Search and ChatGPT, the 101 guide - Complex systems and AI

Contenus

Research on the Shoulders of ChatGPT

This course is a introduction to ChatGPT and its use cases for Scientific Research. ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art language model developed by OpenAI, based on the Generative Pre-training Transformer (GPT) architecture. It is capable of generating human-like text, including sentences, paragraphs and even whole articles. It was trained on a massive amount of textual data from the Internet, which allows it to recognize language patterns and generate consistent and relevant responses to queries.

How can ChatGPT help me?

ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for researchers looking to save time, generate new insights, and improve the quality of their research. Here is a non-exhaustive list :

Literature reviews / State of the art: it can be used to generate summaries of articles and articles on a given topic. This can save researchers time by quickly summarizing a large amount of information. → see the course State of the art with ChatGPT
Article summary: it can generate accurate summaries of articles and articles, and it can also help researchers make more accurate predictions based on textual data. This can improve the quality of work and inform decision making. → see the course State of the art with ChatGPT
Idea generation: it can be used to generate new ideas or problematic or to help researchers find solutions to problems. → see the course Research proposal with ChatGPT
Organization of ideas: it can be used to classify textual data into categories, such as sentiment analysis, topic classification, or identification of key themes. This can help researchers analyze large amounts of data more efficiently. → see the course Research proposal with ChatGPT
Trends and fashion: it can help generate new ideas for research topics or help identify solutions to problems that may not have been contemplated. This can lead to innovative results that push the boundaries of current knowledge.→ see the course Research proposal with ChatGPT
Generation of insights: it can help researchers generate new insights from data and identify patterns and trends that may not be immediately apparent. → see the course Data analysis with ChatGPT
Data analysis : it can be used to generate insights from large amounts of textual data, such as social media posts or news articles. This can help researchers identify patterns and trends in data. → see the Data Analysis with ChatGPT course
Writing help: it can be used to generate a disorganized for articles or research proposals. Researchers can use the generated text as a starting point and refine it according to their needs. → see the course Write with ChatGPT
Code help: Same idea as for writing. → see the Coding with ChatGPT course
Automating : it can automate and simplify certain tasks allowing researchers to focus on other aspects of their work. → see the course Workflow and ethics with ChatGPT

Benefits of using ChatGPT

Using this tool in research can provide many benefits that can help researchers save time and resources, improve the quality of their research, and generate new ideas and approaches. As with any tool, it is important to use it responsibly and critically evaluate the results it generates. Here is a non-exhaustive list of advantages in research:

Time saving : it can save researchers time by quickly generating summaries, analyzing data, and even writing texts.
Efficiency : it can help researchers process and analyze large amounts of data more efficiently than they could manually.
Flexibility: it can be used in a wide range of research areas and applications, making it a versatile tool for researchers.
Accessibility: it can make research more accessible to people who may have difficulty with the methods due to language barriers or lack of knowledge.
Personalization: it can be customized to meet the specific needs of researchers and their projects, allowing for more personalized results.
Versatility: it can be used for a wide range of tasks, such as literature reviews, data analysis, writing assistance, and more.
Innovative research: it can facilitate the development of new methodologies and approaches, opening up new possibilities for innovative research.
Quality improvement : it can help searchers generate higher quality content.

How to get ChatGPT

Accessing ChatGPT depends on your specific use case. If you are looking to access the tool for personal use or experimentation, you can access it through OpenAI's GPT-3 Playground.

It is important to note its use for research purposes may require additional considerations, such as ethical use and data privacy issues. It is important to consult with your research team and follow ethical guidelines when using the tool.

Getting started with ChatGPT is relatively simple and requires no specific account setup. Researchers can choose from a variety of interfaces or APIs to access the tool and select the model that best suits their needs. Here are the steps to set up your account:

Choose an interface or API: OpenAI provides various interfaces and APIs for accessing ChatGPT. Some popular options include the GPT-3 Playground, Hugging Face, and OpenAI's API.
Create an account (if necessary): some interfaces or APIs may require the creation of an account. Follow the instructions provided by the platform to create an account if necessary.
Select model: the tool is available in different versions with different levels of complexity and capacities. Choose the model that best suits your needs. For example, you can choose a smaller model if your computing resources are limited or a larger model if you need more advanced features.
Enter your text: once you have selected the appropriate template, you can enter your text in the interface or API. The tools can generate text based on a query or answer a question, depending on the specific use case.
Assess the results: It is important to critically evaluate the results generated. Although the model is capable of generating high-quality text, it is not foolproof and may produce inaccurate or biased results in certain contexts. Always review and verify results before using them in your research. You can also ask for more details, more points or to rephrase a request; this will allow you to intersect the answers to get a better overview of the desired content.

Will ChatGPT do the job for me?

Here are some additional points and details to keep in mind when using ChatGPT, its potential depends on your use of it. It is a help tool, in order to take advantage of its qualities, you still need to know how to use it and analyze the information:

Use natural language queries: it is designed to work with natural language queries. So try to phrase your requests in a way that asks a colleague for suggestions. For example, "Can you recommend academic papers on battery technologies, with details on each?" »
Use specific keywords: when writing queries, be sure to use specific keywords related to your search topic. Using more specific keywords generate more specific and relevant results.
Refine your queries if necessary: if the results generated are not relevant to your search topic, try refining your queries or related keywords. Be patient and experiment with different queries until you find the best combination that generates the most relevant results. It may take many queries to find the right keywords and language (responses can help you manage your queries better).
Check the credibility of the sources: it is important to check the credibility of each source before using it in your research. Use tools like Google Scholar, Web of Science, or Scopus to determine if the source is peer-reviewed and trustworthy.
Be aware of biases: ChatGPT may generate sources that are biased towards a particular perspective or ideology. Keep this in mind and try to find sources that represent a variety of views and opinions. Vary the requests in order to have the most content to analyze, do not hesitate to ask for more “other points to detail?”, “can you tell me more?”
Use ChatGPT as a complement: The tools should be used in addition to your own skills and critical thinking. Although it can be a useful tool for identifying relevant sources, it should not replace your own judgment or expertise in the field. The results are only a draft to be reworked with human expertise.

How to generate quality content

In order to make the best requests, it is important to follow these following rules; we'll also cover the downstream work to be done after ChatGPT outputs a text:

Use a clear and concise writing style: When typing your queries, make sure they are written in a clear and concise style.
Enter the relevant information: when selecting what information to enter, be sure to include only the most relevant information. Get straight to the point, it's better to ask several simple questions rather than one question with too many points to cover.
Use specific queries: use specific queries that ask for specific information or results about a particular domain. This can help the tool generate a focused and relevant summary. Do not hesitate to ask to add information compared to the last request.

Here are some tips for analyzing the generated summaries/results:

Check for errors: review the generated text for any errors or inconsistencies. This can help improve accuracy and readability. Do not hesitate to mix several query results in order to extract the most relevant content for your needs. The tool can help you to summarize several texts or to organize the ideas of a text.
Check for biases: The tool uses natural language processing algorithms, which can sometimes produce biased or inaccurate results. Therefore, it is important to review the generated result for any bias or inaccuracy and make any necessary corrections.
Check content: abstracts shouldn't be the only resource you rely on. Use additional resources, such as textbooks, journal articles, or expert opinions, to supplement and verify information.
Modify the generated summary: after generating a summary, take the time to read it carefully and edit it if necessary.
Customize the length of the summary: queries allow you to customize the length of the summary generated. Experiment with different summary lengths to find the length that best captures the essence of the original text. You can also ask to re-generate a summary to modify the result.
Revise and refine: After generating a summary, revise and refine it until it accurately captures your query. This may involve rearranging sentences or asking for additional information to clarify key points.
Use multiple summaries: to improve the quality of the summary generated, it is often useful to use several summaries from different queries. This can help ensure that the summary captures a range of perspectives and conclusions.