What Is It?

An AI-supported search that uses natural language searching to find five academic results. A summary of the results is provided with links to the source article.

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Here are the highlights when using the AI Research Tool. 

1. Be as specific as you can in phrasing your request

• for example: Find recent scholarly articles on the economic impacts of climate change in Canada.

  • Instead of: "Find information on climate change."

• AI research tool uses natural language. Phrase the question as if you were talking to somebody.

• You do not need to use Boolean operators (AND, OR) or special codes.

2. Only 5 Results - this is a jumping-off spot

3. Use "Related research questions" to try alternative ways of approaching the question

4. Expand the search by clicking "View More Results from your library search" to...

• expand past the initial 5 results

• apply filters (date range, format, subject, etc.)

• modify the text of your request by adding Boolean operators (AND, OR) and synonyms or alternative words

• see the search string that the AI Research tool created from your question

• access all the tools of an Advanced Search in OneSearch

Getting to know the AI Tool

Click an (i) for more information.

Results page

How can using the AI Research tool help me?

There are many ways the AI Research Tool can help you:

• It provides an overview or jumping-off point in your research
• As a way to explore and revise your topic
• Use a natural language search to create complex searches in OneSearch (click on "view more results" to see the complex search string).

Does it mean I don't have to search OneSearch or other databases?

No. The AI Research tool is just that, another tool in your research toolbox. You will use different types of tools for different tasks and outcomes. 

You will still need to search OneSearch or other databases to find content not included in the AI Research tool's index. Different databases (i.e. Tools) have access to different collections of information. The AI Research tool can help initiate the research process, but you may still need to refine your search (from within OneSearch Advanced search) to look deeper. 

How does it work?

Here's the technical stuff. The AI Research Tool goes through the following steps to get the overview and top-5 results:

1. The question is sent to the LLM (Large Language Model, which powers platforms like ChatGPT) and converted into a long search string, connected by the Boolean operator "OR".
2. The search is sent to an index to get the results.
3. The top results (up to 30) are re-ranked to get the top 5.
4. The top five results are sent to the LLM again to create the overview with inline references, based on the results' description.
5. The overview and sources are presented.

What about privacy?

The makers of the AI Research Tool do not store interactions in it, LMM, and will not use them for training purposes. They secure their data and follow their privacy policy, and do not share your information with third parties. 

Parts of this FAQ was adapted from Ex Libris' Getting Started with Primo Research Assistant

Below are some resources to help you cite ChatGPT or other GenAI tools. Remember, these formats may change their rules or structure at a given time.