Skip to Main Content

University of Sunderland Library

Research Assistant: Using Research Assistant

A guide to using Research Assistant, a generative AI-powered tool, effectively and cohesively with Library Search.
Making AI tools work for your research, your way. This guide is to help you get the best from Research Assistant and Library Search. Research Assistant is a generative AI-powered tool and a helpful starting point, but it does not replace Library Search. Here’s how to use both effectively, so you get relevant, accurate, and up-to-date sources for your assignments.

Using Research Assistant

This is how your Research Assistant web browser looks:

Screenshot of Research Assistant with the filter option (3 line image) circled

You can now see a selection of filters to choose from:

Screenshot of Research Assistant with the 'Available online' box checked

If you need specific types of sources or want to narrow your results to a specific time period, there are filters for these options:

Screenshot of Research Assistant showing the drop down menus for source type and date

Use Research Assistant and Library Search together

Goal Use Research Assistant to: Use Library Search to:
Get quick summary of your topic Understand key ideas based on your essay question Expand and explore related ideas using your own search terms
Get a few starting point sources Get ideas from connected materials (use filters!) Run a detailed search to find more accurate, updated sources
Save time Narrow your focus quickly Conduct research using tools designed for academic depth

Example workflow for students

1) Input your question into Research Assistant → Read the summary and view suggested sources → Apply filters to refine your results.

2) Take keywords and useful phrases from Research Assistant → Use them in Library Search for a more powerful and accurate search.

3) Access full-text articles or ebooks directly through Library Search.

4) Evaluate sources yourself. Does this answer your question? Is it recent and peer-reviewed? Research Assistant is powered by AI and, therefore, is subject to limitations.

If you’d like any help using the Research Assistant or Library Search, or just want to feel more confident in your research, our team is here to support you. You can visit our help desks on campus or contact us online via Library Talk. No question is too small – we’re always happy to help!