AI is fundamentally changing academic research. It facilitates access to literature, can broaden thescope of a search, and can quickly structure large volumes of information. At the same time, itintroduces new risks: unclear data sources, biased result lists, inaccurate summaries, and hallucinatedreferences. Using AI effectively therefore still requires conceptual clarity, appropriate search strategies,and critical evaluation of the results.

My workshops and webinars demonstrate how AI-supported tools and conventional research methodscan be combined effectively and used for systematic searching. Participants receive an overview of theacademic research infrastructure and learn where and how AI is integrated into it.
The workshop covers AI-supported preprint servers, academic search engines, AI assistants in subjectdatabases, and AI research tools developed specifically for academic searching. Participants learn howto formulate precise search questions, compare different research approaches, and assess sources andAI-generated statements in terms of quality, coverage, and potential errors.

General explanations and discipline-specific input alternate with practical research tasks, toolcomparisons, source evaluation exercises, and group discussions of the results. Participants work onrealistic topics and discipline-specific research questions. This enables them to apply what they havelearned directly to their everyday work and integrate it into their own research.

Participants will be able to use AI purposefully in their research without relinquishing academicoversight and responsibility to the system.

Doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and researchers from all disciplines who want toconduct efficient and systematic literature and data searches and use AI in a scientifically soundmanner. The workshop is also suitable for Master’s students.

Inhalte:

• Selecting appropriate AI-supported research systems and combining them with conventionalsearch systems and techniques
• Translating research questions into suitable search terms and search strategies
• Critically evaluating search results, references, and AI-generated summaries
• Identifying hallucinations, biases, and blind spots
• Applying a systematic research workflow to participants’ own topics

Methoden: Introductory input, discipline-specific exploration, live demonstrations, practical research tasks, toolcomparisons, source evaluation exercises, collaborative analysis, and application of the acquiredknowledge to participants’ everyday work.