Research with AIFind Answers Faster Than Ever
AI is a research accelerator, not a replacement for critical thinking. The best researchers use AI to process information faster—but they still read primary sources, verify facts, and do their own analysis. Think of AI as a brilliant research assistant who occasionally makes things up. Helpful, but needs supervision.
Critical Warning About AI Citations
AI frequently invents fake citations—papers that don't exist, wrong authors, wrong publication dates. Never cite a source you haven't verified yourself. Always check that papers actually exist before including them in your research.
How AI Helps at Each Research Phase
AI can assist throughout your entire research process
Explore & Discover
Use AI to quickly understand a topic and find research directions.
- Get overviews of unfamiliar topics
- Discover related concepts
- Find key researchers and papers
- Understand jargon and technical terms
Find Sources
Let AI help you locate credible sources and relevant papers.
- Search for academic papers
- Find statistics and data sources
- Discover books and expert opinions
- Locate primary sources
Analyze & Synthesize
Use AI to understand, compare, and connect information.
- Summarize long papers and reports
- Compare different viewpoints
- Identify patterns across sources
- Extract key arguments
Write & Cite
Get help organizing findings and drafting your research.
- Outline your research paper
- Draft sections with proper citations
- Improve clarity and flow
- Format references correctly
Research Prompt Templates
Copy these and fill in the brackets
Starting Your Research
Topic Overview
Template
Give me a comprehensive overview of [TOPIC]. What are the main debates, key researchers, and important concepts I should know?
Research Questions
Template
I want to research [TOPIC]. Help me develop 5 focused research questions that are specific and researchable.
Finding & Evaluating Sources
Source Discovery
Template
What are the most important/cited papers on [TOPIC]? Include key authors and publication years.
Source Evaluation
Template
Here's a claim: [CLAIM]. What evidence supports or contradicts this? What would be credible sources to verify?
Analyzing Information
Paper Summary
Template
Summarize this paper/article in 3-4 paragraphs: [PASTE TEXT]. Include main arguments, methods, findings, and limitations.
Compare Sources
Template
Compare and contrast these viewpoints on [TOPIC]: [VIEWPOINT 1] vs [VIEWPOINT 2]. What are the key agreements and disagreements?
Writing Your Research
Outline Creation
Template
Create a detailed outline for a research paper on [TOPIC]. Include sections, key points to cover, and logical flow.
Literature Review
Template
Help me write a literature review paragraph that synthesizes these sources on [TOPIC]: [LIST SOURCES/KEY POINTS]
Critical Mistakes to Avoid
Trusting AI-generated citations
✗ Don't
AI often invents fake citations — papers that don't exist, wrong authors, wrong years.
✓ Do
ALWAYS verify every citation. Use Google Scholar, library databases, or tools like Perplexity that cite real sources.
Why: One fake citation can destroy your credibility.
Using AI as your only source
✗ Don't
AI can't access real-time information and may have outdated or incorrect knowledge.
✓ Do
Use AI to guide your research, but always trace claims back to primary sources.
Why: AI is a starting point, not a source.
Copy-pasting AI summaries
✗ Don't
AI summaries may miss nuances, misrepresent arguments, or oversimplify complex ideas.
✓ Do
Read important sources yourself. Use AI summaries as a starting point, not a replacement.
Why: You need to understand the material to use it properly.
Not fact-checking "facts"
✗ Don't
AI can state incorrect statistics, dates, and facts with complete confidence.
✓ Do
Verify all specific claims — especially numbers, dates, and quotes — with authoritative sources.
Why: Confidence doesn't equal accuracy.
Research Ethics with AI
Always cite AI assistance
Many institutions require disclosure of AI use. Be transparent about how you used AI in your research process.
Verify everything independently
AI is a research assistant, not an authoritative source. All claims need verification from primary sources.
Maintain your own analysis
Use AI to help process information, but the critical thinking and conclusions should be yours.
Respect academic integrity
Understand your institution's policies on AI use. When in doubt, ask your instructor or advisor.