Using prompts effectively—i.e. telling AI exactly what you need—is key to unlocking the power of AI. This page compiles different prompting heuristics—TRACI, PREPARE, CREATE, and CAPTURE—that can help improve your prompting skills. Each heuristic functions in the same way: to uncover your request’s multiple elements.
As you review the heuristics below, note that your prompt need not follow any exact order or include every single element. The essence of prompting, according to , is persona, context ²¹²Ô»åÌýtask. The remaining elements of each heuristic can help you refine the output further.
The TRACI Model comes from The Ohio State University (see ).
| Prompt Parameters | Purpose | Sample Prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Task | Description of the primary request | "List 10 evidence-based student study strategies." |
| Role | Characteristics of the ideal persona | "You are an experienced student success coach at The Ohio State University" |
| Audience | Who the response is intended for | "Undergraduate students struggling with effective study skills in an introductory physics course" |
| Create | Format of requested response | "A concise list of study strategies with a brief summary of each strategy and references to learn more." |
| Intent | Underlying purpose of the output | "Help physics undergraduate students learn more effective study skills to succeed in the course." |
This heuristic was created by Dan Fitzpatrick ().
This model was developed by Dave Birss ().
This model was developed by .