Skip to Main Content
Ask A Librarian HoursLibrary CatalogArticle Databases RESEARCH SERVICESHELPINFORMATION FOR...

Understanding Plagiarism & AI: Using AI for Research Support

Ethically Using AI Tools 

  • If you use something like ChatGPT to avoid learning an essential skill, then it will not be beneficial to you and would likely be considered cheating.
  • However, if you use something like ChatGPT to enhance your learning, it can be very useful. Below are some examples.

 Disclaimers

Review your course syllabus or check with your professor to ensure that you are allowed to use the following processes before moving forward.

  • Some professors may allow certain uses but not others.

If you are not allowed to use a tool such as ChatGPT for research or writing support, you do have other options:

 

 

 

The screenshot you see here is from the Welcome window shown to a first-time ChatGPT user (free version) (September 2023). 

Screenshot of ChatGPT's welcome window, which says, among tips for getting started, to "Check Your Facts: While we have safeguards, ChatGPT may give you innaccurate information. It's not intended to give advice."

The screenshot below is shown to users at the start of a conversation with ChatGPT (free version) (July 2024):

"Chat GPT can make mistakes. Check important info" - screenshot from OpenAI's ChatGPT free interface

 

 

Brainstorming

  • If you're having a hard time thinking of a research topic, ask ChatGPT for suggestions on what a college student could use for assignments, projects, speeches, etc.
    • Ask ChatGPT to use a conversational tone to ensure a less formal response.

The image below is a screenshot of an example prompt. Click to enlarge.

Screenshot of ChatGPT response to the prompt: "What would be a good research topic for a persuasive essay?"

 

Summarize jargon-filled sources

  • If you are having trouble understanding a high-level, jargon-filled scholarly article, ask ChatGPT to summarize it for you by copying + pasting the confusing sections and asking for less formal tone or wording. 
    • Ask ChatGPT to be concise and to minimize excess prose or subject-specific jargon when possible.

Choose and/or narrow a topic

  • If you are interested in researching global warming, but you know that is too general of a topic, ask ChatGPT for a list of focused or refined research topics on climate change.
    • Ask ChatGPT to check its work by asking if there are any topics it missed.

The image below is a screenshot of an example prompt. Click to enlarge.

Screenshot of ChatGPT response to the prompt "What are some sub-topics that a five-page college freshman research paper about global warming should include? Just the headings are fine."

Make sense of your notes

  • If you took notes while conducting research (one of our Avoiding Plagiarism tips!), but now are having a hard time making sense of them, ask ChatGPT to order them into a more cohesive structure (but always double check for accuracy and make corrections where necessary).
    • Ask ChatGPT to extract any text, data, and or patterns and reformat them into tables or structured lists when possible.

Learn basic information

  • If you've been assigned a research topic that you're unfamiliar with, ask ChatGPT for the foundational information, like what you'd find in an encyclopedia. 
    • Ask ChatGPT to teach you about a topic, making the assumption that you're unfamiliar with it, and ask it to cite its sources. 

The image below is a screenshot of an example prompt. Click to enlarge.

Screenshot of ChatGPT response to the prompt: "Can you summarize, in three to four paragraphs, the foundational information about the effects of global warming on air quality? Assume that I am unfamiliar with the topic."

Ask for tips & personalized feedback

  • Do you struggle with time management? Do you need study tips? Ask ChatGPT for proven strategies that work. 
  • If you have finished writing a section of your paper or speech, but you are unsure about the grammar or sentence structure, copy + paste it into ChatGPT and ask for feedback. 
    • Prompt ChatGPT to look specifically at your problem areas, or whatever you think is your weakness.