Deep Background is a prompt written by Mike Caulfield for use with Claude or ChatGPT, which he calls a contextualisation prompt and which is also known as the SIFT Toolbox. The model searches for conflicting sources, sorts the evidence using a Toulmin argument framework and produces structured reports covering verified facts, errors and corrections, source assessments and potential leads, and typing “another round” makes it fact-check its first answer. Caulfield describes it as modelled on a research assistant suitable for students that leaves conclusions to the researcher. His project page publishes logs of example sessions.
Notes & quotes
- Caulfield released the toolbox for Claude 3.7 in April 2025, and released Deep Background GPT, a condensed version cut from about 3,300 words to about 1,100 to fit ChatGPT’s instruction limit, in June 2025.
- In 2025 the project page said it required a paid version of Claude with search enabled, or ChatGPT o3, and that its outputs will likely contain errors and should be treated as one input into a process that a person checks.
- In June 2025 Caulfield said Deep Background GPT had a substantially higher error rate on models other than o3.
Publisher / company: Mike Caulfield
Date of case study: 2025
Status: Live
Built by: Research, non-profit or individual
Updated: June 2025
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