Forty tabs, no plan
You search a bit everywhere, find something, lose it again, and can't say later how you found what you found.
A prompt for ChatGPT and Claude · for theses and literature reviews
Your thesis deserves sources that actually exist.
A 7-phase prompt that takes you from a vague topic to tested search strings, a tidy Zotero library and a reference list in APA 7. Every source comes with a DOI, PMID or ISBN, or it gets flagged.
One-time purchase on PromptBase · versions for ChatGPT and Claude
References
p. 47
- Hackney et al. (2022). Working in the digital economy: A systematic review of the impact of work from home arrangements on personal and organizational performance and productivity. PLOS ONE, 17(10). DOI ✓
- Qiu et al. (2017). Frontiers in Physiology, 8, 957. Meta-analysis on aerobic interval training in type 2 diabetes. PMID ✓
- Støa et al. (2017). European Journal of Applied Physiology. Interval training vs. moderate training in type 2 diabetes. DOI ✓
- A source without DOI, PMID, ISBN or stable URL UNVERIFIED – please check
Sound familiar?
References that don't exist
Chatbots can produce citations that look real but lead nowhere. One fake source in your reference list is one too many.
Which database, which words?
PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Google Scholar: each has its own syntax. Synonyms, MeSH terms and Boolean operators are easy to get wrong.
How it works: seven phases, one at a time
Paste the prompt, fill in your topic, field and level. The AI works through one phase per answer, ends with a checklist and waits until you are ready for the next one.
- 0
Sharpen the question
A searchable research question (PICO or another fitting framework), a concept table with synonyms and thesaurus terms, include/exclude criteria.
- 1
Get access
VPN, institutional login or library proxy, explained for your system. No university? Legal open-access routes instead.
- 2
Set up Zotero
Install Zotero and the browser connector, with exact menu paths for metadata, PDF retrieval and your citation style.
- 3
Build the search
Database recommendations for your field and a ready-to-paste search string for each one. With web search on, strings for open databases are tested with real hit counts.
- 4
Import and screen
A collection and tag scheme for Zotero, then step-by-step import and screening against your criteria.
- 5
Cite in Word
Zotero's Word plugin, your first citation and a reference list in APA 7 or any style you choose.
- 6
Wrap up
A final checklist and a short summary of your search for the methods chapter.
Real output from the prompt
Two excerpts, shortened but not edited. Nothing here was written for this page.1
| Concept | Free-text synonyms | MeSH (PubMed) | ERIC descriptor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness (I) | mindfulness, mindful*, MBSR, MBCT, "mindfulness-based stress reduction", meditation, "body scan" […] | Mindfulness D064866 checked Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction D000099024 checked Meditation D019122 checked |
"Mindfulness" is not a descriptor: ERIC says to use Metacognition instead checked |
| Exam anxiety (O) | "test anxiety", "exam anxiety", "examination stress", "test-taking anxiety", "evaluation anxiety" […] | Test Anxiety D000083563 checked broader: Performance Anxiety D060805 checked |
Test Anxiety checked |
Vocabulary pitfall from the same answer
"Test Anxiety" in MeSH only exists since 2021. Before that, NLM indexed these papers under the general term "Anxiety" (1963–2020). Papers from 2016–2020 therefore won't carry the Test Anxiety heading. Free-text terms ([tiab]) are essential.
("Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2"[mh] OR "type 2 diabet*"[tiab] OR "type II diabet*"[tiab] OR T2DM[tiab] OR T2D[tiab] OR NIDDM[tiab] OR "non-insulin-dependent diabet*"[tiab] OR "noninsulin dependent diabet*"[tiab] OR "adult-onset diabet*"[tiab])
AND
("High-Intensity Interval Training"[mh] OR "high-intensity interval*"[tiab] OR "high intensity interval*"[tiab] OR HIIT[tiab] OR "interval training"[tiab] OR "interval exercise*"[tiab] OR "intermittent exercise*"[tiab] OR "high-intensity intermittent*"[tiab] OR "sprint interval*"[tiab] OR "aerobic interval*"[tiab] OR REHIT[tiab])
NOT (animals[mh] NOT humans[mh])
NOT (mice[ti] OR mouse[ti] OR rat[ti] OR rats[ti] OR murine[ti])
AND 2015:3000[dp]
AND (english[la] OR german[la])
- PubMed hits
- 355
- Known-item test
- RCT and meta-analysis found
- Noise removed
- "HIT", "SIT", animal studies
The first version used an RCT filter and missed a relevant trial whose abstract says neither "random*" nor "trial". The AI noticed it in the known-item test, removed the filter and said why.
- Generated with Claude, web search on, 30 Oct 2026, with the version of the prompt sold on PromptBase. More example outputs are on the PromptBase listing. ↩
One-line prompt vs. this prompt
We asked ChatGPT: "Find sources for my bachelor's thesis on productivity effects of remote and hybrid work." The sources it gave were real. What was missing is the part your methods chapter needs.2
| One-line prompt | Literature Review Assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Result | A list of sources to start with | A documented search you can repeat and report |
| Research question | Taken as typed | Sharpened with PICO or a fitting framework |
| Thesaurus terms | None | MeSH, ERIC, APA Thesaurus, marked "checked" or "(verify)" |
| Search strings | None | One per database, in its own syntax |
| Testing | None | Hit counts and a known-item test in open databases |
| Source rule | Not stated | DOI, PMID, ISBN or URL, or flagged "UNVERIFIED" |
| Next steps | Up to you | Zotero setup, screening, citing in Word |
- ChatGPT, shared chat, retrieved 30 Oct 2026. Model not shown in the shared link. ↩
Is it for you?
Made for
- Bachelor's and master's theses, seminar papers, PhD chapters
- Systematic and scoping reviews that need a documented search
- Any field: psychology, health, sport, education, business and more
- Students with or without university database access
- Answers in your language, references in your citation style
Not made for
- Writing your thesis for you: reading and judging stay with you
- Getting around paywalls: only legal routes, no shadow libraries
- Searching licensed databases for you: you run those searches yourself
What you get
- The full prompt, as a version for ChatGPT or for Claude
- Nine fixed rules: no invented sources, licence terms, copyright, privacy, academic integrity
- Works with or without web search. Without it, terms are marked "(verify)" and strings "not tested"
- A checklist at the end of every phase, so you always know where you are
Free: Search String Cheat Sheet
One page with Boolean operators, truncation, phrase search and field tags for PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO and Google Scholar. Print it, pin it next to your screen.
Questions
Is this allowed at my university?
That depends on your institution's rules on AI use. The prompt reminds you to check them and to disclose AI use where required. It never queries licensed databases for you and never downloads paywalled PDFs.
Does it work without university access?
Yes. Enter "none" as your university and the prompt switches to open databases and legal routes such as open access, public libraries and interlibrary loan.
Which citation styles are supported?
APA 7th Edition by default. You can set any other style, for example Harvard, Chicago, MLA or IEEE, and Zotero formats your reference list in it.
ChatGPT or Claude version?
Buy the version for the chatbot you use. Both follow the same 7 phases and rules. Turn on web search so the AI can check thesaurus terms and test search strings.
Do I need Zotero experience?
No. Phase 2 walks you through installing and setting up Zotero with exact menu paths.
Does the AI download paywalled PDFs for me?
No. You search licensed databases yourself. The prompt never suggests shadow libraries and points you to legal ways in: open-access versions, interlibrary loan or emailing the author.
Will it write my thesis?
No. It plans and documents your literature search. Reading, judging and writing stay with you.
Can I get a refund?
Purchases run through PromptBase, so PromptBase's terms apply.
Start your search with a plan.
Seven phases, tested strings, sources you can check.