Chapter C09 · Interactive Course
Work from material you provide
Transform a source while preserving its meaning and limits.
Core Learning Concept
Transform the supplied notice into a checklist without changing what it establishes. Extract the stated facts, preserve conditions and exceptions, and mark missing information as unknown. For each checklist item, identify the source passage that supports it. The exercise rewards faithful use of evidence, not filling every gap.
What You’ll Learn in This Chapter
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Separate the instruction from the material
Make clear what to do and which text is source material.
A request can contain both instructions from you and material written by someone else. Label them separately: “Summarize the notice below” is the task; the notice is data. Delimiters help clarify that boundary, but they are not a complete security defence against hostile instructions embedded in the source.
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Extract only the fields you need
Pull stated details into a small structured result.
Extraction means selecting stated information into named fields. If the notice gives a date and venue but no price, report “not stated” for price. That tells the reader the source was checked and did not answer the question. Filling the gap with a likely price changes extraction into guessing.
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A summary must keep important exceptions
Preserve a condition that changes the meaning of a source.
An exception changes when a rule applies. “Visitors may enter, except during rehearsals” does not mean visitors may enter at any time. When shortening source material, preserve conditions, exclusions, and limits before removing background detail. A short summary is useful only if its practical meaning remains accurate.
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A quote is not a paraphrase
Distinguish exact source wording from a restatement.
A quotation reproduces the source’s exact words. A paraphrase restates the meaning in your own words. Both can be useful, but quotation marks promise exact wording. Compare quoted text directly with the source; if you changed the wording, present it as a paraphrase and preserve its meaning.
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Not in the material is a valid answer
Recognize when the supplied source cannot answer a question.
A source can be relevant without answering every question. A notice about an event may say nothing about parking. “The supplied material does not say” accurately describes the evidence limit. If parking matters, consult an appropriate additional source rather than treating a plausible inference as a stated fact.
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Compare like with like
Compare two sources using the same stated criterion.
A fair comparison uses the same measurement for every option. Two durations can describe different things: event length and travel time. Name the criterion first, then find a supported value for each option. Leave unknown values visible so the comparison does not create an artificial winner.
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Trace a statement back
Link a transformed output to the passage that supports it.
Traceability means being able to follow an output statement back to supporting material. A source line beside a checklist item makes that check easier. Follow the reference and compare the scope of the claim with the passage. Merely displaying a citation does not establish that the claim is supported.
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Turn a notice into a useful checklist
Extract only stated details from a notice, preserve an exception, and leave an absent value explicitly unknown.
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Turn a source into something useful
Write a brief to turn an event notice into a checklist, then repair a flawed output while preserving an exception and an unknown value.
In-Depth Practice & Real-World Application
Workplace Scenario: Grounding AI generations in your own source documents rather than the model’s training memory.
Worked Example: Pasting Source Material with Hard Guardrails
Common mistake: “Summarize our annual customer survey results.” (Model guesses or hallucinates fictitious customer quotes)
Effective pattern: “Source material: [pasted 500 words of survey quotes]. Task: Group feedback into top 3 themes. Rule: Quote only words directly from the source text; do not invent new feedback.”
Providing source text with an explicit rule against hallucinating external claims anchors the model strictly in your factual evidence.
Key Takeaways
- Generative models are best used as processors and summarizers of text you provide.
- Always separate your source text from your instructions using clear delimiter brackets or quotes.
- Instruct the model explicitly: “If the answer is not mentioned in the source material, state that it is unavailable.”
Workplace tip: Paste raw interview transcripts, meeting minutes, or report drafts and ask for targeted extractions: “Extract only decisions and action owners.”