A prompt is the question or instruction you enter in Blue J. A useful tax research prompt tells Blue J the issue, the relevant context, and what you want the response to do.
Include clarity, context, and specificity
- Clarity: use direct language and identify the issue.
- Context: include the jurisdiction and relevant facts.
- Specificity: ask for a particular analysis or output rather than an open-ended review.
Use this prompt structure
“Under [jurisdiction] tax rules, analyze [specific issue] for [relevant facts]. Address [question or constraint] and present the answer as [format]. Identify the supporting authorities and any facts still needed.”
Replace the bracketed fields with details from your research. Include a tax year or period when it matters to your question.
Example: make a broad request more focused
Broad request: “Explain this transaction.”
Focused request: “Under U.S. federal tax rules, explain the issues relevant to the tax treatment of goodwill in this asset acquisition. Identify the additional facts needed and organize the response as a research outline with supporting sources.”
Break complex research into smaller requests
- Start with one issue or rule.
- Review the answer and supporting sources.
- Ask a follow-up about an exception, missing fact, or alternative scenario.
- Request a memo, email, checklist, or summary after the research is sufficiently developed.
Refining the prompt
- Specify the jurisdiction or facts that were missing.
- Name the issue the answer should focus on.
- Ask Blue J to explain further where needed.
- Request a different level of detail or output format.
Suggested follow-up questions can also help identify another direction for the research. If you use a suggestion in a new thread, include the context needed for that question to stand on its own.