Lesson Content

Why self-review misses logic errors.

When you review your own work, you read what you meant to write â€" filling in missing steps and assuming premises you did not state. ChatGPT reads what is actually written â€" exposing gaps that self-review consistently misses.

Logic testing.

"Read this argument and test its logical soundness: [paste]. (1) What are the premises being taken as given? (2) Does the conclusion follow from these premises, or are there logical gaps? (3) Is there circular reasoning, false dichotomy, or assumption-as-conclusion? (4) What evidence would be needed to fully support the conclusion that is missing?"

Consistency checking.

"Read this document for internal consistency: (1) Does it contradict itself anywhere? (2) Is the framing in the introduction consistent with the conclusions? (3) Are specific facts or figures used consistently, or do any appear with different values in different sections?"

Inconsistency is especially common in long documents developed over time.

Completeness checking.

"Given the stated purpose [describe] and audience [describe], what important elements does this document seem to be missing? What would a reader with expertise in this area expect to see that is not here?"

The "steelman the opposition" completeness check.

"If someone wanted to argue against this document's central conclusion, what is the strongest argument they could make using evidence I have not addressed? What would a knowledgeable skeptic say I left out?"

Completeness in persuasion means addressing the strongest counterarguments.