Unit 6

Source Selection

• Choose sources that directly relate to your research question.
• Avoid using personal blogs for research data.
• Peer-reviewed sources are generally considered more credible than other sources.

Boolean Operators

• The Boolean operator 'OR' broadens a search to include sources containing either term specified in the search query.

CRAAP Test

• The CRAAP test evaluates sources based on currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, and purpose.

Source Credibility

• A peer-reviewed journal article is generally considered the most credible source.
• Websites with no author information or personal blogs are less credible sources.

Diverse Perspectives

• Including diverse perspectives in research helps challenge your thinking and evaluate contrasting viewpoints.

Source Formats

• Using diverse formats for sources, such as online articles, infographics, and podcasts, can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Evaluating Internet Sources

• Avoid using personal blogs and opinion-based articles for research.
• Peer-reviewed articles, even from Google Scholar, are generally reliable.

Types of Sources

• A dataset from a recent survey is considered a primary source.
• Textbooks, encyclopedia entries, review articles, and summaries are considered secondary sources.

Evaluating Secondary Sources

• Secondary sources summarize and interpret information from primary sources.

AI as a Tertiary Source

• Perplexity.ai, Elicit.com, and ChatGPT are AI tools that can summarize academic papers and provide research evidence.
• JSTOR is a database specifically designed for academic resources and not an AI tool.

CRAAP Test

• In the CRAAP test, 'R' stands for Relevance.

Library Databases

• Library databases provide access to reliable and peer-reviewed sources.

AI Tools

• ChatGPT does not provide source links for verification.
• Library databases, Perplexity.ai, and Elicit.com all provide source links for verification.

Key Differences Between AI Tools

• ChatGPT is useful for brainstorming but is not recommended for credible academic citations.

Source Credibility

• Using AI-generated content as a source can lack transparency and accuracy.

What is Prompt Engineering?

• Prompt engineering involves writing clear instructions for AI tools to get better responses.

Basic Prompt vs. Refined Prompt

• A refined prompt, like "List three benefits of renewable energy in urban areas in the last 5 years" is more specific and likely to yield better results than a general prompt like "Tell me about renewable energy."

Boolean Search

• The 'AND' operator narrows a search by finding sources containing both terms in the search query.

Library Databases vs. AI Tools

• Library databases offer a significant advantage over AI tools like ChatGPT as they contain a large collection of credible, peer-reviewed resources.