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Ethical AI: Using AI for Your Research

Brainstorm Ideas*

Fig. 1. An image of a mind map on the 'Challenges and Benefits of Working from Home.' Copilot, 28 Jan. 2025, https://copilot.microsoft.com/.

Techniques for Using AI in Brainstorming

  1. Explore Keywords:

    • Start with a topic idea and use AI to generate keywords related to the topic.

  2. Question-Based Prompts:

    • Input questions into the AI tool.

    • Analyze responses to identify potential research questions.

  3. Analyze the Trends

    • Identify emerging topics relevant to your field.

  4. Mind Mapping:

    • Create AI-generated mind maps to organize ideas visually.

    • Explore connections and branches from a central theme.

Refine Ideas

Techniques for Using AI for Refining Ideas

  • Start with a broad topic
    • Ask for more specific topics related to your original idea
  • Be specific
    • As you ask for more information, stick to an idea or two
    • Ask for specific keywords and ideas 
  • Ask for pros and cons
    • Gives you different perspectives of a topic or issue
  • Examine the AI tool's responses
    • What can you pick out for your own research?
    • Are there any keywords that stick out to you?
    • Are there any ideas that you find interesting that you could further explore?