Artificial intelligence tools designed to support research and improve academic writing can assist with literature reviews and information searches, summarizing large volumes of content, and organizing sources. Alongside these opportunities there are also risks, particularly regarding the reliability of sources, journals that do not meet scientific standards (“predatory” journals, scams, and fake journals), and even plagiarism.

Plagiarism and Source Identification

Not all AI tools accurately identify the sources they cite. When text is used as-is, without rephrasing and without verifying the reliability of the information, it is considered plagiarism. Companies such as Turnitin (the developers of iThenticate for detecting plagiarism in academic works) are promoting tools designed to identify text generated using artificial intelligence. When relying on sources identified through AI tools without verifying their reliability and without citing them properly, the ethical risk increases, and detecting violations becomes easier.

What to do

It is recommended to prioritize tools designed specifically for academic purposes, such as Elicit, Consensus, or Research Rabbit, as well as built-in AI agents within professional databases. After identifying a relevant source, follow the link provided by the AI tool and verify that the citation actually appears in the source, as well as the academic validity (peer review or scientific evaluation) of that source.

If the content is academically valid, it may be used in writing provided that it is cited according to the required style guidelines. Proper citation is not merely a technical requirement but an essential part of research integrity.

Recommended tools for web searching, learning, and summarizing

• Google’s smart notebook: NotebookLM

  This tool functions as a research assistant. It relies on the materials that were uploaded by the user, and helps to analyze and understand them. It also includes an advanced search capability called Deep Research, which can locate sources on the web and provide links to the websites from which the content was obtained. These links should still be checked using standard methods for scientific evaluation.

• Advanced search option in ChatGPT: sources with links

  An advanced search capability was recently added to the ChatGPT by OpenAI. In “Deep Thinking” mode, the chat can break complex questions into stages (topic and subtopic), explore alternative ways of phrasing a query, and explain the reasoning behind the answer. The response also includes references (links) to results from the web, which can and should be opened and checked by the users.

Disclaimer:

The information presented on this page does not constitute a recommendation. AI tools should be used in accordance with each tool’s terms of use, as well as applicable ethical guidelines and legal requirements.