Research Paper Prompt for Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)

This research paper prompt for Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) turns one paper into the notes you would write after a careful read: the question, the method, the findings with their numbers, the limits and how far the evidence goes. Tick only the paper you want in the sources panel, paste the prompt and send it. It needs no edits.

The research paper prompt

I selected one research paper. Break it down so I can judge it, not just repeat it.

1. Citation: authors, year, title and venue, as printed in the paper.
2. The question the paper asks, in one sentence.
3. Method: study design, data or sample (size, who, where, when) and the main measures.
4. The 3 main findings, each with the number or effect size the paper reports.
5. Limitations the authors state, then weaknesses a careful reviewer could raise based on what the paper reports.
6. Strength of evidence for the headline claim: strong, moderate or weak, and why.
7. Terms I need to know to follow it, with one-line definitions.
8. One paragraph in plain words I could keep in my notes.

Quote the paper for every number. If something is not in the paper, write "not reported".

When to use it

Use it on the first pass through a paper you have to cite, critique or present in a journal club. It is also a fast filter: run it on ten candidate papers and keep the ones whose method and evidence hold up. Selecting a single source matters, because with several ticked the answer can blend findings from different papers.

What it returns

You get eight short, labelled sections in the order of the prompt. The findings come with the paper’s own figures, quoted, so you can check them in seconds. The strength-of-evidence line is a judgement, not a fact: read the reasoning under it and decide whether you agree. Anything the paper leaves out shows up as “not reported”, which is often the most useful line for a critique.

That is a page of notes per paper. The next step is keeping the prompt at hand for the next paper and the one after.

Variations

Compare two papers. Tick both papers first.

Compare the two selected papers in a table with the rows: Question | Design | Sample | Main finding | Limitations | Strength of evidence. Then explain in one paragraph why their results agree or differ, and cite each paper for every point.

Explain it to a non-expert. Useful before you present the paper to people outside the field.

Explain the selected paper to a smart reader with no background in [FIELD]. Use short sentences, define every technical term, and give one everyday example of the main finding. Keep it under 250 words and say what the paper does not prove.

Methods critique. For peer review practice or a critical appraisal assignment.

Critique the methods of the selected paper. Cover sampling, measurement, controls, analysis and how far the results generalize. For each, say what the paper did, the risk it creates, and what a stronger design would do. Quote the paper for each point.

Students working through a reading list can pair this with the setup in Gemini Notebook for students, and the literature review prompt takes over once you have a stack of papers.