Quick Reference: Prompting, RAG, and Fine-Tuning at a Glance
Recall when prompting, retrieval, and fine-tuning each win.
Prompting vs retrieval Instruction problem or evidence problem? If the truth lives outside the model, retrieval usually wins the center lane. Retrieval vs fine-tuning Changing knowledge or stable behavior? Do not ask training to do freshness work. What question should you ask first in a scoping call? “Is the issue unclear instructions, missing current evidence, or a stable behavior pattern that still drifts?” That one question usually tells you whether prompting, retrieval, or fine-tuning should lead. When does fine-tuning usually become rational? After prompt proof, when the target behavior is stable, repeated, and still inconsistent enough that the dataset can…
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