Can I use an AI assistant in a library database or resource?

Answer

Sure but with caveats.  In the coming years you may notice that library databases offer an alternative AI-assisted search in addition to the more traditional search.  Depending on how these AI resources are trained and the algorithms used, they may be a great option and lead you to good resources for your research. However, you should always use them in conjunction with traditional research methods.

If you're using AI-assisted technology in a database or research tool, consider the following:

  • While you can ask an AI for literature reviews and annotated bibliographies on a topic, you should then read the sources yourself.  You may find inaccuracies in the summaries and annotations produced by the AI.
  • An AI may be more inclined to offer you results that confirm your research thesis and leave out scholarly literature that might be critical of it. What the AI provides you will be heavily dictated by what you type and how your phrase your research needs.  You may need to review the questions you ask the AI to see if they are more leading to a particular perspective.
  • An AI might leave out seminal works.  Again, if you are reading the literature yourself, you'll start to see some of the same works being cited and can identify them as being seminal or having a big impact in the discipline.
  • Last Updated Jun 07, 2024
  • Views 30
  • Answered By Johanna MacKay

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