Skip to Main Content
Chat loading...

Literature Review Guide

Overview of the iterative steps involved in using library databases to search & review the scholarly literature

is there an easier way to do this

Research is Hard

Research can be difficult, slow, time-consuming, complex, and involve sifting through vast amounts of information.

BUT, Doing this work is what develops your expertise on this topic and provides the basis and rationale for your research! 

A student presenting a project at a poster session in the library of a college campus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CC-BY-NC 4.0 Alison Shelly / Complete College Photo Library

AI Tools: Be Careful

A lot of AI tools have been created for research purposes. Some show connections between similar academic articles, others will quickly summarize the key points of an article for you. Whichever tool you use, remember to verify the information you are reading, and consider the quality of the AI tool you are using.

ROBOT Test

Before using a new AI tool consider the ROBOT test (Hervieux & Wheatley, 2020):

Reliability

  • How reliable is the information about the AI technology?
  • If it’s not produced by the party responsible for the AI, what are the author’s credentials? Bias?
  • If it is produced by the party responsible for the AI, how much information are they making available? 
    • Is information only partially available due to trade secrets?
    • How biased is they information that they produce?

Objective

  • What is the goal or objective of the use of AI?
  • What is the goal of sharing information about it?
    • To inform?
    • To convince?
    • To find financial support?

Bias

  • What could create bias in the AI technology?
  • Are there ethical issues associated with this?
  • Are bias or ethical issues acknowledged?
    • By the source of information?
    • By the party responsible for the AI?
    • By its users?

Ownership

  • Who is the owner or developer of the AI technology?
  • Who is responsible for it?
    • Is it a private company?
    • The government?
    • A think tank or research group?
  • Who has access to it?
  • Who can use it?

Type

  • Which subtype of AI is it?
  • Is the technology theoretical or applied?
  • What kind of information system does it rely on?
  • Does it rely on human intervention?