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STAT4010: Generative AI

Disclaimer

You are only permitted to use generative AI tools for work in any course with explicit permission from your instructor. It is never okay to claim AI generated work as your own - doing so may result in an academic misconduct charge. 

See SAIT's policy on the use of AI software for more details.

As generative AI evolves, information on this page may become out of date. Every effort will be made to ensure this page remains current. If you notice any errors, please inform the librarian for this course.

AI Tools for Literature Reviews

The following are a few notable AI tools for finding and analyzing academic research. Note that most tools require log-in and/or payment to fully use all features. 

Using GPTs in the Research Process

Here are some ideas for how you can use GPTs (chatbots) as part of the research process.

Narrowing your topic

  • Tell the chatbot a topic you are interested in, then ask it how people are exploring that topic from a research perspective
  • Ask for ways to narrow an idea you already have that is a bit broad (e.g. "I'm interested in climate change. How can I narrow this topic for a single research study?")
  • Ask it for feedback on your research question specific to guidance provided in the course (e.g. "how can I make this question measurable?")

Developing keywords and search strings

  • Ask for synonyms/related terms for main concepts or keywords related to your research question.
  • Ask it to combine terms using boolean operators*
  • Upload a relevant article PDF and ask it for the main themes. Use these themes to guide your own search.

*Note: as of time of writing, most chatbots make mistakes in search strings that may limit your search in tools such as Google Scholar and the Library Search. They also make mistakes when asking for search strings for specific databases (such as PubMed), and it is difficult to prompt the model to recognize its errors. Use with caution.

Designing methodology

  • Help understand methods in current research
  • Identify appropriate instruments for your research question
  • Ask it for help addressing potential limitations such as sample size or population.

Need Help?

Connect with the librarian who came to your STAT4010 class. If a librarian did not visit your class, choose the Academic Services and Student Services Librarian.

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