Define the Research Topic Clearly: Start with a clear and focused research question or topic. Narrow down broad topics to manageable subtopics.

Use Appropriate Keywords: Identify key terms, synonyms, and related terms that define your topic. Use these keywords when searching databases or online resources.

Choose the Right Databases and Resources: Select databases and resources relevant to your field of study. Utilize academic libraries and their online portals.

Evaluate Sources Critically: Look for peer-reviewed journals and reputable publishers. Check the credentials of the authors and the date of publication. Assess the relevance and quality of the content.

Use Advanced Search Techniques: Utilize Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to refine search results. Employ filters and advanced search options to narrow down results by date, subject, type of resource, etc.

Keep Track of Sources: Organize your sources using citation management tools like Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote. Make notes on how each source is relevant to your research.

Read Abstracts and Summaries First: Before diving into the full text, read abstracts or summaries to gauge the relevance of the material.

Consult with Your Librarian: Don’t hesitate to ask for help from librarians advisors who can provide guidance on finding and using research resources effectively.

Check Citations in Relevant Papers: Look at the reference lists of papers that are closely related to your topic. They can lead you to other valuable sources.

Stay Organized: Keep a record of your searches and the databases you’ve used. This helps in avoiding duplication of effort and in tracking your research progress.

Practice Ethical Research: Always cite your sources properly to avoid plagiarism. Respect copyright and fair use laws.

Citation Tools

Scribbr Citation Generator - https://www.scribbr.com/citation/generator/

APA Citation Generator - https://www.citationmachine.net/apa

Zotero - https://www.zotero.org/

Cite this For Me - https://www.citethisforme.com/harvard/source-type 

Citing ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, Claude, Perplexity, etc.

For citing ChatGPT or a similar AI tool, you'll need the following information. Be sure to follow the the rules of your formatting standards (APA, MLA, etc.). 

• Name of the AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT)

• Version of the AI tool, if applicable

• The date you accessed the tool

• The URL of the tool (if accessed online)

• A brief description of the interaction or the type of information provided

FAKE Examples might look like:

ChatGPT. (2023). Discussion on environmental impact of renewable energy sources. OpenAI. Retrieved February 20, 2023, from https://www.openai.com/chatgpt

Google Bard. (2023). Insights on the latest trends in machine learning. Google. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.google.com/bard

Microsoft Bing Chat. (2023). Insights on the latest web development trends. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.bing.com/chat

Google Bard

Google Bard can assist with doing research online in a number of ways, including:

• • Summarizing information: Bard can quickly summarize long articles and web pages, saving you time and effort. This is especially helpful for research papers and other lengthy documents.

  • Providing different perspectives: Bard can provide different perspectives on a topic by accessing and synthesizing information from a variety of sources. This can help you to develop a well-rounded understanding of a complex issue.

  • Identifying credible sources: Bard can help you to identify credible sources by evaluating the authority and relevance of websites and other online resources. This can help you to avoid misinformation and bias in your research.

  • Generating creative text formats: Bard can generate different creative text formats of text content, like poems, code, scripts, musical pieces, email, letters, etc. This can be helpful for brainstorming ideas or writing research papers.

  • Translating languages: Bard can translate languages, which can be helpful for accessing research from other countries.

Copilot with Bing Chat

As an AI developed by Microsoft, Copilot with Bing Chat can assist you with online research in several ways:

• Web Search: I can perform web searches to find information on a wide range of topics. For example, if you’re writing a paper on climate change, I can search for the latest research papers, statistics, or news articles related to the topic.

• Summarizing Information: After performing a web search, I can summarize the information found in the search results. This can save you time and help you quickly understand the key points.

• Answering Questions: If you have specific questions during your research, you can ask me. I’ll do my best to provide accurate and helpful answers based on my knowledge and the information available online.

• Providing Recommendations: If you’re not sure where to start with your research, I can provide recommendations on sources, topics, or methods to consider.

• Creating Content: In addition to finding and summarizing information, I can also help you create content. For example, I can help you write an essay, create a presentation, or even generate a poem or story.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT can assist with online research in several ways, helping you to navigate and understand a wide range of information. Here's how it can be particularly useful:

• • Answering Questions: You can ask ChatGPT about a variety of topics, and it will provide information based on its training data. This includes historical facts, scientific concepts, general knowledge, and more.

  • Explaining Concepts: If you're struggling to understand a complex idea or topic, ChatGPT can break it down into simpler terms.

  • Summarizing Information: If you have long articles, reports, or documents, ChatGPT can help summarize the key points, saving you time in your research.

  • Providing Recommendations: It can suggest resources, such as books, websites, or articles, that might be useful for your research.

  • Drafting and Editing: ChatGPT can assist in drafting content, such as essays or reports, and provide suggestions for improving your writing.

  • Language Translation: It can translate text between various languages, which is helpful if you're dealing with sources in languages other than your own.

  • Data Interpretation: ChatGPT can help interpret and explain data, graphs, and charts.

  • PDF Document Analysis: With the Ai_PDF plugin, ChatGPT can search through PDF documents to find specific information, summarize contents, and provide quotes and page citations.

  • Learning and Study Assistance: It can help explain academic concepts, solve math problems, and provide practice questions for study.

  • Staying Updated: While ChatGPT's training only includes information up to its last update (January 2022), it can help you understand the context and background of more recent events or developments. GPT-4 Turbo knowledge will include world events up to April 2023.

TIPS TO CONSIDER WHEN USING AI-POWERED SEARCH ENGINES