UF Business Library: Writing AI Prompts: Step-by-Step: 6. Refine with Follow-ups

Step 6 — Refine with Follow-ups 🔄

Don’t aim for perfect first drafts. Ask for tweaks, compare options, and iterate.

🛠️ What does “Refine with follow-ups” mean?

Treat the first response as a draft. Ask the AI to adjust length, tone, focus, structure, sources, or format. Provide feedback like you would to a colleague, then iterate.

Shorten/Expand Simplify language Change tone Add/Remove sections Tighten scope Add examples/citations Switch formats Check assumptions

Quick rule: Ask for one change at a time so you can see the effect clearly.

💡 Why it matters

Quality improves fast: Iteration converges on exactly what you need.
Teaching effect: Your feedback helps the model adapt to your preferences within the session.
Transparency: Asking for brief reasoning or assumptions (at a high level) can surface errors to correct.

🔧 Before → After (iterative tweaks)

Length & audience

Draft 1: “Renewable energy reduces reliance on fossil fuels…” (2 paragraphs)

Follow-up: Shorten to 5 bullets for a high-school audience. Keep one real-world example.

Format & focus

Draft 1: 300-word paragraph on Zotero vs EndNote.

Follow-up:

Convert to a 2-column table with rows: cost, storage, collaboration, processors, learning curve, best for. End with a one-line verdict.

Tone & evidence

Draft 1: Neutral overview of Pharmacy Benefit Managers.

Follow-up: Revise in a policy-brief tone, include 3 citations (last 3 years) and a 2-bullet recommendations section.

Clarify assumptions

Follow-up: List any key assumptions you made and briefly justify them so I can verify.

✍️ Mini exercises (2 minutes)

Pick one parameter to change (e.g., length). Request a new draft with only that change.
Ask for a second version with a different parameter (e.g., tone). Compare the two.
Request a concise rationale for differences so you can choose a direction.

Template: Revise the previous draft by [one change]. Keep everything else the same.

🧩 Follow-up templates you can paste

Shorten / Expand

Make this 30% shorter. Keep all key terms and the example.

Change tone

Keep the content, but switch to a friendly, plain-language tone for non-experts.

Add elements

Add one analogy and a single key statistic with a source link.

Rescope

Focus only on 2024–present and U.S. data; remove older/global info.

Format shift

Convert this to a 2-column markdown table with 6 rows and a verdict.

Quality check

List 3 likely weaknesses or missing pieces in your last answer so I can address them.

⚠️ Common pitfalls (and quick fixes)

Changing too much at once: Hard to tell what helped. Fix: One change per iteration.

Losing earlier constraints: Edits can overwrite. Fix: Restate key constraints in the follow-up.

Vague feedback: “Make it better.” Fix: Specify how: shorter, simpler, different tone, add example, etc.

🚀 Copy-paste starters

Revise to 5 bullets, each under 14 words. Keep the same structure.
Rewrite for first-year undergrads; remove jargon and define any unavoidable terms.
Add a limitations section (2 bullets) and one implication for practice.
Provide two alternative versions: formal vs. conversational. Keep content identical.
State any assumptions you made in 3 bullet points so I can verify them.

✅ Self-check (10 seconds)

Did I request one clear change at a time?
Did I restate key constraints after edits?
Did I ask for a brief rationale or assumptions to catch issues early?