Citing a source and giving credit to gAI for assistance

My prompt for Copilot:  

I'm discussing summaries and appropriate citations with my university students. In an essay, how can one cite an original author whose statement has been summarized and also give credit to the gAI for doing the summary?

Copilot said:

Copilot

Great question! When citing an original author whose statement has been summarized and also giving credit to a generative AI (gAI) for the summary, you can follow these steps:

1. Cite the Original Author: Include an in-text citation for the original author whose work you are summarizing. This can be done in MLA, APA, or any other citation style you are using. For example, in APA style:

   • In-text citation: (Author's Last Name, Year)
   • Example: (Smith, 2020)

2. Credit the gAI: Mention the gAI in your text to acknowledge its role in generating the summary. You can do this by adding a note in parentheses or a footnote.

3. Combine Both Citations: Integrate both citations smoothly within your text. Here’s an example in APA style:

   • Text Example: According to Smith (2020), the impact of climate change on polar bears is significant. This summary was generated with the assistance of a generative AI tool (Copilot).

4. Reference List: Ensure both the original source and the gAI tool are included in your reference list. For the gAI, you can provide a general reference to the tool used.

   • Original Source: Smith, J. (2020). Title of the Book. Publisher.
   • gAI Tool: Copilot. (2025). Generative AI tool by Microsoft.

Here’s how it might look in an essay:

Smith (2020) discusses the significant impact of climate change on polar bears. This summary was generated with the assistance of a generative AI tool (Copilot).

Would you like more detailed examples or help with a specific citation style?

Five key elements of a gAI prompt for research information

 What are the five key elements of a gAI prompt for research information.

Copilot said:Copilot

According to Copilot:

Creating an effective prompt for gathering research information involves several key elements. Here are five important ones:

1. Clarity: Ensure your prompt is clear and specific about what information you need. Avoid vague or broad questions.

2. Context: Provide enough background information or context to help guide the response. This can include the topic, scope, and any relevant details.

3. Purpose: State the purpose of the research. Are you looking for a summary, detailed analysis, or specific data points?

4. Keywords: Use relevant keywords to focus the search. This helps in retrieving more accurate and relevant information.

5. Constraints: Mention any constraints or limitations, such as time frame, geographical focus, or specific sources to be used or avoided.

Initiating the research process

 Bullet point (5 steps) the ideal step by step for university students who are starting research on a topic using gAI.

ChatGPT said:

5 Steps for University Students Starting Research Using Generative AI

1. Define Your Research Topic and Objectives

   • Identify the specific area of interest and narrow it down to a clear research question or problem statement.
   • Use generative AI to brainstorm potential topics, refine your question, or explore related concepts.

2. Conduct a Preliminary Literature Review

   • Use generative AI to summarize complex papers, articles, or books to quickly get an overview of the existing knowledge.
   • Ask for key authors, foundational theories, and recent developments related to your topic.

3. Create a Research Framework

   • Use AI tools to draft outlines, research methodologies, and conceptual frameworks.
   • Experiment with prompts like "Provide a basic outline for a study on [topic]" or "Suggest potential variables for a study on [topic]."

4. Generate and Evaluate Ideas

   • Ask the AI to suggest hypotheses, research methods, or case studies relevant to your topic.
   • Critically evaluate the AI’s suggestions by cross-referencing them with academic sources to ensure accuracy and rigor.

5. Draft, Iterate, and Verify

   • Use AI to write initial drafts, develop abstracts, or improve clarity in your writing.
   • Focus on fact-checking and proper citations; rely on academic databases (e.g., Google Scholar, PubMed) to verify any AI-generated content.

Key weblinks for UCS1001 CVE Tri2 2024-25

                             Here is the main Symbaloo webpage for this UCS001 module: 

https://www.symbaloo.com/home/mix/13eP26KESK

Blackstone Zoom Sessions:  

https://singaporetech.zoom.us/j/94008933569?pwd=TUN4c1M1TXdaamErNVBOMFdGQ1JHQT09

Here are the Google Docs folders for Blackstone's UCS1001 CVE:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1U6WehYk-K7v85NlmsfBSeE-ROcPtbSzk