Library Essentials Tutorial

Using generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, etc. to find academic sources can be an ineffective strategy due to several key limitations:

1.) Hallucinations 

• AI chatbots frequently provide incorrect information - called "hallucinations"

• In academic research, hallucinations most commonly appear as citations to articles that don't exist

• These fake citations can seem convincing because they often include:

  • Real authors' names

  • Actual journal titles

  • Plausible-sounding article titles

• Hallucinations are not a temporary bug that will eventually be fixed. Recent research from OpenAI (the organization behind ChatGPT) has found that hallucinations are an inevitable feature of current chatbot training methods

2.) Information Quality 

• Even when chatbots cite real articles, their relevance and quality aren't guaranteed. Just because an AI tool provides an answer does not mean it will be good or relevant. 

• AI chatbots operate with significant unknowns:

  • What sources are in their training data?

  • How current is their information? (Most have knowledge cutoffs)

  • What criteria determine which sources they prioritize?

  • Are they accessing paywalled databases or only free web content?

• Critical evaluation is always necessary

3.) Limited Search Control 

• Unlike library databases, you cannot easily filter or refine chatbot results using:

  • Date ranges

  • Peer-review status

  • Subject headings

  • Other standardized search filters

• Chatbot responses are not reproducible - using the same exact prompt will generate similar but not identical results each time, making it difficult to revisit earlier searches

While not very effective for finding academic sources, AI chatbots can be helpful with preliminary research tasks:

• Brainstorming research topics, ideas, or keywords

• Getting quick overviews of unfamiliar concepts or terminology

• Summarizing complex articles you've already found and verified through library databases

While actively doing research, use the AI tools embedded within library databases. These specialized tools:

• Are designed for specific research functions

• Have narrower focus that reduces hallucination risk

• Provide more accurate, reliable results

The Sacred Heart Library provides several AI-powered research tools. You can read about them on the next page of this guide - "AI Tools in the SHU Library." 

Always check your instructor's AI policy before using any AI tools in your coursework. When in doubt, ask!