Please remember to use AI tools responsibly and read before using an AI tool for an assignment.

Brainstorming Topics

Ask your favorite AI chatbot to help you generate ideas for your topic. Here are some prompt examples:

“I need ideas for my research project on artificial intelligence in medicine. Can you suggest some potential research questions or topics?”

“I’m writing a blog post about textile design. Could you help me brainstorm industry trends?”

“How have recent developments in technology impacted early childhood education?”

Generating Synonyms

AI chatbots are excellent at providing synonyms that you can use in your keyword searches.

“Can you suggest synonyms for the term ‘online learning’?”

“Can you suggest other ways to write ‘teacher shortage’?”

Understanding Complex Topics

Ask an AI chatbot to simplify topics so that they are easier to understand.

“Can you explain a neural network in simple terms?”

“What is the difference between artificial intelligence and machine learning, and how are they applied in real-world scenarios? Please explain it to me as if I am 10 years old.”

Summarizing Articles

If you find an open access article or one that is available on the internet, you can ask the AI chatbot to summarize it for you. Please note: Articles found in the ACE Library cannot be uploaded into AI tools as it violates copyright policy.

“Can you summarize the key findings of the following article?”

“Please provide a concise summary of the main arguments presented in this research paper about renewable energy.”

Finding Sources

AI tools can generate a list of articles, papers and other sources that might be relevant to your research. AI tools such as and help you find additional research articles quickly. You enter a detailed research question or the DOI of an article and the tool recommends other articles on the topic as well as similar topics. Not all the articles will be fully accessible, but you can then search for those articles in the library or request them through interlibrary loan. You should always find the original source of the material before using it in your research.

Cite Your Source

If you directly quote or paraphrase information obtained from an AI tool, make sure you follow your institutional guidelines on how to cite it as a source. While the American Psychological Association (APA) has not released official guidelines on citing generative AI yet, provides guidance on citing ChatGPT and is adaptable to other AI tools. AI chatbots are just one tool among many that you can use for your research, but they could help save you time at the beginning of the research process. Try experimenting with one of the many options available to see if adding an AI tool to your digital toolbox is right for you.

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Learn how to search like a pro.

You may be an expert at “Googling it,” but academic databases require different search techniques. Watch an introductory video or attend a library webinar to learn how to search a database most efficiently. If your library doesn’t offer instructional videos, you will find that each database vendor does. Use those Google skills to go to a vendor’s website such as or . Visit their support sections for videos and tutorials on how to use their databases.

Set aside time.

There’s an art to searching an academic database and your results won’t be instantaneous. Give yourself time to try different keywords and learn how to use advanced search functions. Keep a notebook or whiteboard handy to jot down keyword ideas or author names as you search. Thorough research takes time! The more you practice searching, the better you’ll get at it. 

Follow the clues left by other researchers.

Use the references from one of the articles in your reserved reading list, or a book you’ve found in the library, and find related texts that the author used for their research. If you see an author’s name that appears often in your research, look them up to see if they have written more works on your subject. If that subject matter expert works for a particular organization, look up its website to see if they have resources you can use.

Get organized in a way that works best for you.

There are lots of ways to manage your references. You can keep a spreadsheet, a spiral notebook or use a web-based citation manager like , or . Save your articles in folders on your computer by course or chapter. Create a system that makes the most sense to you so you can keep your research organized and easy to access.

Think outside of the library.

If you have access to an academic library, you will be able to search through thousands of subscription journals and e-books to find the resources you need. But there are many other places to find great resources. and the can direct you to open access articles which do not need a subscription. You may also find statistical data and articles on government or business organization websites, like the or the . is a free digital library providing access to all kinds of books and cultural resources.

Get help.

Librarianship is a service field. We provide access to information and we teach you how to access it yourself. If you have a question, reach out to a librarian. If you don’t have a public or academic library easily accessible, most online libraries offer live chat or at least email. Many also provide instructional tutorials or video guides to help people learn how to search the library at their own pace. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Librarians are specially trained and excited to help you find what you need.

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