The OneSearch Research Assistant beta is a tool powered by Generative Artificial Intelligence (specifically, Large Language Models or LLM). It allows you explore library content by asking research questions in natural language. The Research Assistant uses content found in OneSearch to identify up to five documents on your research topic. It then extracts information from the description/abstracts of those five publications to write an overview of those sources. The Research Assistant also allows you to redirect your search query back into the OneSearch database to find more materials on your topic.
This month, the Research Assistant adds some new features to help you better explore our collections:
Search Limits
Use the filter to limit your search to publication type (currently articles or books) or by time period. Please note that at this time the “peer-reviewed” filter is still being developed and is not always reliable.
Power searcher? You can add the phrase “based on” and your criteria to append filters to your query. Examples
- How does school choice affect achievement based on journal articles and from 2010-2025.
- How is motherhood portrayed in Greek drama based on books from 1990 to 2025.
Search History
The Research Assistant now allows you to retain searches from one session to another. Saved searches allow you to revisit previous queries and check the OneSearch database for new or improved results.
If you wish to delete previous queries, you can click the trash can icon to remove them.
How to Cite the AI-Generated Summary
We now provide a link to information on how to cite AI-generated content.
The Research Assistant Overview is based on the publication information and abstracts of the five resources retrieved. While this summary is meant to help you learn more about the research presented in these publications, you should always consult the sources themselves for the best information. The summaries generated by AI may have inaccuracies and they cannot be consulted by other researchers.
Always remember that citing and using AI without the permission of your instructor can result in an academic integrity violation.
We encourage you to discuss with your instructors how you are permitted to use artificial intelligence resources and how that content should be cited if permitted.