Research 101: ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that uses natural language processing techniques to respond to user-generated prompts. The "GPT" initials stand for generative pretrained transformer.

Put simply: You ask ChatGPT a question or provide a prompt, it replies using natural language. The following is a sample ChatGPT prompt and response.

Prompt: Who are you?
Response: I am an artificial intelligence program designed to assist with answering questions and providing information on a wide range of topics. I do not have a physical form, but I am able to communicate with users through text or voice. Is there anything else you would like to know?

Three versions of ChatGPT are available: a free version and ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Enterprise, both available by paid subscription. Learn more at ChatGPT. Create an account at ChatGPT's Get Started screen.

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that uses natural language processing techniques to respond to user-generated prompts. The "GPT" initials stand for generative pretrained transformer.

Put simply: You ask ChatGPT a question or provide a prompt, it replies using natural language. The following is a sample ChatGPT prompt and response.

Prompt: Who are you?
Response: I am an artificial intelligence program designed to assist with answering questions and providing information on a wide range of topics. I do not have a physical form, but I am able to communicate with users through text or voice. Is there anything else you would like to know?

Three versions of ChatGPT are available: a free version and ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Enterprise, both available by paid subscription. Learn more at ChatGPT. Create an account at ChatGPT's Get Started screen.

Remember, you'll always need to verify the information, because ChatGPT will sometimes make things up.

What is it good for?

• Brainstorming ideas.
• Narrowing your topic ideas for a research paper, and keywords for searching in library databases or web search engines.
• Explaining information in ways that are easy to understand.
• Summarizing and outlining.
• Asking questions (be sure to fact check the results). You can ask a million questions without fear of being judged.
• Translating text to different languages (not completely fluent in every language).
• Helping write or debug computing code.

What is it not so good for?

• Library research (not yet). This because ChatGPT sometimes makes up citations that don't exist. It might give you articles by an author that usually writes about your topic, or even identify a journal that published on your topic, but the title, pages numbers, and dates are completely fictional. For now, it's best to use Discovery, Library databases, or Google Scholar.
• Asking for any information that would have dire consequences if it was incorrect (such as health, financial, legal advice, and so on). This is because of its tendency to sometimes make up answers, but still sound very confident.

Check with your instructor for each course to find out the policy on using ChatGPT and similar tools. The best time to talk with your instructor is before you begin your assignment to avoid needing to start over if generative AI isn't allowed.

Be specific in how you plan to use generative AI. Would you like to use ChatGPT to help brainstorm ideas or come up with a topic for your assignment? Are you using it to summarize or explain complex concepts? Or do you plan to use it for writing and editing? Be prepared that your instructor may approve some use cases but not others.

Have a plan for giving credit. APA Style, MLA Style, and Chicago Style all have guidelines for citing generative AI. Your instructor may also ask for an appendix that includes the prompts that you provided to ChatGPT or the full transcript of your interaction.

To learn more, try the University of Arizona Library's tutorials about ChatGPT. They contain short videos (3 min. or less), and quiz questions for self-review of what you learned.

1. The technology behind ChatGPT
2. How does ChatGPT aim to prevent harmful use?
3. What is generative AI?
4. Using ChatGPT effectively
5. Creating multimedia with AI tools