Using Generative AI To Do Research

Compare and verify: Check AI claims against other sources

AI tools can generate inaccurate information (see our Limitations section), so you'll need to verify what they tell you. What sources you use depends on your assignment and what your instructor recommends. Even when AI is allowed, instructors rarely want it as your only source. Plus, your work will be stronger when you've verified AI outputs against other reliable sources.

More specifically we recommend these strategies: 

• Use the Library's academic discovery tool Omni to find scholarly books and articles, government information, theses and much more on any given topic. After conducting your search, use the filters available on the left side to limit by resource type, publication date and more. Our Omni Guide contains many tips to help you get started
   
• Use the Library's subject research guides to explore recommended research databases to help you identify books, articles and more for many different subject areas

Check citations for hallucinations (fake, incorrect or partially incorrect citations)

While citation accuracy is evolving and improving with some tools, we advise verifying citations outputted by generative AI tools. See the Limitations section of this guide to learn more about why these issues with citations happen. 

To verify a citation: 

• Enter the title of the publication (e.g., book title or article title) into the Omni search box on the York University Libraries website (this is the Library's academic discovery tool), or in to Google Scholar. It's usually best to put the title in quotation marks. See the Finding Specific Articles/Books section of our Omni Guide for more guidance.
   
• If both of the above fail, it may be because your source is non-scholarly and/or York University Libraries or another Omni library, do not own it, In this case, try the same approach with a web search engine like Google or DuckDuckGo.
   
• If you cannot find this citation, it is worth asking the generative AI tool for more details, e.g., by asking, "What is the ISBN, ISSN or DOI for this publication?". These are unique identifiers associated with publications.
   
• If you find the source, cross-check the citation provided by the generative AI tool, against what is showing for the source itself located through Omni or Google Scholar or other source. For example, did the generative AI tool get the volume or issue number correct if it's an article citation? Are the page numbers correct, e.g., if it's for a journal article or book chapter with page numbers? Are the authors names correct? 

Cite information from generative AI tools

Whether you're citing AI output directly or sources the AI found for you (which you should verify), make sure to cite everything properly using your required citation style.

Consult the Citing Generative AI Tools section of this guide for full guidance and instructions on important considerations here.

Consider consulting with us at the Libraries

We can help you verify AI-generated citations or find reliable sources to verify or to corroborate what you have found.

To do this: 

• Connect with friendly and knowledgeable library staff on chat or by dropping in to one of our reference desks
• If you want more time and you would like to speak with a librarian subject expert, book an online consultation

Keep a log of the prompts you use

Track your prompts so you have a log of how you approached your research (many AI tools save this history automatically if you have an account). Some instructors may ask you to include your prompting strategy with your assignment, where they allow use of these tools. It's also helpful for retracing your steps later, since research is an ongoing process and you might want to try new search approaches.

Check our Effective Prompt Strategies section for more on how prompting works with AI tools.

Check publication policies on AI use before you start (may be useful for graduate students or student-run journals/news publications)

Save yourself time by reviewing AI policies upfront rather than discovering your work doesn't meet requirements later. This applies whether you're submitting to student journals, campus newspapers, or scholarly publications—most now have specific AI usage policies that explain what's allowed and how to document it.