GenAI Literacy for Research
First let's explore below the basics of GenAI Literacy so you can have a background for understanding the business related GenAI guidance.
The 3 Elements of the Framework
- Know & Understand GenAI
- Use & Evaluate GenAI
- Library Research & Discovery with GenAI
Know & Understand GenAI
- What is it?
- “Generative AI, sometimes called gen AI, is artificial intelligence (AI) that can create original content such as text, images, video, audio or software code in response to a user’s prompt or request.” (Stryker & Scapicchio, 2024)
- How is it trained?
- Ingests massive amounts of text and images from the open web and generates new responses which are not reproducible.
- Types of generative AI
- Text based chatbots, image generators, products employing GenAI capabilities, etc.
- Paid vs Free
- Basic Vocabulary
- Large-language model (LLM) - “... models trained on immense amounts of data making them capable of understanding and generating natural language and other types of content to perform a wide range of tasks” (What Are Large Language Models (LLMs)?, 2023).
- Natural language processing (NLP) - a subfield of computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) that enables computers to understand and communicate with human language (What is NLP (natural language processing)?, 2024).
- ChatGPT - initial model that revolutionized generative AI (ChatGPT Glossary, 2025)
- Hallucinations - incorrect information generated by a model (ChatGPT Glossary, 2025)
- Tokens - “Small bits of written information that AI language models process to formulate their responses to your prompts” (ChatGPT Glossary, 2025).
Know & Understand GenAI: Development
Use & Evaluate GenAI
- Considerations in using GenAI
- Check with your instructor if and how GenAI is allowed to be used in your class
- Choosing a tool (chatbot, image generator, AI-powered search, etc.)
- Do not upload anything downloaded from RIT Libraries or any copyrighted materials
- Cite the use of GenAI
- GenAI Pros and Cons
- Pros
- Brainstorming research topics and search terms
- Organizing projects
- Summarizing texts and key takeaways (via integrated AI assistants in Adobe, library databases, etc.)
- Cons
- Biases in training models
- Hallucinations (makes things up that are not factually accurate)
- Evaluating responses & fact checking
- Does it provide sources of information? Where do they come from?
- Is this the most up to date information on this topic?
Library Research & Discovery with GenAI
There are tasks involved in doing library research:
- Topic or thesis formation
- Search or keyword/term generation
- Discovery of supporting materials such as books, articles, conference papers and more.
Library Research & Discovery with GenAI
| Tasks for completing your assignment (writing a research paper) |
Which tools could be useful for this task:
|
For example: |
| Topic or thesis formation: ask for ideas on related research topics |
ChatGPT, Gemini, etc. |
Prompt example: I am researching business ethics and employees for a scholarly paper. What are some related search topics to explore? Only provide the topics and do not offer to write the paper. Do not provide any sources. Respond with the topics in table format. |
| Search or keyword term generation: ask for search or keyword/terms on your topic |
ChatGPT, Gemini, etc. |
Prompt example: What are some search terms for researching supply chain and interruptions? Only provide the search terms or keywords. Do not offer to write the paper. Do not provide any sources. Respond with the words or phrases in table format. |
| Discovery of supporting materials such as books, articles, conference papers and more: extremely poor, plus may lead you astray. |
Summon (not GenAI)
Library databases
GenAI tools integrated into those databases |
Search for “business ethics” AND employees using a Summon search. Filter your results as needed. |
References
AI competency framework for students. (2024, August 8). https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/ai-competency-framework-students
AI Literacy Research Project. (2024, September). academyEX Research. https://academyex.ac.nz/ai-literacy-research-project/
ChatGPT Glossary: 55 AI Terms Everyone Should Know. (2025, August 6). CNET. Retrieved August 7, 2025, from https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/chatgpt-glossary-55-ai-terms-everyone-should-know/
Hibbert, M., Altman, E., Shippen, T., & Wright, M. (2024, June 3). A Framework for AI Literacy. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2024/6/a-framework-for-ai-literacy
Hu, C., & Downie, A. (2024, December 30). What is Sentient AI? IBM. https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/sentient-ai
Stryker, C., & Scapicchio, M. (2024, March 22). What is Generative AI? IBM. https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/generative-ai
What Are Large Language Models (LLMs)? | IBM. (2023, November 2). https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/large-language-models
What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? | IBM. (2024, August 9). https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/artificial-intelligence
What Is NLP (Natural Language Processing)? | IBM. (2024, August 11). https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/natural-language-processing
