Tag: Information skills

AI and the Library. Week Seven: The Ethics of Using Generative AI (Part Two)

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Be transparent about your AI Usage

Before we get properly underway, let me just reiterate that you must always follow any university and departmental guidance on using AI tools in assessed work.

In our last post on the ethics of using generative AI, we started looking at the importance of understanding the responsibilities that come with using these tools. The key message in that post was the need to familiarise yourself with Aberystwyth University’s guidelines on AI usage.

This week, we’re covering another important topic: being transparent about your use of AI tools in assessed work.

As generative AI becomes more widely available, universities are emphasising the importance of academic integrity and clear disclosure when using these technologies.

Using AI can be a valuable aid in research, brainstorming, and drafting, but it’s essential to be upfront about how and where you’ve used it.

Being open about your use of AI tools is vital for maintaining academic integrity. Transparency shows your commitment to honesty and ethical study practices.

Key Takeaway: Why Transparency Matters:

  • It demonstrates your academic honesty.
  • It reflects your commitment to ethical study practices.
  • It highlights your critical thinking skills.
  • It reinforces your professional accountability.

How to Acknowledge AI Usage:

Academic departments and module coordinators will be best placed to advise you on how you should acknowledge AI outputs. These might include:

  • AI tool-use statements.
  • Advice on correct referencing and citation practices for AI outputs.

You can find additional help and support on using AI here: Artificial Intelligence  : Information Services , Aberystwyth University

AI and the Library. Week Five: Using AI to Develop Smart Keyword Searches.

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Here at the library, we’re big fans of Primo, the library catalogue. With Primo, you’re not just able to find the books on our shelves, you’re also getting access millions of digital resources, all ready and waiting at your fingertips.

But with so many resources available to you, searching the library catalogue can sometimes feel frustrating. If you use too broad a search (e.g. “history”) then you are inundated with results. Too narrow a search term (“Neo-Gothic architecture in rural Chile”) and you’ve got nothing!

So what can you do? Our advice as subject librarians is to start by building a keyword vocabulary. Having a clear set of keywords will make your searches more targeted, helping you focus on the most relevant and useful resources. It’s a simple step that can make a huge difference in your research journey!

How Can AI Help You Build a Search Vocabulary?

An AI tool like ChatGPT can suggest smarter keywords, synonyms, and related concepts to make your searches more effective. Let’s look at some examples.

1. Smarter Alternatives to Broad Terms.

[Prompt] Suggest some keyword alternatives for “Climate change”

The AI might respond with:

  • Global warming.
  • Climate crisis.
  • Greenhouse effect.

2. Investigating Causes.

Want to explore what drives climate change? Try:

[Prompt] Provide me with a list of keywords for some of the main causes of climate change.

The response:

  • Carbon dioxide emissions.
  • Fossil fuels.
  • Industrial pollution.
  • Methane emissions.

3. Exploring Impacts.

    Do you want to focus on how climate change affects the planet? Use:

    [Prompt] Suggest keywords for the main impacts of climate change.

    Response:

    • Sea level rise.
    • Melting polar ice caps.
    • Extreme weather events.
    • Biodiversity loss.
    • Ocean acidification.

    4. Looking for Solutions

    For mitigation strategies, try:

    [Prompt] Suggest keywords for how climate change can be mitigated.

    Response

    • Renewable energy.
    • Carbon sequestration.
    • Climate change policies.
    • Green technology.
    • Sustainable development.

    Putting It All Together

    Finally, combine these ideas for a more complex search. For example:

    {Prompt] Suggest a set of keyword searches to find resources on the effects of methane emissions on biodiversity loss and what can be done to mitigate those effects.

    The AI might help you craft a search that looks like this:

    • Methane emissions and biodiversity.
    • Impact of methane on Arctic ecosystems.
    • Methane mitigation technologies in permafrost regions.

    By using AI to build a targeted keyword vocabulary, you’ll spend less time searching and more time discovering the resources you need.

    [Responses listed above were created with ChatGPT].

    AberSkills. Your skills hub

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    Do you want to develop your academic writing skills, learn about using the library and its resources, get to grips with referencing, or improve your employability skills?

    Good news! These topics and more are covered in the Semester 1 AberSkills programme, which is available for free for all students at Aberystwyth University.

    AberSkills Workshops take place throughout the academic year and are a mixture of face to face and online sessions. Most sessions are offered in both Welsh and English.

    All workshops are listed on the AberSkills website. Take a look to see what’s available and book your place in a click.

    If you miss a session and want to catch-up, academic skills and library workshop teaching materials for 2023-2024 are available on Blackboard under Organisations. 2024-2025 workshop teaching materials will be uploaded soon after the session.

    Introducing: LibKey Nomad

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    LibKey Nomad is a downloadable browser extension that automatically provides instant links to articles from journals if your library subscribes to them. LibKey Nomad’s one-click access to articles referenced on scholarly websites and search engines will make your research and finding sources faster and easier.

    Download LibKey Nomad here

    Using LibKey Nomad is simple. Visit the download page and add the extension to your browser of choice. After installation, you will be prompted to select your institution. Simply select Aberystwyth University and LibKey Nomad will then notify you of articles available through the library wherever you may roam online.

    LibKey Nomad will also enhance your experience on popular sites like PubMed, Wikipedia, Scopus, Web of Science and more.

    Comparison

    Here’s an example of a reference list on Wikipedia before LibKey Nomad is installed and after (scroll across to compare):

    References on Wikipedia before and after installing the LibKey Nomad browser plugin

    You can see that LibKey Nomad adds a link to the article if the library has access to it. Clicking on the link takes you directly to the source.

    Find out more about LibKey Nomad in the video below:

    If you have any questions or feedback about LibKey Nomad, please email us on librarians@aber.ac.uk. As always, if you need help finding resources for your studies, please get in touch with your Subject Librarian.

    Libraries Week 2022 – Lifelong Learning

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    The theme of this year’s Libraries Week is the central role that libraries play in supporting life-long learning.

    Today our focus is on our Lifelong Learning students and external users.

    Lifelong Learning

    LibGuides Our Lifelong Learning LibGuide is your complete guide to library and learning resources for your subjects. Here you’ll find details on key resources and guidance on how to use the library and who to contact for help.

    The Lifelong Learning LibGuide homepage

    Effective Study Collection The Effective Study Collection is designed to help you develop your study skills. It covers topics including how to research, writing skills, academic writing, time management, communications skills and some general guides to help you research and study in the arts. If you are returning to education after a break, have a look.

    Study spaces and IT facilities at the library Don’t forget that Lifelong Learning students can also make use of the library’s facilities, such as quiet study spaces, computers, excellent WIFI and printing and copying facilities. Browse our A to Z of library services here.

    The Celtic Collection The Celtic Collection contains approximately 25,000 books relating to Brittany, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The collection contains material on all subjects relating to Celtic countries, and is a wonderful resource for all researchers and enthusiasts.

    Learning Welsh or looking to improve your skills? You’ll find everything you need to help you practise and develop your reading and speaking skills – from graded novels with vocabulary to grammar books.

    Find the Celtic Collection of Level F of the Hugh Owen library:

    Some of the Welsh-language resources in the Celtic Collection

    Digimap Digimap offers full and comprehensive Ordnance Survey map data and historic maps as well as geological data. It is a fascinating resource and very useful for local history researchers as well as Earth Sciences. You just need to have an Aberystwyth University email account to register to access it.

    Linkedin Learning All AU students and staff have free and unlimited access to the wealth of expert-led courses available online 24/7 through Linkedin Learning.

    Here’s a small selection of courses chosen by our Student Digital Champion, Urvashi Verma, that may be of interest to Lifelong Learning students.

    Lifelong Learning Collection A collection of courses and short videos to help you develop your study skills and improve your time management skills.

    Urvashi Verma

    External Users

    Our libraries welcome different categories of external users, from Aber Alumni and retired staff members who are keen to maintain their access to library resources, students at other institutions who are visiting Aber and need a place to study or local residents.

    Take a look at the categories and registration details online here: Information for Visitors and External Users

    Special Collections External users can apply to use the library’s IT facilities and study spaces, and can also arrange to view items in our beautiful special collections.

    Libraries Week 2022 – Students

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    The theme of this year’s Libraries Week is the central role that libraries play in supporting life-long learning.

    Today, we are focusing on the ways the library offers a range of learning opportunities for Aberystwyth University students, beyond their courses and outside of the teaching rooms.

    Library tours If you’re new to Aberystwyth University, firstly, welcome! Secondly, come on a library tour! Our friendly staff are here to show you around and introduce you to your library. There’s no need to book in advance and everyone is welcome – times and other information here.

    You’ll see our virtual tour of the Hugh Owen Library below and here’s our handy A to Z of Library services to get you up to speed.

    Software and IT services Take a look at our webpages for some of the IT Services and resources available. If you need help or advice, you can contact the Service Desk team online or by phone.

    Fiction and reading for pleasure There’s no shortage of books in our libraries and if you’re looking for something to read – that’s not a course textbook – we can help! Browse Primo the library catalogue online to find books and ebooks, take a look at our Contemporary Fiction collection by the Enquiries Desk on Level F, browse the shelves from classmark PN or in the Celtic Collection. We also have graphic novels and lots of non-fiction and poetry.

    Visit Primo, the library catalogue to have a look.

    Contemporary fiction collection in the Hugh Owen Library

    Linkedin Learning All AU students have free, unlimited access to thousands of expert-led online courses from Linkedin Learning. Here’s a small selection of courses that might spark some new hobbies or interests and help you develop new skills put together by Laurie Stevenson, Student Digital Champion:

    Extra-curricular activities for students collection This is a collection of courses containing a variety of skills and creative activities you might be interested in learning alongside your studies, as a break from assignments or to fill a moment of boredom!

     Laurie Stevenson

    Learn Welsh Fancy learning or improving your Welsh whilst you’re at Aber? Look no further than the Celtic Collection! The collection contains hundreds of books to help you learn and develop your Welsh language skills, from complete language courses and grammar books to fiction with helpful vocabulary.

    Find it on Level F:

    Welsh-language learning resources in the Celtic Collection

    Library Guides Familiarise yourself with the library’s range of LibGuides. Not only will you find your specialist subject guide to help you find resources for your subject, but also a range of guides to help you make the most of the library, develop your information literacy skills and enhance your employability.

    These guides have been compiled by your Subject Librarians who are here to help you with academic and specialist resources for your studies. They can help you to find and evaluate the information that you need and help you to reference it correctly. Find the contact details for your subject on the Subject Librarians page. 

    Borrow DVDs You can borrow DVDs for free from our large DVD collection on Level F. Take a look through what we have on Primo, the library catalogue

    DVD collection

    Read Well – Wellbeing collection The library’s Wellbeing Collection is here to help you understand and manage many common mental health conditions or difficult feelings and experiences. You can have a look at the list of titles included in the collection on the Read Well reading list which is organised by topic areas to help you find what you need.

    Watch this short video to learn more:

    New Dissertation and News and Media LibGuides

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    Our Subject Librarians have published not one but two new LibGuides to help you with your studies and what comes after.

    Dissertation LibGuide

    Whether you’re planning ahead for your dissertation or part way through it and regretting every decision you’ve made, this guide can help you!

    In one easy-to-follow and simple guide, you will find all you need to understand and manage the dissertation process from finding information sources and developing your searching techniques to evaluating and referencing the sources you use.

    For help and advice for every stage of your dissertation, from concept to conclusion, take a look our our Dissertation LibGuide: https://libguides.aber.ac.uk/dissertation.

    Screenshot from the News and Media LibGuide

    News and Media LibGuide

    Our News and Media guide is a clear and comprehensive resource to help you navigate the tricky world of news and media throughout your time at University and beyond.

    • Protect your image online
    • Define key concepts such as free speech, misinformation, disinformation and censorship
    • Learn how algorithms are used to target people on social media platforms
    • Understand concepts of selection and bias
    • Explain what fake news is and how to recognise it

    Our News and Media LibGuide is here to help you help yourself stay safe and savvy: https://libguides.aber.ac.uk/newsandmedia  

    See all of our subject and study support LibGuides here

    New Copyright LibGuide

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    As a student, do you want to know how copyright affects how you might prepare for and write your assignments? Perhaps you are a lecturer, and you want to know if showing a film or television programme during a lecture or seminar might be breaching copyright legislation? Or are you a researcher looking to protect your own work from being used by others without your permission?
    Answers to these and many other questions about copyright are dealt with in our new Copyright LibGuide. The LibGuide offers not just a comprehensive overview of the current copyright legislation but also practical advice on common copyright scenarios that you might encounter as part of your work here at Aberystwyth University.
    The LibGuide is available in Welsh and in English.


    (Engraving by William Hogarth. In the Public Domain)

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    New! Employability LibGuide

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    Our library services are not just here to help you get your degree. They can also help you get the job you want after you graduate! 

    Students practising presentations

    Aberystwyth University Subject Librarians have prepared a new Employability LibGuide. This is your guide to the books and resources that can help you write a winning CV, and to specialist advice and tools to help you Research the company or organisation you want to work for

    You can use the guide to:

    • Find Resources on different companies, Industries and general careers advice 
    • Discover tools for developing essential digital and information skills to enhance your graduate prospects 
    • Research your chosen career path and prepare for job applications and interviews 

    The library’s resources can help you secure the job of your dreams as you develop your employability.

    Take a look at the guide here: https://libguides.aber.ac.uk/employability