Take page-cited notes from a journal article

About this exercise

You're taking notes for a research paper and want every claim traceable. Get exactly 4 numbered lines in the form 'p. N: claim in your own words | short quote under 10 words', plain text. Use only the article body, not the abstract figure the author later corrects, and don't add any analysis.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Asking for notes. The AI writes a summary paragraph with no page numbers, so you can't cite it later. Try: Show the shape: "p. 19: claim | short quote".
• Not saying how many lines. The AI picks its own number, and it usually picks more lines than you need. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 4 numbered lines."
• Trusting the abstract. The abstract has a number the author later says is wrong, and the AI tends to lead with it. Try: Add: "Use the article body, not the abstract's 30%."
• Getting analysis. The AI adds what the source means for your paper, which mixes its ideas with the author's. Try: Add: "No analysis, just the claims."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total and it often lands 20% over. Try: Cap each part: "claim under 12 words, quote under 10."
• Forgetting where it will be read. AI formats for a screen, with bold and headings that show up as stray symbols in your notes. Try: Say: "Plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

• Asks for page numbers
• Says how many lines
• Skips the abstract figure
• Shows the line shape
• Rules out analysis

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