Using AI Tools for Research: Introduction to Generative AI (part 1)

Are you exploring and building your knowledge of generative AI tools? Are you interested in using them for research purposes? Do you find it confusing to determine when AI-based tools are useful and appropriate for conducting research for assignments and projects for courses?

In this workshop, designed to introduce effective use of mainstream AI tools like ChatGPT, we will address these questions with demonstrations and hands-on practice. We will explain what generative AI is and how it works, focusing on free tools available to all York community members. The workshop will cover designing effective prompts then move on to potential applications for student research, such as idea generation, information discovery, focusing a research topic or developing a search strategy . Finally, we will discuss the strengths and limitations of these tools for research, include some pointers on ethical and academic integrity considerations that apply at York University and provide strategies that can assist with verifying the quality and reliability of outputs generated.

For a workshop that delves deeper into how to cite AI tools, and the ethical and academic integrity considerations associated with them, check out our sister workshop titled “Navigating Academic Integrity: Citing and Ethnical Considerations in the Age of ChatGPT”.