How to Use Shared Projects

Rather than starting a new chat from scratch each time, use Projects, which is shared workspaces that come pre-loaded with context about our organization, terminology, and the type of work being done. This means Claude already knows who we are and what we do, so you don't have to explain it every time.

We have three projects set up:

Start by identifying which project fits your task, then open that project and begin your conversation there. You'll find all four projects in the left sidebar under Projects when you log in to claude.ai.

Step-by-step: Starting a task in Claude

1. Go to claude.ai and sign in with your TA account
2. Open the relevant project from the left sidebar (e.g. Reports & Publications)
3. Start a new conversation within that project; Claude will already have TA context loaded
4. Describe your task clearly - the more specific you are, the better the output (see prompting tips below)
5. Iterate. Claude's first response is a starting point, not a final draft. Ask it to revise, adjust tone, expand a section, or try a different approach

Each conversation within a project is separate. Claude does not remember previous conversations, so if you're continuing a task across sessions, paste in any relevant context from your last conversation to pick up where you left off.

Prompting tips

A prompt is what you type to Claude. Better prompts produce better results. Here are the most useful techniques for TA's work:

1. Tell Claude what you're making and who it's for

Don't just describe the topic, describe the output.

❌ "Write about hydrogen in Canada."

✅ "Draft a 300-word LinkedIn post summarizing TA's findings on the Calgary Region Hydrogen Hub for a professional audience unfamiliar with our work."

2. Give Claude the raw material

If you have notes, data, a draft, or source excerpts, paste them in. Claude works best when it has something to work with rather than generating from scratch.

"Here are my research notes on building decarbonization policy. Turn these into a structured evidence summary with key findings and gaps identified."

3. Specify format and length

Claude will match the format you ask for. Be explicit.

"Give me a two-page policy briefing with the following sections: context, key findings, recommended actions."

"Write this as bullet points, not prose."

"Keep it under 200 words."

4. Ask for options, not just one answer

When you're not sure of the direction, ask Claude to give you multiple versions.

"Give me three possible opening paragraphs for this report, each with a different emphasis."

5. Iterate by building on what Claude gives you

You don't need to rewrite your prompt from scratch if the first response isn't quite right. Just tell Claude what to adjust.

"Good, but make it less formal and cut the last paragraph."

"The second version is closer, can you make it sound less like a press release?"

6. Ask Claude to flag its own uncertainty

For research tasks especially, ask Claude to be explicit about what it doesn't know or what would need verification.

"If any of these claims need a citation or further verification, flag them."

What Claude works well for

• Synthesizing a body of literature into a structured summary
• Drafting a first version of a report section from your notes
• Rewriting a dense technical paragraph for a non-specialist audience
• Structuring an argument or checking the logic of a draft
• Turning a transcript or rough notes into a clean document

What Claude is not suited for

• Real-time data or current events beyond its knowledge cutoff. Always verify recent statistics
• Final publication without human review. Treat Claude's output as a strong draft, not a finished product
• Confidential or sensitive information: do not paste personal data, confidential funder information, or details about individuals into Claude