CHMC42: Organic Synthesis

Important Considerations

When thinking about using AI in your research, consider the following:

Copyright considerations

• Some AI tools make it difficult to determine the source of the corpus, and thus copyright can be unclear
• Never input confidential information or intellectual property you do not have the rights to
• More about GenAI Tools and Copyright

Legal landscape

• Still evolving
• Always read the terms when signing up for accounts, even free accounts

Academic perspective

• Using AI for research and for writing are two different things
  • ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR COURSE INSTRUCTOR, SYLLABUS AND ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS BEFORE USING AI
  • Consider contacting Writing Support if you need help with your writing
  • Document how you used the AI tool
• Additional considerations:
  • Most tools do not necessarily provide the right answer; rather they try to predict the statistically most likely answer
  • Information retrieved from an AI tool should be verified through research using the skills provided in this guide and in class
  • Tools may produce some real citations, but beware of misinformation and fake citations

Using AI Tools for Research

Information on using Web of Science's Research Assistant and Microsoft Co-pilot.

More about Research Assistant

The University of Toronto Libraries has licensed the Web of Science (WoS) Research Assistant Tool, as an add-on. It has been enabled in the UofT subscription account for the University community access. To use the tool, navigate to the Web of Science database and select the Research Assistant tab from the top menu bar.    

What is the Research Assistant tool and what does it do? 

The Research Assistant (RA), a generative-AI-powered tool based on the corpus of the Web of Science Databse. The tool can retrieve articles, organize content and formulate responses to questions based on the corpus within WoS - including references to the source material. The tool also offers visualizations and guided tasks.   

See also this video: The Web of Science Research Assistant powered by generative AI

More about Co-Pilot

See also the video below, which provides an introdution to Co-Pilot. Note, it is not focused on research.

Web of Science Research Assistant

List applications of 2-chloropyridine in 2 different industries.

Microsoft Co-Pilot

You are an undergraduate chemistry student doing an assignment about the applications of 2-chloropyridine. List applications from 2 different industries, based on academic articles, and provide the citations.