6 Practical Tips for Using Codex in Research Projects

1. Don’t let Codex write code immediately

When reproducing papers, working on course projects, or exploring unfamiliar repositories, the first step should be to have Codex read the project. Prompt it with a request such as:

先不要修改代码。请先阅读这个项目，告诉我：
1. 项目结构是什么
2. 主要入口在哪里
3. 训练/测试/运行命令分别是什么
4. 哪些文件最可能和当前任务有关
5. 你不确定的地方有哪些

This upfront reading saves time because many failures stem from Codex starting with incorrect assumptions.

2. AGENTS.md should contain long‑term rules, not a project description

Use AGENTS.md to record persistent guidelines, for example:

## 工作规则
- 默认先阅读相关代码和文档，再开始修改。
- 修改前先说明影响范围。
- 只做和当前任务相关的最小改动。
- 提交前必须运行最小验证。
- 说明用中文，代码、命令、文件名保持英文。
- 不要修改无关文件。

For paper‑reproduction projects you can add an "实验原则" section that stresses hypothesis‑driven experiments and avoids low‑value ablations.

3. Always plan complex tasks first

If a task touches more than one file, ask Codex to produce a plan before any code is written:

先不要写代码。请进入计划模式，帮我设计实现方案：
1. 明确这次要解决的问题
2. 列出会影响哪些模块
3. 拆成 3-7 个步骤
4. 每一步怎么验证
5. 哪些地方最容易出错
等我确认后再开始实现

This reveals misunderstandings early; the plan often proves more valuable than the generated code.

4. Require verification before coding on research tasks

When reproducing a paper or dissecting an open‑source repo, avoid the simple "help me reproduce" prompt. Instead ask Codex to first read the material and output:

请先阅读论文和官方 repo，不要开始写代码。
先输出：
1. 论文核心 idea
2. 关键公式/模块
3. 官方实现和论文描述是否一致
4. 复现最小路径
5. 可能复现不出来的风险点

This ensures Codex aligns with the source before any implementation begins.

5. Start a new conversation after each completed task

Long sessions accumulate stale assumptions. After finishing a task, summarize the changes and state of the project, then start a fresh session:

请用一句话总结刚完成的任务、修改过的文件、当前状态和下一步注意事项。
然后 /new，在新会话里贴这个总结，再开始下一个任务。

This prevents previous task context from contaminating new work.

6. Never trust Codex’s "done" claim without a detailed audit

Always ask Codex to list what it changed and how it was verified:

1. 修改了哪些文件
2. 每个文件为什么改
3. 运行了哪些验证
4. 还有哪些没验证
5. 哪些地方需要我人工确认

The stability of Codex comes from clear context, long‑term rules, and explicit acceptance criteria rather than any single magical prompt.