Ithaka S+R has been tracking an impressive list of AI tools aimed at higher education.
The Bellack Librarians have also been examining and evaluating generative AI tools. You can see what we've gathered about them below.
These tools support various stages of the research process, from brainstorming and idea generation to literature review and paper organization. They can help streamline workflows and provide insights that assist with planning, conducting, and presenting scholarly work. Please note that these are suggestions only, and you should apply them cautiously, checking outputs for accuracy, fake citations, and potential hallucinations.
The GPT technology is what quite a number of AI text generators use (Jasper, Anyword, Rytr, etc.)
Some things ChatGPT (and GPT technology, in general) can do
Here are some things ChatGPT can't do (for examples)
ChatGPT 3.5 vs. GPT 4.0
ChatGPT 3.5 is the free version of this popular generative AI tool, available from the Open AI website (https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt). GPT 4.0 is the version available through Open AI's subscription-based tool called ChatGPT+. You can also get to a free, customized version of 4.0 through the Bing search engine.
So what does ChatGPT+ have over ChatGPT 3.5?
GPT-4 vs. ChatGPT-3.5: What's the Difference
Griffith, E. (2023, March 16). PC Magazine.
What to Know about ChatGPT's New Code Interpreter Feature
Lu, Y. (2023, July 11). New York Times
"Code interpreter allows ChatGPT to analyze data, create charts, solve math problems and edit files, among other uses. It also supports uploading and downloading files, which was not possible in ChatGPT before."
Get the Best From ChatGPT With These Golden Prompts
Chen, B. X. (2023, May 25). New York Times.
"Our personal tech columnist shares how to improve many parts of your life."
Price
The free version of ChatGPT is available to everyone. Upgrading to Plus, Team, or Enterprise offers a more powerful experience through additional features and access to GPT-4.
Elicit calls itself a "research assistant using language models like GPT-3 to automate parts of researchers’ workflows". Currently, there are two main workflows in Elicit.
Other features include:
Show the sources for each answer
Integration with Reference Management Tools like Zotero
Orient with a quick summary of 4 top papers
Limitations
Research Rabbit also has a data extraction tool, but there are two potential issues with it.
To start using ResearchRabbit:
Publications can be added either by uploading a RIS or BibTeX file or by using ResearchRabbit’s search, powered by PubMed, if users are searching the medical sciences, or Semantic Scholar, for any other subject area.
While ResearchRabbit uses PubMed’s and Semantic Scholar’s search engines, the company claims its unique database of “100s of millions of academic articles” is second in size only to Google Scholar.
Once publications are in a collection, ResearchRabbit’s algorithm will begin generating recommendations. These recommendations can be explored through two modes:
by Papers that are Similar work, Earlier work, or Later work
by People that provide additional publications that These authors or Suggested authors have published. (Cole & Boutet, 2023)
Price
Litmaps is a visual literature discovery tool that enables users to explore and uncover relevant articles through citation connections up to two degrees away. By leveraging data from OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, and Crossref, LitMaps allows users to search for papers using keywords, titles, authors, or DOIs, and organize their research using tags and workspaces.
Key Features
Search for articles in a catalog of 270+ million papers.
With advanced version: Sync with Zotero
Visualizing and annotating the articles
The "Litmaps Monitor" feature helps users stay updated on new research within their field by alerting them to recent publications.
Price
It has a free version with limited options and a pro version for $10 per month
Sample graph created by Literature Connector tool from Inciteful
How Well Does it Work?
Because it is using Crossref and OpenCitations for data mining and isn't based on content analysis, the results are comprehensive and far-reaching. In the Paper Discovery tool, if they're too far-reaching, meaning the articles it finds don't seem terribly relevant to you, you can easily fix it by adding more papers manually or by using it's keyword filter to narrow your results.
The Verdict
This tool is my favorite of the tools of this type (Research Rabbit, Litmaps). It is based on the age-old method of hand searching reference lists to discover other relevant literature, but it does it so much more efficiently and on an un-human scale.
I like that Inciteful is clearly a labor of love by a computer scientist who wanted to help his partner with her scholarship. It's also entirely free and without pay-only features.
Gemini 2: Deep Research, introduced by Google DeepMind in December 2024, is designed to conduct web-based research on behalf of the users. It is part of the Gemini Advanced subscription, which requires a paid plan. By following a structured, multi-step process, it gathers, organizes and refines information.
Here’s how it works:
A user writes a question.
Deep Research creates a “multi-step research plan” for the user to either revise or approve.
Once the user approves, Deep Research refines its analysis over the course of a few minutes — searching, saving potentially interesting pieces of information, and then starting a new search based on what it’s learned.
The process repeats multiple times, and once it’s finished, Deep Research generates a report of the key findings.
Price
It is part of Gemini Advanced, which should be subscribed for 1 month free and $19.99 monthly.
A Quick Video Tutorial
Perplexity is an advanced AI-powered search assistant designed to provide answers by searching the internet in real-time. Its core purpose is to deliver source-cited information across a wide range of topics.
Key Features
Chatbot style queries
It can quickly retrieve and synthesize information from multiple online sources in real-time
It cites sources within the text response
It lets you choose from various LLMs like the Default Model, GPT-4 Omni, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, etc.
The “Focus” feature lets you specify which sites to search, including Reddit, Wolfram Alpha, academic writing, YouTube, or the entire web.
It lets you ask follow-up questions based on its previous response.
Price
It has a free standard plan and a professional version for $20 per month. The Pro version gets you more thorough answers with additional sources of evidence. You can have access to a limited number of "Pro" searches in the free version.
This category includes tools designed to analyze, summarize, or create text. They can help with drafting, editing, paraphrasing, and extracting key themes from large bodies of text. Use with care, as AI-generated text may include errors, hallucinated content, or reused language in ways that raise intellectual property issues.
The GPT technology is what quite a number of AI text generators use (Jasper, Anyword, Rytr, etc.)
Some things ChatGPT (and GPT technology, in general) can do
Here are some things ChatGPT can't do (for examples)
ChatGPT 3.5 vs. GPT 4.0
ChatGPT 3.5 is the free version of this popular generative AI tool, available from the Open AI website (https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt). GPT 4.0 is the version available through Open AI's subscription-based tool called ChatGPT+. You can also get to a free, customized version of 4.0 through the Bing search engine.
So what does ChatGPT+ have over ChatGPT 3.5?
GPT-4 vs. ChatGPT-3.5: What's the Difference
Griffith, E. (2023, March 16). PC Magazine.
What to Know about ChatGPT's New Code Interpreter Feature
Lu, Y. (2023, July 11). New York Times
"Code interpreter allows ChatGPT to analyze data, create charts, solve math problems and edit files, among other uses. It also supports uploading and downloading files, which was not possible in ChatGPT before."
Get the Best From ChatGPT With These Golden Prompts
Chen, B. X. (2023, May 25). New York Times.
"Our personal tech columnist shares how to improve many parts of your life."
Price
The free version of ChatGPT is available to everyone. Upgrading to Plus, Team, or Enterprise offers a more powerful experience through additional features and access to GPT-4.
Like ChatGPT, Google's Gemini is a natural language processor, but instead of being based on a large language model, it is based on the Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMBDA). That said, it produces similar results, but here are some key differences (as of June 2023).
ChatGPT vs. Bard: What's the Difference? [2023]
Alston, E. (2023, June 12). Zapier.
Other things to note
Benefits
In theory, this could be a great tool for anyone who is struggling with content. Some potential uses are
How Well Does it Work?
To give this application a test, I wanted to use familiar content. So I uploaded an article on which I was a co-author. I was disappointed with the output. In the summary, ChatPDF used the article's categories, but reorganized qualitative data within those categories. I'd have to consult with my co-authors to see whether we thought it's organizational choices were better, but regardless, it did not represent the content of the article accurately. After using the query feature, I was still disappointed. When I asked a question that related to the problem statement, it took content from the results section to answer it, again misrepresenting the article.
The Verdict
Since there are multiple applications out there that do very similar things, I'd steer clear of this one.
Perplexity is an advanced AI-powered search assistant designed to provide answers by searching the internet in real-time. Its core purpose is to deliver source-cited information across a wide range of topics.
Key Features
Chatbot style queries
It can quickly retrieve and synthesize information from multiple online sources in real-time
It cites sources within the text response
It lets you choose from various LLMs like the Default Model, GPT-4 Omni, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus, etc.
The “Focus” feature lets you specify which sites to search, including Reddit, Wolfram Alpha, academic writing, YouTube, or the entire web.
It lets you ask follow-up questions based on its previous response.
Price
It has a free standard plan and a professional version for $20 per month. The Pro version gets you more thorough answers with additional sources of evidence. You can have access to a limited number of "Pro" searches in the free version.
Humata AI Generate summaries of academic papers. Humata will answer your submitted questions about the paper(s) and highlight the relevant sections of the papers for you to double-check accuracy. Registration is free. The first 60 pages of PDFs are free. After that, there are tiered pricing plans.
Example of a Mind Map from NotebookLM
Other things to note:
How Well Does it Work?
I prefer the summaries and answers to queries from NotebookLM over those from ChatPDF. That said, I used the same test article with NotebookLM as I did with ChatPDF. Its summary was better, but its answers to queries suffered from similar problems as ChatPDF where it didn't always pull information from the most appropriate sections of the article in order to answer the questions.
The added feature of the Mind Map where it synthesizes information from across all of the selected content in a visual presentation is a feature that I think many people will like. The podcast seemed kind of humorous at first, but when I started thinking about it, I could see it benefiting busy students and faculty who want to get a head start on content while their commuting, etc.
The Verdict
The tool isn't perfect, and you need to use some critical thinking when looking at its answers to queries, but I think a lot of people will find it generally useful.
These tools are designed to help researchers search, organize, and synthesize scholarly literature. They can assist in identifying relevant sources and mapping research trends. However, it is the researchers' responsibility to verify AI-suggested references and insights to ensure accuracy, reliability, and originality.
Litmaps is a visual literature discovery tool that enables users to explore and uncover relevant articles through citation connections up to two degrees away. By leveraging data from OpenAlex, Semantic Scholar, and Crossref, LitMaps allows users to search for papers using keywords, titles, authors, or DOIs, and organize their research using tags and workspaces.
Key Features
Search for articles in a catalog of 270+ million papers.
With advanced version: Sync with Zotero
Visualizing and annotating the articles
The "Litmaps Monitor" feature helps users stay updated on new research within their field by alerting them to recent publications.
Price
It has a free version with limited options and a pro version for $10 per month
Research Rabbit also has a data extraction tool, but there are two potential issues with it.
To start using ResearchRabbit:
Publications can be added either by uploading a RIS or BibTeX file or by using ResearchRabbit’s search, powered by PubMed, if users are searching the medical sciences, or Semantic Scholar, for any other subject area.
While ResearchRabbit uses PubMed’s and Semantic Scholar’s search engines, the company claims its unique database of “100s of millions of academic articles” is second in size only to Google Scholar.
Once publications are in a collection, ResearchRabbit’s algorithm will begin generating recommendations. These recommendations can be explored through two modes:
by Papers that are Similar work, Earlier work, or Later work
by People that provide additional publications that These authors or Suggested authors have published. (Cole & Boutet, 2023)
Price
Elicit calls itself a "research assistant using language models like GPT-3 to automate parts of researchers’ workflows". Currently, there are two main workflows in Elicit.
Other features include:
Show the sources for each answer
Integration with Reference Management Tools like Zotero
Orient with a quick summary of 4 top papers
Limitations
Sample graph created by Literature Connector tool from Inciteful
How Well Does it Work?
Because it is using Crossref and OpenCitations for data mining and isn't based on content analysis, the results are comprehensive and far-reaching. In the Paper Discovery tool, if they're too far-reaching, meaning the articles it finds don't seem terribly relevant to you, you can easily fix it by adding more papers manually or by using it's keyword filter to narrow your results.
The Verdict
This tool is great for what it is. It is based on the age-old method of hand searching reference lists to discover other relevant literature, but it does it so much more efficiently and on an un-human scale.
I like that Inciteful is clearly a labor of love by a computer scientist who wanted to help his partner with her scholarship. It's also entirely free and without pay-only features.
These tools support researchers by assisting with screening the articles to save time in the systematic/scoping review process. AI should supplement, not replace, a researcher's judgment, as outputs may contain inaccuracies, incomplete data, or misclassifications.
ASReview is a free, open-access program created in 2021 that allows users to screen through multiple articles and rank the selected articles in order of most relevant to least relevant. (Chan et al., 2024)
It employs active learning and multiple machine learning models to assist researchers in making inclusion and exclusion judgments. It does not replace expert decisions but improves the efficiency and precision of the screening process. (Quan et al., 2024)
ASReview LAB
is one of the products of the ASReview research project and is a free (Libre) open-source machine learning tool for screening and systematically labeling a large collection of textual data. It’s sometimes referred to as a tool for title and abstract screening in systematic reviews or meta-analyses, but it can handle any type of textual data that must be screened systematically
Key Features
ASReview LAB implements three different options:
Oracle: Screen textual data in interaction with the active learning model. The reviewer is the ‘oracle’, making the labeling decisions.
Simulation: Evaluate the performance of active learning models on fully labeled data.
Validation: Validate labels provided by another screener or derived from an LLM or AI, and explore benchmark datasets without being an oracle.
Complete Instruction can be found here.
Price
Free and open access
AI tools in this category enhance classroom instruction, student engagement, and personalized learning. They can support lesson planning, interactive activities, feedback, and assessment, which can help both educators and learners. Educators and students should critically evaluate AI outputs, as errors, biases, or concerns about originality may impact learning outcomes.
As always, the results are variable and will undoubtedly need editing.
Here's an example from the Multiple Explanations Generator.
Example of a Mind Map from NotebookLM
Other things to note:
How Well Does it Work?
I prefer the summaries and answers to queries from NotebookLM over those from ChatPDF. That said, I used the same test article with NotebookLM as I did with ChatPDF. Its summary was better, but its answers to queries suffered from similar problems as ChatPDF where it didn't always pull information from the most appropriate sections of the article in order to answer the questions.
The added feature of the Mind Map where it synthesizes information from across all of the selected content in a visual presentation is a feature that I think many people will like. The podcast seemed kind of humorous at first, but when I started thinking about it, I could see it benefiting busy students and faculty who want to get a head start on content while their commuting, etc.
The Verdict
The tool isn't perfect, and you need to use some critical thinking when looking at its answers to queries, but I think a lot of people will find it generally useful.
Cognii: Third party learning platform with a higher education arm. Automates some of the teaching and learning experience for both students and faculty. Examples below, as listed on Cognii's website.
These tools help users design, structure, and enhance presentations from creating slides to generating visuals and narratives. Users should carefully review AI-generated content for accuracy, originality, and proper attribution before sharing publicly.
These tools generate and edit images, graphics, and artwork. They can be used to create custom visuals for research, teaching, presentations, or creative projects. Images created with AI may raise concerns about accuracy, copyright, and intellectual property, so they should be constantly reviewed and used responsibly and should be cited using APA, MLA, or other citation styles.
DALL-E is OpenAI's image generator. Requires registration and the purchase of tokens. (Each OpenAI generator has a different pricing structure for its tokens, but the price is roughly set at less than $0.01 for every 4 characters typed.) For image generators, pricing differs by the resolution of the image. Responds to text such as "ukiyo-e print of Garfield the cat eating lasagna," or "Canada goose in the style of Gustav Klimt." Your results may vary.
Gemini can also generate art and images from text prompts, which allows users to create illustrations, graphics, and visual content for projects and presentations. For example, the image below is the result of the prompt: Create an image of underwater small creatures.
Perplexity, in addition to its research and Q&A functions, includes an image generation option that creates visuals from text prompts, helpful in producing quick illustrations, graphics, or concept images. To test this capability, I put the same prompt as I did in Gemini (create an image of underwater small creatures), and the result is the image below.
