AI for researching a topic

Start with your assessment brief, marking criteria and module reading list. Your assessment may be based mainly on set readings, or it may require you to find and evaluate additional material. Ask your tutor if the expectations are unclear.

If you are undertaking a dissertation, literature review or another independent project, you will normally need to search more widely. The approach required will depend on your subject, research question and methodology.

You do not have to use AI to research successfully. If you choose to use it, first check that the use is allowed and that it will genuinely help with the task.

For help deciding what kinds of evidence you need, see Understanding source types.

If your assessment allows it, AI may help you during the exploratory stages of research. For example, you might use it to:

• get an initial explanation of an unfamiliar topic

• identify concepts or questions to investigate

• suggest possible terminology, synonyms or search terms

• explore how different ideas might be connected

• identify possible sources or routes for further searching

Treat these as suggestions to investigate, not as research findings. AI can misunderstand your question, suggest unsuitable terminology, omit important perspectives or make a complex debate appear more settled than it is.

If you want to use a general AI assistant, Microsoft Copilot Chat is Abertay's supported tool. It can use current information from the web, but this does not guarantee that its answer is accurate, complete or suitable for your subject.

AI and search are increasingly combined. Depending on the tool and feature, an answer may draw on:

• information learned during the model's training

• current webpages found through live search

• records or abstracts from a particular academic index

• the full text of selected publications

• documents that you or another user have supplied

Some tools retrieve results, some generate answers or summaries, and some do both. Before relying on a result, ask:

• What sources or collections has the tool searched?

• Is it using metadata, abstracts or full text?

• How current and comprehensive is its coverage?

• Can I open and read the original sources?

• What relevant material might be missing?

The Library's Search and discovery tools guide explains how LibrarySearch, databases, search engines, literature-mapping tools and GenAI research assistants differ. Use it to choose tools and find material available through Abertay.

An AI citation is a route to something that needs checking. It is not proof that the answer is reliable.

When an AI tool suggests a source or uses it to support a claim:

1. Check that the source exists. Search for the title, author or other details in LibrarySearch, the relevant database or the publisher's website.

2. Open and read the original. Do not rely on the AI's description, a search-result snippet or an abstract when you need the full context.

3. Check the precise claim. Make sure the source actually supports what the AI says it supports. Check the population, method, date, findings and limitations where relevant.

4. Check its status and suitability. Consider whether the source is current enough, appropriate for your subject and assessment, and whether it has been corrected, retracted or superseded.

5. Check the synthesis. Compare more than one appropriate source. AI may accurately describe individual sources but still omit contrary evidence, flatten disagreement or produce an unbalanced overall answer.

You remain responsible for deciding what the evidence means. Your own critical and disciplinary judgement is essential.

If an assessment specifically asks you to analyse or critique an AI output, that output may itself be material you examine. Follow the instructions in your assessment brief for this special case.

A useful research process might look like this:

1. Clarify the assessment task or research question.

2. Use your reading list and relevant introductory material to identify established concepts and terminology.

3. If permitted, use AI to explore the topic or generate possible search terms and questions.

4. Test and refine those ideas in LibrarySearch, subject databases or other appropriate search tools.

5. Use the terminology, keywords, subject headings and references in useful sources to improve your searches.

6. Read and evaluate the original material before deciding whether to use it.

7. Keep a record of your searches where your assessment or research method requires this.

8. Cite the sources you use and acknowledge any AI contribution as required.

Do not copy an AI-generated list of keywords or a search string without testing it. Search systems cover different material and interpret queries differently. Look at the results and refine your approach rather than assuming the AI has understood your topic correctly.

See Search effectively for help developing and improving a search.

Do not enter personal, confidential or sensitive information into an AI tool. Do not upload:

• participant or research data

• unpublished research, findings or grant material

• substantial parts of an assessment or dissertation

• confidential professional or placement information

• journal articles, book chapters or other licensed material unless you have permission

These restrictions still matter when you use an Abertay-supported tool. See AI and data privacy for full guidance.

Cite the original sources you use as evidence, following the referencing style required for your assessment.

AI use may need to be acknowledged even when the AI output does not appear in your final work. Follow your assessment brief and the guidance on Acknowledging AI use.

AI outputs are not normally used as evidence or included in a reference list. A formal reference may be required if you quote, paraphrase, analyse or critique a particular output, or if your tutor asks you to reference it. See Referencing AI for the relevant exceptions and examples.