By James Laird | Reporter
Advancements in AI have changed academia in a multitude of ways, including how students learn to study. Now, AI is helping how faculty and students conduct their research. Scopus research database has added the Scopus AI tool that utilizes AI in pulling resources and information from across their databases, and Baylor students and faculty have access to this tool.
Scopus has joined other academic research databases in adding AI search as tools in their offerings. The AI operates by pulling information across their database to create summaries of topics and direct the user to related academic articles.
According to Billie Peterson-Lugo, associate dean of library collections, systems and digital services, the idea is that this process will streamline the research process for students and faculty.
“[Scopus AI] can give you a nice overview, and it can give you some ideas of who’s important in the area,” Peterson-Lugo said. “If you’ve got to write a paper on this topic and really are trying to figure out more about it … you can find a place where you can write a topic.”
Peterson-Lugo said a benefit of Scopus AI is that most of the articles it pulls are peer-reviewed and beneficial for research. Peterson-Lugo believes and has heard that Scopus AI and other AI powered research databases provide students and faculty with a useful tool in their research.
“[Scopus AI] would be helpful to a faculty member or graduate student that maybe is doing higher level research, that maybe the AI will help them discover information that was more difficult [to be] discovered previously,” Peterson-Lugo said.
While AI-assisted research tools are considered useful by some, others have reservations about using the technology. Peter McDonald, a doctoral candidate in the political science department, said that he has concerns about tools like Scopus AI’s accuracy.
“I don’t use it personally,” McDonald said. “The reason I don’t use it: I don’t fully trust they’ve gone to the point where they can make accurate descriptions [and] accurate analysis of the material. I think there are a lot of people who are worried about that.”
While acknowledging his skepticism of the AI tool, McDonald also said there are potential benefits.
“I think AI could really help the drudgery of that, give good summaries and things like that,” McDonald said. “I think it could potentially help with composition of things like literature reviews, once it gets good enough.”
Peterson-Lugo encourages students and faculty to use the resources the library provides, like Scopus AI. Peterson-Lugo said she believes it offers a chance for better research and enhanced grasp on topics. She noted that it’s all very new technology that will only continue to get better.
