Conclusion

Module Summary

 Using AI to plan and prepare

• Understanding AI in study and research:
  • AI presents opportunities to revolutionise study and research methods.
  • Clear understanding of the goals, benefits, and risks is essential before utilising AI tools.
• Why Use AI in planning research:
  • AI aids in assimilating existing literature, enhancing efficiency, productivity, and critical thinking.
  • Various AI tools offer assistance in brainstorming, summarizing, and scoping literature.
• Using AI tools in research planning:
  • Brainstorming Ideas: AI tools can generate ideas or research questions, facilitating the initial phase of a project.
  • Understanding Concepts: AI tools provide concise summaries to aid comprehension of complex concepts.
  • Scoping Literature: AI tools help locate relevant articles and literature, expediting the research process.
  • Assisting with Reading: AI tools assist in identifying key readings, authors, and concepts, though users should be wary of inherent biases.
• Risks, limitations, and ethics of using AI:
  • Limitations include inaccuracies, reliance on outdated data, and biases inherent in algorithms.
  • Users should critically evaluate AI-generated content, verify sources, and be mindful of biases.
  • Ethical considerations surrounding AI usage should be acknowledged and addressed throughout the research process.

Building better prompts

• Building effective prompts for AI tools:
  • Understand the components of a prompt and how they influence AI-generated outputs.
• Key elements of prompt building:
  • Tone: Consider the desired mood or style of the output, tailored to the intended audience and purpose.
  • Audience: Define the target audience to shape the content and tone of the AI-generated output.
  • Clarity: Ensure clear and specific instructions to the AI tool to generate accurate outputs.
  • Role play: Direct the AI tool to “act as though” to provide precise guidance for desired outputs.
  • Type of output: Specify the desired format of the AI-generated content, such as text, images, or code.
• Building prompts for specific purposes:
  • Tailor prompts to specific research or project goals, considering the capabilities of different AI tools.
• Hints and tips for effective prompt building:
  • Utilise boolean operators to refine prompts and include or exclude specific information.
  • Incorporate examples to guide the AI tool in generating accurate outputs.
  • Gradually build on previous prompts to refine and enhance the AI-generated results.
  • Make corrections and provide feedback to the AI tool to improve the accuracy of outputs.
  • Document prompts to evaluate effectiveness and track modifications over time, especially in higher degree research settings.
  • Use a prompt generator.

Evaluate & analyse

• Considerations for using AI tools in research:
  • Choose AI tools carefully based on their narrow focus and capabilities.
  • Evaluate and analyse results obtained from AI tools to ensure accuracy and relevance.
• Evaluation stage:
  • Assess the accuracy, relevance, and usefulness of AI-generated outputs.
  • De-conflict discrepancies and address any inaccuracies in the results.
  • Consider the risks, limitations, and constraints of using AI tools.
• Evaluating AI tools:
  • Assess the appropriateness of AI tools based on the accuracy and relevance of their results.
  • Reflect on whether the tool fulfilled its intended purpose and consider alternative tools for future use.
• Evaluating information from AI tools:
  • De-conflict results to ensure accuracy and relevance for the research purpose.
  • Address ethical considerations in the evaluation process, including biases in AI-generated content.
• AI tools for information evaluation:
  • Utilise AI tools to streamline data analysis but acknowledge their limitations in critical evaluation.
  • Consider university policies and ethical guidelines when using AI for data evaluation.
• Documenting use of AI tools:
  • Maintain records of AI tool usage, including prompts, edits, and results, to facilitate transparency and reproducibility in research.
• Ethical considerations:
  • Adhere to ethical guidelines in AI tool usage, research planning, and data evaluation.
  • Ensure transparency and accountability in the use of AI tools throughout the research process.

 Presenting outputs created with AI

• Using AI to create presentations:
  • Various software and applications integrate AI to create visually appealing presentations.
  • Examples include Tome, Beautiful.AI, and Simplified’s AI Presentation Maker.
• Using AI in delivering presentations:
  • Rather than having AI create presentations, it’s advised to use AI to assist in brainstorming ideas, suggesting structures, and providing feedback.
• Using AI in written outputs:
  • Directly using AI-generated content is typically not allowed.
  • However, AI tools like Grammarly can help refine language and style, while others like DALL-E and LetsEnhance can aid in creating decorative images and restoring/upscaling images, respectively.
• Acknowledging the use of AI generated material:
  • It’s important to document the use of AI in assessments, review the accuracy of the content, and acknowledge and reference the tools used.
  • At a minimum, include a declaration of use explaining the technologies used, how the information was generated, and the date accessed.
• Responsible use of AI:
  • Recognize the ethical risks associated with using AI tools and ensure responsible and ethical use, as over-reliance on AI can diminish critical thinking and research skills.

AI Tools

• There are a range of AI tools available, keep in mind the dynamic nature of AI tools, with constant changes, new arrivals and shifts to premium versions.
• Investigate your options and choose the tool that suits your needs.

Declaration

The author acknowledges the use of ChatGPT 3.5 to create a summary of each chapter in February 2024, using the prompt: “Provide a summary of the following content in dot points…”.

You have completed the Using AI tools at university module.

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