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Researching with Artificial Intelligence

steps in the research process; define and narrow a topic; gather background information; develop a question and thesis; find and evaluate sources; cite sources; write paper

What AI can help with

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be useful in various stages of research.

Learn more about each AI tool here: Gen AI Tools Guide.

1 Narrow down the topic

  • AI tools can provide a quick overview of the topic, like Wikipedia.
  • AI tools can help you narrow down a topic by providing a broad summary of current issues, historical overviews, and recent developments.
  • You can also ask for related topics, if the topic you first chose does not interest you.

🛠️ Tools to consider:

2 Gather background information

  • While AI tools cannot replace academic databases, they can help you gather a list of authoritative resources on the chosen topic.
  • They can recommend authors, books, or journals related to the topic.
  • Sometimes AI tools can summarize academic articles, papers, or reports, making it easier to identify key arguments, findings, and methods.

🛠️ Tools to consider:

⚠️ NOTE: AI tools are not able to search behind the paywall and may not be able to find most up-to-date information. AI tools can also hallucinate, recommending you resources that do not exist. Consult the evaluation section of this guide to know how to find reliable sources.

3 Create a research question

  • AI tools can help you brainstorm research questions on the topic you're interested in.
  • These questions will always need to be edited or refined to fit the context of your assignment or research interest.

🛠️ Tools to consider:

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