Understand the benefits and challenges of using generative AI in research, and discover the AI enabled databases accessible through the Library collection.
There are certain strategies that you can adopt to ensure you are using AI technologies effectively and ethically.
Follow these principles when you use AI as part of your research process:
LEARN
L for Look with intention
- Set the role, tone, and perspective you want (e.g. beginner, expert, tutor)
E for Ethics matter
- Respect copyright laws
- Protect privacy
- Be transparent about AI use
A for Ask with focus
- Be specific: include topic, level, format
- Ask for real sources
R for Review carefully
- Check for errors
- Identify misleading claims
- Re-prompt for better results
N for Need to check
- Verify facts and references using Library or trusted sources
Combine your tools
Use AI databases alongside a variety of traditional databases to ensure you are being thorough when researching scholarly information. Explore the core databases within a relevant subject guide for your research area.
AI databases for research
UNSW Library subscribes to a variety of databases offering AI functionality. Unlike free GenAI tools, these Library subscribed databases generate information using scholarly data sources that are intended for research purposes. Each resource has been evaluated against the UNSW AI Assurance Framework, ensuring its suitability for use for the UNSW community.
The following database examples offer AI functionality:
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EBSCO Business Searching Interface This link opens in a new windowProvides an easy way to browse and search for country economic data, company profiles, industry information and market research. Powered by AI Insights, this database summarises key points from articles where full text is available.
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JSTOR: the scholarly journal archive This link opens in a new windowFull-text scholarly content providing retrospective online access to many important journals in a wide range of disciplines and subject areas in the arts and sciences. Includes the JSTOR Interactive Research tool which uses GenAI to help assess the relevance of a text, recommend related content, suggest thematically similar topics, and answer questions about what you are reading.
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Scite - AI for Research This link opens in a new windowA platform for discovering and evaluating scientific articles via Smart Citations. Smart Citations allow users to see how a publication has been cited by providing the context of the citation and a classification describing whether it provides supporting or contrasting evidence for the cited claim.
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Scopus This link opens in a new windowBroad coverage of scientific, technical, medical and social science literature, including peer-reviewed journals and citation indexing from a wide range of international publishers. Includes Scopus AI, generative AI discovery tool which provides concise summaries, visual concept maps, and highlights emerging research trends and foundational papers.
Subscribed tools
Find a comprehensive list of Library databases with AI functionality