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AI Prompt: Build a search string
Synonyms, boolean operators, and a limit plan for one database. Free and private: no account, nothing you paste leaves your device.
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The prompt
Build a database search string for the question: {question}. Give me the concept blocks, the synonyms and spelling variants for each block, and the boolean string using AND between blocks and OR inside them. Also tell me which subject headings a database like Scopus, Web of Science, or PubMed would use, what date limit is defensible, and which two filters would most likely bias my results.
Fill in {question} before you send it.
How to use it
Synonyms, boolean operators, and a limit plan for one database.
Frequently asked questions
What is the AI Prompt Library for?
It is a set of over a hundred ready prompts, filed by the stage of the work rather than by kind: finding and mapping a topic, breaking down a concept you do not understand, planning the method and checking the numbers, drafting and tightening the writing, verifying citations, answering reviewer comments, preparing for a viva, learning the next skill, and writing to a supervisor or an employer.
Will my institution treat this as plagiarism?
These prompts ask a model to structure, critique, or check work you already have. They do not produce a finished essay and they are not secret. Most universities allow AI for planning and proofreading when you disclose it, and nearly all treat undisclosed generated text as misconduct, so check your own policy first.
Do I need an account or an API key?
No. The library is a plain list that ships with the page. You copy a prompt into whichever assistant you already use, so there is nothing to sign up for and nothing to configure here.
How do the braces in a prompt work?
Anything inside curly braces is a blank for you to fill in, such as your topic, field, or word count. Replace them before sending, otherwise the model will guess and the answer will be generic.
Is anything I type tracked or uploaded?
No. The search box and the copy buttons run entirely in your browser. The prompts are static text, so there is no server to send them to.