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LANG 1408 & 2070 - English for Humanities & Social Science Studies

This online module is designed to complement LANG 1408 & 2070 and help students build skills for doing research and life long learning and development

Research Tools in Different Stages of Literature Review

Using ChatGPT and other Generative AI Tools

LANG 1408 & 2070 allow you to use all tools available to improve your English communication while upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. There is no penalty for using or not using GenAI. However, GenAI and other tools cannot replace your own work. You are expected to write your own assessed assignments and to prepare your presentations yourselves.

A common problem with many generative AI text tools is that they generate plausible but factually incorrect information (hallucinations) or fabricated references (hallucitations), for examples:

So, if you are using texts generated by ChatGPT or other generative AI tools, be cautious and cross-check the information. Evaluate the information provided, just like anything you plan to use academically.

Just as we've covered in the sections above:

1. Cross-check what it says & do "lateral reading"

  • Check against your own knowledge
  • Check against Wikipedia, Britannica, and/or other reliable sources to see if they state the same information
  • This is not new with generative AI, it's always been good scholarly practice

2. Confirm that any references it provides are real

3. If the references (citations) are real, check that they support the claim

  • This is *NOT* a new issue with AI tools, it's always been important to do so.
  • This is proper scholarly practice when working with sources both in print and online.

4. Remember to CITE and ACKNOWLEDGE when you use AI tools

  • Follow the guide listed in the previous section to appropriately cite and acknowledge AI-created content

Compare GenAI Tools for Research

Comparison of GenAI Tools

(updated 27 Mar 2025)

Update log:

  • 27 Mar 2025 - ScienceDirect AI (trained on article full text) and CNKI AI added
  • 13 Dec 2024 - Perplexity new feature Spaces - allows to specify which sources (files, websites) to search within
  • Nov 2024 - Primo Research Assistant upgraded their model to GPT-4o-mini
  • Sep 2024 - Elicit added a feature for screening papers for systematic review; Primo and Web of Science both released their AI Research Assistant
  • 28 Aug 2024 - Scite upgraded their model to GPT-4o
  • 26 Jul 2024 - Elicit removed 5000 credit limit - Basic Plan now unlimited to everyone
  • 3 Jul 2024 - Elicit added Advanced Search (search by journal, author, DOI, OA status, citation count, etc.)
  • 26 Jun 2024 - GPTs (e.g. Dimensions GPT, Consensus GPT, SciSpace GPT) are free to all ChatGPT users now)
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