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Use AI tools for research
brookes.ac.uk
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This page is designed for students who are undertaking any form of literature review and would like to make use of AI tools to find a broader range of sources. “Along with all of the benefits of AI tools, there are some pitfalls to avoid, and some situations in which use of AI might not be appropriate at all.” Remember, any use of tools should be in line with the University’s academic integrity policy and any specific guidance issued by your tutors (for example, AI tools might be allowed for one module but not for another). Please complete the Use of AI: Ethical Decision Making module on Moodle before using any of these tools in your work. The Centre for Academic Development also has guidance on how to use AI ethically, and the university has produced a guide to GenAI tools for students which explains which tools the university has a licence for and how these offer better data protection.
This page is designed for students who are undertaking any form of literature review and would like to make use of AI tools to find a broader range of sources. “When using AI tools for research, you need to consider the quality of the information you’re getting and be honest about how you’re using it.” Remember, any use of tools should be in line with the University’s academic integrity policy and any specific guidance issued by your tutors (for example, AI tools might be allowed for one module but not for another). Please complete the Use of AI: Ethical Decision Making module on Moodle before using any of these tools in your work. The Centre for Academic Development also has guidance on how to use AI ethically, and the university has produced a guide to GenAI tools for students which explains which tools the university has a licence for and how these offer better data protection.
Some tools will generate references that look real but don’t really exist. Always find and check the original source. You can often follow a link or DOI in the results to access the original source, or try entering the title and the author's last name into LibrarySearch or Google Scholar. “it's important to make sure that the AI tool has not misrepresented the content of the source.” AI tools often make mistakes, and this is another reason why it's very important to check any sources that it provides and compare the information you’re getting to other sources.
Beyond verifying that the source exists, it's important to make sure that the AI tool has not misrepresented the content of the source. Summaries of sources might not always be reliable, and they will only give you the 'headlines', sometimes missing important context that you would get from reading the article. “it's very important to check any sources that it provides and compare the information you’re getting to other sources.” You might find that AI has over-simplified a complex topic. You will earn better marks if you can show that you understand how and why scholars agree and disagree on certain issues or how a concept is applied in practice, which usually involves more detailed reading of multiple sources.
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