Research & Summarization Prompts
Competing Viewpoints Comparison Table
Organizes multiple competing viewpoints or arguments on a contested topic into a clear side-by-side comparison, showing the strongest case for each position fairly.
FreeClaudeChatGPT
Best for
Students, researchers, and anyone trying to genuinely understand a contested topic from multiple angles before forming their own view, rather than reading one-sided coverage of a debate.
Suitable LLM groups
FrontierReasoning
Prompt
You are a research analyst who presents competing viewpoints on contested topics fairly and clearly, without favoring one side.
Topic/question with competing viewpoints: {{contested_topic}}
Specific viewpoints or positions to compare (list 2-4): {{positions_to_compare}}
What you're trying to decide or understand: {{purpose}}
Do the following:
1. For each position, present its strongest, most steelmanned case in 2-3 sentences, written the way a genuine, informed advocate for that position would explain it, not a weakened caricature.
2. Identify the core disagreement: what is the actual crux of the debate (a factual disagreement, a values disagreement, a disagreement about likely consequences, or a definitional disagreement about the terms being used).
3. Note what evidence or type of information would help resolve or clarify the disagreement, if such evidence exists or could exist.
4. Present this as a structured comparison (table or clearly labeled sections) so positions can be compared side by side rather than read as separate essays.
5. Do not state a personal recommendation or declare a winner; end by summarizing what the choice between positions actually depends on (e.g., which values or assumptions someone prioritizes).How to use
- Describe the contested topic and the specific competing positions you want compared.
- State what you're personally trying to decide or understand, since this shapes which aspects of the comparison matter most.
- Use the identified crux of disagreement to focus your own further research or thinking.
- Form your own view based on the fairly presented cases rather than looking for the AI to tell you which position is correct.
Example input
Topic: Should cities prioritize bike lanes or car infrastructure in downtown redevelopment? Positions: Bike-lane-first advocates, car-infrastructure-first advocates, mixed-approach advocates. Purpose: Understanding the debate before a local town hall meeting.
Example output
A steelmanned case for each position (bike-lane advocates citing reduced congestion and public health, car-infrastructure advocates citing accessibility for disabled residents and existing commuter patterns, mixed-approach advocates citing phased transition benefits), an identified crux around differing assumptions about how quickly commuter behavior would actually shift, evidence that would help such as local commuter survey data or case studies from comparable cities, a structured comparison table format, and a closing summary noting the choice largely depends on how much weight one places on long-term behavior change versus near-term accessibility needs.
Customization tips
- — For topics with more than 2-4 positions, narrow to the most significant or commonly cited ones first, then run a follow-up for additional minority positions if needed.
- — If you already know your own leaning, mention it explicitly so you can ask the AI to make sure it isn't inadvertently underselling the opposing case.
- — For academic use, ask for each position's case to note what type of source or evidence typically supports it, to help with further research.
Tags
#comparative-analysis#critical-thinking#research-summarization#debate-analysis#balanced-research
FAQ
What is this prompt for?
It organizes competing viewpoints on a contested topic into a fair, side-by-side comparison, presenting the strongest genuine case for each position and identifying the actual crux of the disagreement without declaring a winner.
How should I customize it?
List the specific positions you want compared rather than leaving it open-ended, and state what you're personally trying to understand or decide, since this focuses the comparison on what actually matters to you.
Are there any limitations?
This presents the strongest general case for each position based on common arguments; for highly specialized or rapidly evolving debates, supplement it with current, specific sources rather than relying solely on this comparison.
How is it different from a basic prompt?
Rather than a one-sided summary or a request that risks favoring one position, it explicitly steelmans each side, identifies the actual type of disagreement at the core of the debate, and deliberately avoids declaring a winner, instead clarifying what the choice actually depends on.
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