Prompts for Research Paper Review : A 4-Phase Step-by-Step Guide
Writing a research review paper is a monumental task. It requires meticulous planning, exhaustive research, critical synthesis, and clear writing. It’s easy to feel lost or overwhelmed. That’s where our comprehensive list of 24 prompts comes in. These prompts act as your personal guide from the initial idea to the final publication.
Think of these prompts for research paper review not just as a list, but as a structured workflow. Here’s how you can use them to build your review paper, phase by phase.
Phase 1: Laying the Foundation (Prompts 1-5 & 22-24)
This is the most critical phase. A strong foundation prevents major headaches later.
- Step 1: Define Your Mission (Prompt 1): Start here. Clearly define your topic, research question, objectives, and scope. Knowing your “why” and “what” is paramount.
- Step 2: Craft Your Identity (Prompt 2): Brainstorming titles early helps solidify your paper’s focus and intended audience.
- Step 3: Build Your Toolkit (Prompts 3, 4, 5, 22): This is where you get technical. Develop a robust literature search strategy, generate keywords, and design your data extraction template. If you’re doing a systematic review, this is the time to draft your protocol.
- Step 4: Plan for Impact (Prompts 23, 24): Think ahead. Who needs to know about this research? How will you ensure your process is rigorous? Planning stakeholder engagement and quality assurance from the start makes your work more robust.
Phase 2: The Core Research – Searching and Synthesizing (Prompts 6-7 & 12)
With your plan in place, it’s time to dive into the literature.
- Step 5: Analyze Individual Papers (Prompt 6): As you find relevant papers, use this prompt to create structured, consistent summaries. This makes comparison much easier later on.
- Step 6: See the Big Picture (Prompt 7 & 12): Once you have a collection of summaries, use these prompts to zoom out. Identify the major themes, find where the evidence agrees or conflicts, and organize everything into a master evidence table.
Phase 3: The Writing Process (Prompts 8-11, 13-14)
Now you can translate your synthesis into a coherent narrative.
- Step 7: Create Your Blueprint (Prompt 8): Before you write paragraphs, create a detailed outline. This ensures a logical flow and helps you allocate word counts effectively.
- Step 8: Write Section by Section (Prompts 9-11, 13): Tackle the paper in manageable chunks. Use the dedicated prompts to draft your Methods, Introduction, thematic Results sections, and the Discussion. Don’t try to do it all at once.
- Step 9: Summarize Your Masterpiece (Prompt 14): With the main body written, crafting the structured abstract becomes a simple task of summarizing what you’ve already created.
Phase 4: Dissemination and Beyond (Prompts 15-21)
Your work isn’t done when the paper is written. Now it’s time to share it with the world.
- Step 10: Prepare for Publication (Prompts 19, 20): Use the pre-submission checklist to ensure you meet all requirements. When reviews come in, the response template will help you address feedback professionally and effectively.
- Step 11: Share Your Findings (Prompts 15-18, 21): A publication is just one output. Use these prompts to translate your research for different audiences—create a video script, a social media thread, presentation slides, and an FAQ to maximize your research impact.
Prompts for Research Paper Review
A comprehensive collection of prompts to guide you through every stage of writing a review paper.
1) Define Purpose & Scope
I’m planning a review paper on “[TOPIC]” in the field of [FIELD], aimed at [AUDIENCE]. Help me define:
- A clear research question (one sentence).
- Three specific SMART objectives for the review.
- The scope (years, study types, languages, geography, databases).
- Three concise reasons why this review is important and timely.
- Key stakeholders who would benefit from this review.
2) Title Options
Suggest titles for a review on “[TOPIC]”. Provide:
- 10 concise academic titles & 5 longer descriptive titles.
- 3 click-friendly titles for a YouTube video.
- 2 titles optimized for search engines/databases.
- Mark each title with its intended use.
3) Literature Search Strategy
Create a reproducible literature search strategy for a review on “[TOPIC]”. Include:
- Primary and secondary databases.
- Five example Boolean search strings.
- Search filters, limits, and inclusion/exclusion criteria.
- A suggested screening workflow.
- Grey literature search strategy.
- A PRISMA flow chart with estimated numbers.
4) Keywords & Vocabulary
Generate 25 search keywords and equivalent controlled-vocabulary/MeSH terms for “[TOPIC]”. Group them into:
- Primary keywords (5-7)
- Secondary keywords (8-10)
- Synonyms and alternative terms (8-10)
- Emerging terminology in the field.
5) Data Extraction Template
Create a comprehensive data extraction template for screening papers about “[TOPIC]”. Include columns with descriptions for study ID, characteristics, population, methodology, outcomes, results, quality, relevance, and notes.
6) Summarize One Paper
When I paste a paper’s title + abstract (or full text), respond with a structured summary in a compact table format. Include citation, study type, methods, findings, limitations, quality assessment, relevance score, and a 1-sentence takeaway.
7) Synthesize Papers
Given [N_PAPERS] summaries, identify major themes, points of agreement/conflict, rate evidence strength, list research gaps, note methodological patterns, and suggest organizational structures. Create an evidence mapping table.
8) Detailed Outline
Draft a detailed outline for a review paper on “[TOPIC]” targeting [TARGET_WORDS] words. Include headings, word counts, key points, and suggested figures/tables for each section (Abstract, Intro, Methods, etc.).
9) Methods Section
Write a reproducible “Methods” section including protocol registration, database search details, screening process, inclusion/exclusion criteria, data extraction procedure, quality assessment, and statistical analysis plan. Use phrasing suitable for journal publication.
10) Write Introduction
Write a 400–600 word Introduction for “[TOPIC]” that establishes the problem, defines terms, summarizes current knowledge, identifies gaps, justifies the review, and states the objectives. End with: “This review aims to…” using an academic tone.
11) Draft Thematic Section
Write a 700–1000 word section on “[THEME_NAME]” within “[TOPIC]” review. Introduce the theme, organize key studies, compare findings, critically appraise evidence, discuss implications, and link to other themes. Include a summary box.
12) Evidence Summary Table
Create a comprehensive evidence table (Markdown) with columns for Author, Study design, Population, Intervention, Outcomes, Findings, Risk of bias, and GRADE rating. Provide a detailed caption and abbreviation key.
13) Discussion & Future
Write a 400–500 word Discussion that synthesizes findings, addresses research questions, discusses implications, acknowledges limitations, compares to previous work, and lists 6-8 prioritized future research directions.
14) Structured Abstract
Create a structured abstract (250-300 words) with: Objective, Data Sources, Study Selection, Data extraction, Results, and Conclusions. List 6-8 MeSH keywords in order of importance.
15) Research Impact Summary
Provide 3-5 journal “highlights,” 2-3 policy implications, 3-4 clinical practice recommendations, a one-sentence lay summary, and a social media soundbite (280 characters).
16) Video Script
Convert the review to a 6-8 minute educational video script (800-1000 words). Include a hook, problem setup, methodology, key findings, implications, limitations, and a call to action. Add visual cues and animation suggestions.
17) Digital Dissemination
Create content for YouTube (description with timestamps), LinkedIn (professional summary), Twitter (5-7 tweet thread), Instagram (3 carousel captions), and a 30-second conference elevator pitch. Include hashtag strategies.
18) Expert FAQ
Develop 10-12 expert questions on methodology, interpretation, applications, and future research. Each answer should be 2-3 sentences with evidence level indicators.
19) Publication Checklist
Create a comprehensive pre-submission checklist covering PRISMA compliance, journal formatting, references, figures, ethics statements, cover letter key points, and post-acceptance preparation steps.
20) Peer Review Response
Provide a professional reviewer response template. Include an appreciation opening, a summary table of major revisions, and a structure for point-by-point responses with references to manuscript changes.
21) Presentation Materials
Create a 12-15 slide presentation plan covering the title, problem, methods, results, synthesis, implications, limitations, and take-home messages. Include detailed speaker notes and anticipated questions.
22) Systematic Review Protocol
Draft a PROSPERO protocol for “[TOPIC]” including background, rationale, review questions (PICO), detailed methodology, analysis plan, timeline, and team roles.
23) Stakeholder Engagement
Develop strategies for patient/public involvement, creating an expert advisory panel, engaging professional societies, preparing policymaker briefings, and media outreach.
24) Quality Assurance
Create quality control procedures: inter-rater reliability testing, data verification, bias minimization, external expert review, and version control/audit trail maintenance.
