Mastering AI in Academia and Research

Key Points:

Main Principles of Using AI in Academia:

1. Ethical Use:

   • Avoid cheating by using AI appropriately. Misuse can lead to academic expulsion.
   • Always disclose AI usage in any manuscript or publication.
   • Do not manipulate data with AI tools to alter research results.
   • AI tools, like chatGPT, should not be considered as authors.

2. Critical Use:

   • Understand the limitations of AI tools and verify the information provided.
   • Act as a collaborator with AI by reviewing and revising AI-generated content.
   • Over-reliance on AI can harm the development of critical thinking skills.

3. Effective Use:

   • Follow AI usage guidelines provided by educational institutions.
   • Familiarize yourself with AI tools for tasks like searching, mapping, drafting, feedback, and managing data.

Using AI Tools for Specific Academic Tasks:

• Searching and Mapping: Tools like Elicit, Consensus, Lit Maps help in discovering relevant academic sources.
• Reading and Multi-Document Analysis: Use tools such as Notebook LM and SciPace for in-depth analysis of documents.
• Drafting: Text generation tools like Jenny AI, Claude, and ChatGPT assist in creating draft content.
• Feedback: Services like Thesify and PaperPal help refine and polish academic drafts.
• Data Analysis: Though outside this video's scope, tools like Claude and Julius AI are noteworthy.

Prompting for AI:

• Key Components of a Good AI Prompt:

  • Context: Define what you're trying to achieve.
  • Requirements: Specify what you need the AI to do.
  • Constraints: Optional, but can refine AI outputs.
  • Format: Determine the output style (e.g., bulleted list, table).
  • Audience: Tailor the language and tone to suit your audience.

• Example of a Perfect Prompt:

  • "You are a twice divorced tenured professor with hairy ears. Read this PDF document and provide me with a bulleted list of takeaways suitable for undergraduate students because I've got enough to do."

Conclusion:

• Mastering AI in academia involves using it ethically, critically, and effectively.
• Understand the tools available and adopt best practices for prompting to improve the quality and impact of academic research. Explore additional resources for best AI tools beyond 2025 for ongoing learning.

For more detailed insights, refer to resources like Harvard Business School talks on AI and check videos on top academic AI tools for future academia.