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HIS 3380: Workshop in Historical Methods: ChatGPT and the Research Process

Think Critically and Do Your Due Diligence When Using AI.

Below are some helpful tools available to you in your research process:

Other AI

Here are some other AI you can test out:

  • Google Bard: Google Bard is a conversational AI open to the public. You do need a personal Google account and to be 18 or older in order to use Google Bard. You join a waitlist via the link, but access has been granted pretty quickly. 
  • ChatSonic: You do need to create an account in order to use this chatbot and does have pricing plans once the free trial is over.
  • YouChat (You): In YouChat’s own words, it “can answer general questions, explain things, suggest ideas, translate, summarize text, compose emails, and write code for you.” It is made by You.com, a search engine that’s been around since November 2021.
  • Consensus: Consensus is a search engine that uses AI to find insights in research papers.

Researching with AI

Can’t think of a topic to research? 

  • Scan your textbook for broad topic ideas.
  • Review your class discussions, notes, and readings.
  • Look through some of the library's LibGuides on the subject to find some possible topic ideas. 

OR

  • Ask ChatGPT or another AI.
    • What are some topics on U.S. History? Texas History? Fort Worth, Texas?
    • What social programs did the Black Panther Party implement during the Black Power Movement?
    • What information do you know about tuition cost and mental health of college students?
    • What are some topics on information overload?
    • What are some topics on Sports and Public Relations?
    • Tests:

How can ChatGPT help you find sources on your Research Topic?

You can also browse the library catalog, our LibGuides, Google, Youtube, Library of Congress, and other online sources. 

You have a topic ideas, now you need a Research Question! 

  • Find Sources about your Research Topic
  • Do you know anything already about the topic you chose?
    • Example: Freedom Summer
      • Also known as the Mississippi Summer Project
      • Part of the Civil Rights Movement
      • Goal was to increase voter registration among African Americans in Mississippi
      • Included white activists
  • What do you not know?
    • Example: Freedom Summer
      • Who organized it?
      • What was the media like surrounding it?
      • What was opposition like? Violent?
      • Was their training for volunteers?
      • What types of initiatives were part of the Mississippi Summer Project?

These are questions you can ask ChatGPT in order to get more general information about your topic OR you can ask ChatGPT for a Research Question. The Research Question it provides is general, but can help as a starting point for you to find resources and narrow down your Research Topic, so you can develop your own Thesis.

As with everything, there are limits to using AI, including ChatGPT:

  • Knowledge Updates: GPT 3.5's last knowledge update was September 2021, so if you are interested in the latest research on a subject it will have limited access to it and does not have access to real-time data. There are later editions to ChatGPT, but the require subscription fees. 
  • Library Catalog Information: As an AI language model, it does not have access real-time data, so it can't browse specific library catalogs for you. 
  • Regional or Local Information: If the subject you are researching is local, it may be too niche for ChatGPT to give you information, but it can provide you some general information on local libraries or historical societies in the area.
  • Monocultural, Lack of Diversity: AI uses language models to provide information. Language models based on English-based text with the potential of cultural biases. While those who train the ChatGPT model are expanding to across the globe, the model is still being aligned to the values of those human contractors training the AI. If the population creating and training the AI are homogenous, then you risk a lack of diverse thought in the AI's responses.
    "A lot of AI tools are driven by data, and data comes from society, which has its own built-in biases."

Christina Morillo, Woman Reading Book While Sitting, photograph, 6016px X 4016px. Pexels.

Lil Artsy, Selective Focus of Magnifying Glass, photograph, 4000px X 6000px. Pexels.

When in Doubt, Reach Out!

AI is great and it's helpful, but you can also always reach out to our Reference Department team at the West Library:

Reference Desk at West Library

  • June Johnson, Reference & Instruction Librarian
  • Dennis Miles, Reference & Instruction Librarian
  • Gicel Martinez, Reference Assistant
  • Cassandra Mackie, Weekend Reference Assistant

Phone: 817-531-4802
Email: reference@txwes.edu
LibChat

Klawe, Maria. “Why Diversity In AI Is So Important.” Forbes, July 20, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariaklawe/2020/07/16/why-diversity-in-ai-is-so-important/?sh=4f7eaa9a7f2b.

Walker Rettberg, Jill. “ChatGPT Is Multilingual but Monocultural, and It’s Learning Your Values.” jill/txt, December 6, 2022. https://jilltxt.net/right-now-chatgpt-is-multilingual-but-monocultural-but-its-learning-your-values/.