Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, or ChatGPT, officially launched by OpenAI in 2023, has been increasingly influencing the scientific and academic world. Given its capability to synthesize large amounts of information and produce content based on its training data, academics are using ChatGPT for literature search and elsewhere to optimize often tedious research processes.
ChatGPT is being used widely by researchers to brainstorm research questions, locate sources, conduct preliminary literature reviews, summarize relevant content, and recommend experimental approaches or methodologies. However, researchers must understand that using ChatGPT for literature search should only significantly complement and not completely substitute their critical thinking, judgment and writing capabilities.
Challenges and risks in using ChatGPT for literature search
While there are huge advantages, it is always good to be aware of the challenges associated with relying too much on generative AI tools like ChatGPT for academic research, especially when using it for literature searches and reviews. Some of the key challenges are discussed below.
Invented Sources
ChatGPT draws on pre-existing data and hence may not be the ideal tool to learn about recent advancements and niche areas. This makes ChatGPT creative, a little too creative sometimes. it might recommend sources that don’t actually exist, wasting your time and potentially leading to factual errors in your research.
Risk of inaccuracy
While ChatGPT offers many functionalities, it can introduce inaccuracies and misinformation into your academic research. This is because it can’t always distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources. Imagine you’re researching a specific topic and ask ChatGPT to suggest relevant articles. Here’s how things might go wrong:
- Unverified Sources: ChatGPT might recommend articles from “predatory journals.” ChatGPT wouldn’t be able to identify these as unreliable sources, leading you to potentially include unverified information in your research.
- Missing Credibility Checks: Unlike academic databases, ChatGPT doesn’t assess the credibility of sources. It might suggest articles with weak methodologies, outdated information, or biases. You risk basing your research on shaky foundations if you rely solely on ChatGPT for literature search.
Limited Search Capability
Unlike academic databases, ChatGPT doesn’t have direct access to the latest research and studies locked behind paywalls, where a significant portion of scholarly research resides. This significantly restricts its search capabilities. You might miss out on crucial studies because ChatGPT simply can’t reach them.
Accuracy Concerns in Research
While ChatGPT excels at language manipulation, it’s not designed to evaluate the quality or relevance of research papers. It might recommend sources that are outdated, contain flawed methodologies, or lack credibility. You risk basing your research on shaky foundations if you rely solely on ChatGPT’s suggestions.
How to leverage AI tools for literature search?
Using ChatGPT for literature search might not be ideal, however, the tool can help you brainstorm ideas, rephrase research questions, or explore different aspects of your topic. However, always follow up with credible sources to verify the information ChatGPT generates.
For in-depth literature searches, dedicated academic databases like RDiscovery is the way to go. RDiscovery is the most up-to-date and one of the largest scholarly content repositories which accelerates your research discovery journey, with latest and relevant content in your area of interest. With access to over 250Mn+ research papers including 40Mn open access and 150Mn peer reviewed journal papers, RDiscovery is one of the cleanest, most reliable academic research library.
RDiscovery streamlines your academic research by recommending articles tailored to your interests, helping you find relevant papers through smart search, and allowing you to organize your findings with bookmarks and collaboration features. You can even summarize research papers, translate and read or listen to them in your own language, for a more efficient research experience. To unlock all the features of RDiscovery, get your free 7-day trial today.
R Discovery is a literature search and research reading platform that accelerates your research discovery journey by keeping you updated on the latest, most relevant scholarly content. With 250M+ research articles sourced from trusted aggregators like CrossRef, Unpaywall, PubMed, PubMed Central, Open Alex and top publishing houses like Springer Nature, JAMA, IOP, Taylor & Francis, NEJM, BMJ, Karger, SAGE, Emerald Publishing and more, R Discovery puts a world of research at your fingertips.
Try R Discovery Prime FREE for 1 week or upgrade at just US$72 a year to access premium features that let you listen to research on the go, read in your language, collaborate with peers, auto sync with reference managers, and much more. Choose a simpler, smarter way to find and read research – Download the app and start your free 7-day trial today!
