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What is Self-Critique (Reflection)?

Self-critique asks the model to review and improve its own answer, catching errors and weak spots before you use it.

Self-critique (or reflection) is a two-pass pattern: the model produces a draft, then you ask it to critique that draft against explicit criteria and produce an improved version. The second pass routinely catches gaps, weak arguments, and formatting misses the first pass created.

It works best with concrete criteria — 'check every figure against the source, flag any unsupported claim, tighten anything vague' — rather than a generic 'make it better.' It's a cheap, high-yield step to bolt onto any important output.

Frequently asked

Does asking AI to check its own work actually help?

Yes, when you give it specific criteria to check against. A structured second pass ('verify each claim, flag unsupported ones, improve clarity') catches real errors. A vague 'is this good?' produces vague reassurance.

Related terms

Put this into practice

Every technique above shows up in real, copy-paste prompts in the free Prompt Library — e.g. Marketing prompts, Consulting & Strategy prompts, Career & Job Search prompts.

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Reality guardrail: definitions here are practical, not academic. AI models predict likely text, not verified truth — always check names, numbers, and citations against a trusted source before you rely on an answer.

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