Conclusion

Module Summary

1 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    • Limitations include inaccuracies, reliance on outdated data, and biases inherent in algorithms.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.
2 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.

3 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.

4 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.

5AI 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…”.

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You have completed the Using AI tools at university module.

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