Using Generative AI Responsibly for Brainstorming and Refining a Research Question

This activity involves using Generative AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Pi.ai, to assist in brainstorming and refining research questions. Students will experiment with different prompts, and engage in a conversational approach with the AI to get the best, most useful results.

This activity is intended to provide students with an introduction to effective GenAI prompt construction and does not explore the ethical issues of using this technology.  

Estimated Time: ~1 hour, give/take 15 min

This activity is structured into three main sections:

1. Narrowing a Topic:

   • Experiment with different prompts to see which ones work best for narrowing down a research topic.
   • Record the effective prompts and note whether a single interaction (single-shot) or multiple interactions (few-shot) were needed.
   • List additional topic suggestions provided by the AI and evaluate their relevance.

2. 
   Refining Your Research Question:

   • Test various prompts to refine a research question.
   • Identify the most effective prompts and determine if a single-shot or few-shot approach was more beneficial.
   • Document other research questions suggested by the AI and assess their usefulness.

3. 
   Generating Keywords/Phrases for Library Database Searches:

   • Use prompts to generate keywords and phrases for searching in library databases.
   • Note which prompts were most effective and whether a single-shot or few-shot approach was used.
   • List additional keywords or phrases suggested by the AI and consider their applicability.