste the full text when possible; an abstract alone cannot support a detailed methods or limitations summary.
- Set a length that leaves room for design and limitations, not just results.
- Check every number against the paper and make sure association has not been rewritten as causation.
- Follow up with: “Turn the limitations into three questions I should raise in a journal club.”
Variations
Journal club brief
Use this when you need discussion-ready notes for a group meeting.
Create a journal-club brief from [PAPER TEXT]. Audience: [AUDIENCE]. Include a 100-word overview, PICO or equivalent study framework, five key results with exact reported figures, three strengths, three limitations, and four discussion questions. Separate findings from interpretation and do not claim causation unless the design supports it. Flag any point that cannot be verified from the supplied text. Ask up to 3 questions only if required inputs are missing.
Methods breakdown
Use this when the paper's design or statistics are the main challenge.
Teach me how to read the methods and results in [PAPER TEXT] at a [KNOWLEDGE LEVEL] level. Explain the study design, sample selection, variables, comparison, analysis approach, and likely sources of bias. Then explain each item in [STATISTICAL TERMS] using an example from the paper. Identify what the method can estimate and what it cannot establish. Do not fill in absent details; flag them. Ask up to 3 questions only if required inputs are missing.
Evidence table
Use this when comparing several papers on one question.
Build a comparison table for these papers: [PAPER EXCERPTS]. Research question: [TOPIC]. Use columns for citation, design, participants, intervention or exposure, comparator, outcome, key result, limitations, and applicability to [DECISION CONTEXT]. Add a 150-word synthesis describing agreement, disagreement, and evidence gaps. Use only supplied information, preserve uncertainty, and mark missing fields as not reported. Ask up to 3 questions only if required inputs are missing.
Tips
- Paste the abstract, methods, results, and discussion rather than relying on a title or a screenshot of one chart.
- Ask for the study design by name because the same result means different things in a randomized trial, cohort study, and cross-sectional survey.
- Keep effect size and uncertainty together; a p-value alone does not tell you whether an effect is meaningful.
- Use the paper's own population and setting to judge applicability before treating a result as general advice.
FAQ
Can AI summarize a paper I cannot access in full?
It can summarize an abstract, but it should label that limitation. Abstracts often omit sampling details, adverse results, and important limitations.
Will this tell me whether the paper is credible?
It can identify visible design issues and reported limitations, but it cannot replace subject-matter peer review or a full critical appraisal.
Should I paste a PDF?
Paste extracted text or the relevant sections when possible. Include tables and figure captions if the results depend on them.