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Broaden your search

When you’re working on an assignment, a typical starting point would be your Reading Lists. Your Reading Lists are made up of resources that your tutor recommends you read to get the most from your subject. If you pair this with a keyword search or a database search in Library Search, you will have made a good start to your research.

When you want to expand your reading, we recommend that you ask Research Assistant a natural language question. Research Assistant searches the resources found in Library Search* and drafts a brief overview from the abstracts of five resources that it considers will most accurately answer your query. 

*Please note: Not all the resources available in Library Search are included. Only resources that have an abstract will feature in Research Assistant results. Newspapers aren't included. Our physical stock isn’t currently included in the Research Assistant search. We expect the physical stock to be included in 2027.

How to use Research Assistant

Log in to Library Search and look for the Research Assistant tab at the top. Once there, ask Research Assistant a natural language question - that’s a query using everyday language finished with a question mark. There are examples shown to give you an idea how to phrase your questions. 

An overview and list of resources will be produced. The overview features inline references to the specific resources, so it’s clear to see which information each resource has contributed. Based on how happy you are with the response you get, you can ask the same question again or ask a follow up question. Research Assistant will provide a series of related questions for you to consider. Any questions that you ask get saved on the left of the screen.

AI? What about hallucinations?

Research Assistant uses the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) method to create its overviews. This basically means that it fetches relevant facts from the resources contained within Library Search. The high quality of the resources used, paired with their ‘enclosed’ nature, means that the chances of hallucinations are greatly reduced. That said, we strongly recommend that you always check the original sources before relying on the overview.

Some points to remember

• Research Assistant is not a comprehensive search tool. Better results will be achieved using regular keyword searches through Library Search, or a Database search. 
• The use of AI tools in coursework varies across courses. Always check your course guidance or ask your tutor before making use of AI tools to ensure your actions uphold academic integrity. 

Want to discover more resources?

The Library is constantly updating its resources to help you make the most of your studies. Use the links below to: 

• find our latest acquisitions
• focus on resources specific to your subject
• request a resource to be added to the Library

Find out more about our approach to using AI

Discover the six guiding principles for using Generative AI (GenAI) as part of your studies at º£½ÇÂÒÂ×.

1. When submitting work for assessment, always follow the guidance on using GenAI provided.
2. Clearly acknowledge and document how you have used GenAI tools.
3. Be mindful of data privacy when inputting your own work or the work of others into GenAI tools.
4. GenAI is a tool, not a replacement for your own judgement. Always check GenAI content for accuracy and relevance.
5. Use University-supported tools for their enhanced data protection features.
6. Write clear prompts to help you get better, more accurate responses from GenAI tools.