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The Research Process

Thinking twice about plagiarism

AI, Academics, and Plagiarism

You may have heard about AI programs like ChatGPT (and others) that can produce written, musical, artistic, and other work for you. You must be very careful if you use these tools, and ONLY if your instructor has said it is ok. If they do, cite the tool just as you would cite any other source. If your instructor has not allowed these tools, it is considered an academic offence per the Burman University plagiarism policy. Please keep in mind potential problems and limitations with AI-generated content.

Here are two potential issues: 

  1. Hallucinations
    • False outputs that are generated by some types of AI tools, such as ChatGPT.  Beware of using or citing inaccurate or false claims made by these tools.   
  2. Bias
    • AI-generated content is influenced by humans' norms and thinking. Be alert to the strong potential for problematic biases in the outputs (examples of bias include racist content, gender bias, etc.). 

 

(Source: https://library.ulethbridge.ca/Starting_Your_Research/cite/plagarism)

from https://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2023/08/student-guide-should-i-use-ai.html

(Image source: https://www.aiforeducation.io/blog/quick-guide-graphic-for-students-should-i-use-ai?fbclid=IwAR3jFJGFIcki8GuAAc36K437kYEQqfd1aILQTrP8-zbS13-I-Ng1bmBwB0Q)

Helpful tools

WorldCat Local Catalog

The WorldCat Local Catalog as well as most databases are equipped with tools to help you cite your sources. Be sure to check that these tools are citing correcting. It is still a good idea to know how to cite and not rely solely on these tools.

Zotero

A citation management tool that will allow you to organize your research and generate entire bibliographies for you. Check out the guide to installing and using this handy program here.

Purdue OWL: Avoiding Plagiarism

Burman University's policy surrounding academic honesty and plagiarism can be found on page 30 of the academic calendar. To understand plagiarism and how to avoid it, click here and follow the link to Purdue OWL, a reputable resource that helps students understand plagiarism and how to avoid academic dishonesty. 

Using Generative AI

The University of Alberta has an guide to help students understand how to use AI ethically along with examples to follow. You can find the guide here.