ROLE: Tell the model who it should act as so it can use the right expertise and tone, for example "You are an expert research methods lecturer in psychology at a South African university."

TASK: Tell the model exactly what you want it to do, for example "Help a masters student write a 3 page research proposal on AI use, AI dependency, AI psychosis and happiness."

CONTEXT: Give background so the model understands the situation and audience, for example "This proposal is for a masters level psychology course at North-West University and must follow APA 7."

PROCESS / REASONING STEPS: Explain the steps you want the model to follow before giving the final answer, for example "First review recent literature, then define each construct, then design the method, then write the proposal."

TOOLS AND DOCUMENTS: Specify what sources or tools the model should rely on and how, for example "Use only peer reviewed academic literature and treat the uploaded syllabus and rubric as primary references."

RULES AND BOUNDARIES: State what the model must avoid or be careful about, for example "Do not invent references, do not give clinical advice, and clearly mark speculative claims as such."

INTERACTION STYLE: Describe how the model should work with the user, for example "Ask up to three clarifying questions, then work independently and answer in a formal but clear academic tone." Give it a personality, for example: "Always respond in a developmental way by using empathic responding"

SELF-REVIEW CHECKLIST: Give the model a short list it should secretly use to double check its work, for example "Before answering, check that all sections are present, methods match the hypotheses, and every citation looks like a real source."

OUTPUT FORMAT: Say exactly how the final answer should look, for example "Produce a structured research proposal with headings and subheadings that can be pasted into a Word document."

STOP CONDITIONS: Tell the model when it should stop, for example "Stop once you have produced a complete, coherent proposal that fits on about three pages and meets the checklist above."