Help with Researching
Introduction
Writing research papers can feel overwhelming, especially when you're just starting out and having trouble finding what you need. But don't worry, you're not alone! A powerful tool to help you find accurate and concise answers is a kind of AI called a research assistant. We're going to use two of the best: Perplexity and Gemini.
Perplexity is especially helpful because it gives you short, clear answers and shows you exactly where it found the information. This makes it a great way to quickly understand new topics and be sure your facts are correct.
Gemini is another tool that can do more than just research. It can help you synthesize information from multiple sources and act as a research assistant. By learning to use these tools well, you'll be able to tackle any research project with more confidence and become a more independent and successful learner.
Perplexity
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Sign up for a free account at Perplexity.AI Links to an external site.
How might you be able to use Perplexity to help with your research assignments? Click through the following option for some ideas. Remember, Perplexity is a powerful tool to streamline research, but it should be used in conjunction with your own critical thinking and evaluation. Always verify information, consider multiple perspectives, and cite sources properly in your final work. Although it is a helpful tool, it can still hallucinate. You can learn more about AI hallucinations on our "AI 101" page.
Conducting Pre-Research and Exploring Topics
Perplexity is great for initiating research or searching for information on a new topic. You can enter a broad question or prompt and get a concise answer with relevant sources cited. For example, if you're researching the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems, you could ask "What are the effects of climate change on coral reefs?" and Perplexity will provide a summary with key points and references to get you started.
Example:
Narrowing Down and Refining Research
Perplexity's Pro Search feature allows you to engage in a dialogue to better define your research question and get more targeted results. For instance, if your initial search on coral reefs was too broad, you could follow up with "What specific threats do rising ocean temperatures pose to coral reefs?" to dive deeper into that aspect.
Example:
*with the free account you can use the Pro Search feature 5 times every 4 hours.
Summarizing and Extracting Key Information
You can upload your own research papers, articles or PDFs to Perplexity and it will summarize the key points and findings. This is helpful for quickly getting the essence of a complex document without having to read through the entire thing. Perplexity can also extract relevant quotes and statistics to support your arguments.
Evaluating and Verifying Sources
While Perplexity provides a list of sources for each result, it's important to critically evaluate them. Look at the credibility of the sites, check for potential biases, and ensure the information is up-to-date. Perplexity can be a starting point, but you should still assess the quality and relevance of the sources it cites.
Example:
Generating Outlines and Organizing Research
Perplexity can help you brainstorm ideas for your paper's structure and create an outline. You can ask it questions like "What are the key topics I should cover in my research paper on coral reefs?" or "How should I organize my paper on the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems?" to get suggestions.
Example:
Gemini
How can you use Gemini for your school projects? Gemini is a strong tool to help you with research. It can give you a full summary of a topic and a list of sources. But remember, you must also use your own thinking. Always check the information by looking at the sources. Then, use your own words to write your paper.
Read the following story to see how you might use Gemini to help with research.
Reflect
Ethan felt overwhelmed and lost when starting his research project. How did Gemini help him overcome this feeling?
Gemini helped him by giving a good starting point. First, it gave him a general overview of ancient Egypt. Then, when he asked more specific questions, it gave him the option to use the "deep research" function to get more detailed information. This made him feel excited because he knew where to start.
What is the purpose of Gemini’s "deep research" function, and how did it help Ethan with his report?
The "deep research" function is for getting more detailed and cross-referenced information. It helps by searching multiple sources and synthesizing the findings into a comprehensive summary. This gave Ethan a complete summary of his topic, including details about crops, tools, and routines, which helped him with his history report.
The story reminds us to "Always check your sources!". What did Ethan do to check his sources, and why is that important?
Ethan clicked on one of the source links that Gemini provided, and it took him to a reputable museum website. He then compared the article to Gemini's summary and saw that they matched. This is important because it helps him know the information is accurate and that he can trust what he's learning.
The story says that Gemini "wasn't just an answer machine". Based on the story, what did Gemini act as instead, and what did Ethan learn about how to use it effectively?
Gemini acted as a "powerful research partner". Ethan learned that Gemini helps him explore, verify, and organize his findings. He used it to get comprehensive summaries, find images, and organize his work
Try It
Sources
"Ethan and the Research Adventure." Gemini, Storybook feature, August, 2025, gemini.google.com/ Links to an external site..
Google. Gemini for editing assistance. Accessed August, 2025.
Microsoft Copilot. AI-powered Perplexity for research. Accessed June, 2024.
Open-AI. DALL-E for banner image. Accessed June, 2024.
Open-AI. ChatGPT for editing assistance. Accessed June, 2024.