Skip to Main Content Saint Mary's Libraries

Overview

AI tools can be valuable for reserachers at all levels, offering benefits like access to vast collections of scholarly research, enhanced efficiency, and automated data analysis. However, there are drawbacks, including the risk of misinterpretation, lack of nuanced evaluation, and potential biases.

Literature Review Tools

Examples include, but are not limited to, Elicit and Semantic Scholar.

These tools are best for:

  • Quickly summarizing and extracting key points from research papers
  • Automating citation formatting and reference management
  • Seeing connections between papers based on citations and authors

Limitations include:

  • May miss nuances or misinterpret context
  • May not include full text of articles
  • Cannot replace critical evaluation of sources
  • Risk of propagating errors if not fact-checked

Research Management Tools

Examples include, but are not limited to, ResearchRabbit and Zotero.

These tools are best for:

  • Organizing, annotating, and sharing research documents
  • Discovering relevant literature based on research topic
  • Visualizing networks of papers and co-authorships
  • Facilitating collaboration among researchers

Limitations include:

  • Comprehensiveness limitations due to lack of access to relevant sources behind paywalls and algorithmic limitations
  • Inability to distinguish between biased and unbiased research or assess quality of research