Be sure to read your course syllabus and assignments carefully so that you clearly understand your professor's expectations regarding the use of Generative AI tools. Our goal at Dartmouth is to equip you with the learning and tools to be successful in your future endeavors. Thoughtfully consider how you use information whether from books, articles, the internet, social media, Gen AI, etc.
How might Gen AI tools help you find new information?
A Large Language Model (LLM) like ChatGPT can be great for brainstorming ideas to generate a topic or find related avenues for your research paper.
Other tools can help you discover additional sources, especially articles. Tools like Semantic Scholar can help you find related resources or authors researching in a particular topic area. If an article isn't freely available, be sure to look for full-text of the articles through the Dartmouth Libraries search.
McGill University librarians Sandy Hervieux and Amanda Wheatley developed the ROBOT test in 2020 as a way of evaluating generative AI tools. As new tools are developed and existing tools evolve, it's more important than ever to make sure you're choosing the right tool for your needs. Ask yourself the following questions:
Reliability: Where does the content in the tool come from? How reliable is that content?
Objective: What is the tool's stated purpose? What is it meant to help you accomplish?
Bias: What types of bias might be present in the information the tool provides? Are there ethical issues associated with this technology? Does the tool acknowledge bias and/or ethical issues?
Owner: Who developed this technology? Who owns it? Who has access to it? Does everyone have equal access? What happens to information you enter into the tool?
Type: How does it work? Is it a large language model or another type of technology?
Hervieux, S. & Wheatley, A. (2020). The ROBOT test [Evaluation tool]. The LibrAIry. https://thelibrairy.wordpress.com/2020/03/11/the-robot-test
Large Language Models are sourcing their information from various places, including the internet. We know that not all content on the internet is accurate and we need to evaluate it carefully. In addition, LLMs are generating responses to your questions by predicting what the next most logical words in a sentence should be. Seek authoritative sources to confirm information.
Consider these questions when evaluating internet or Gen AI content:
1. Currency - when was the information created?
2. Reliability - where did the information come from? Is it a trustworthy source?
3. Authority - who is providing the information and are they an expert?
4. Purpose/Point of View - Why is this information available and for what intended audience?