AI Prompts for Research: Speed Up Any Investigation
March 24, 2026
How AI Accelerates Research
AI dramatically speeds up the tasks that take the most time: synthesising information, structuring reports, designing surveys, and identifying patterns in qualitative data.
Literature Review Prompts
Summary and Analysis
"Summarise the following research paper in plain language. Include: main argument, methodology, key findings, limitations, and implications for [YOUR FIELD]. Paper: [PASTE TEXT]."
Literature Review Section
"Write a literature review section on [TOPIC] covering key themes, debates, and gaps in the existing research. Approximately [WORD COUNT] words."
Competitive Research Prompts
Competitor Analysis
"Analyse [COMPETITOR] from a [INDUSTRY] perspective. Cover: positioning, target audience, key messages, strengths, and weaknesses. Then suggest 3 opportunities for differentiation."
User Research Prompts
Interview Guide
"Create a user interview guide for researching [TOPIC]. Include: 5 warm-up questions, 10 core questions, 3 closing questions. Use open-ended questions."
Survey Design
"Design a survey to measure [WHAT YOU WANT TO MEASURE] among [TARGET AUDIENCE]. Include screening question, 10 core questions, and one open-ended question. Aim for under 5 minutes."
Data Synthesis Prompts
Qualitative Theme Analysis
"Analyse the following interview responses and identify the 5 most common themes. For each theme, provide a label, description, and 2 example quotes. Responses: [PASTE DATA]."
Conclusion
The best researchers use AI to handle synthesis and structure while applying their own expertise to interpretation. Browse all research prompts on CopyPrompt.io.