Using AI to Support Your Research

A prompt is the input you provide an AI platform (like ChatGPT) that will generate a response. It may take multiple attempts to create the right prompt that will produce the output you want.

While not a substitute for research, generative AI can help you:

• Brainstorm topics for papers
• Gather background information
• Narrow the focus of your topic
• Assist with idea organization and outlines
• Identify keywords.

Here are some tips for effective prompt engineering to generate keywords and ideas.

• Add details and context to generate a more relevant response.

Example: Provide a list of keywords related to "endangered species" for my research paper.

• Start with a command instead of a question.

Example: Provide some background information about "endangered species" to help me narrow down that topic for my research paper.

• Ask a follow-up question for additional information.

Example: Recommend a database from the McHenry County College Library to help with my research paper on endangered species.

Example: Create an outline for my research paper about endangered species and conservation efforts. (TIP: The output with an outline could also be a great source of more keywords and ideas to search our databases and locate sources.)

• Protect your privacy. Don't enter personally identifiable information (PII) in your chat. PII is defined as, "Information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual." (Source: United States Department of Labor)