23 Reflections to Recap Zendy's 2023 Journey
Research Better: 5 Best AI Tools for Research Efficiency
The increased usage of AI tools has sparked many conversations in the world of academia, which inspired the innovation of AI tools for research. The integration of technology in academia has brought innovation that introduced digital libraries, plagiarism trackers and grammar-checking softwares, this changed the way researchers write and discover academic literature. In recent years, the academic sphere has witnessed the rapid growth and implementation of AI, which we believe can be leveraged to create efficiency in research. As an AI-powered research library, Zendy provides key tools like summarisation and keyphrase highlighting to streamline the process of literature review, we also developed and launched ZAIA, the AI research assistant. These tools have been designed to create efficiency in research, which allows researchers to invest significant time in data analysis and their primary research. With the growing integration of AI products, we believe in the ethical use of AI in the world of research while also harnessing the innovative technology to streamline research processes amongst students and researchers alike. According to a study that looked at the usage of AI amongst students, it was found that every fourth student (25.2%) uses AI-based tools frequently, while almost half of the students (47.8%) use AI-based tools occasionally. Slightly more than a third of the students (36.6%) do not use AI-based tools at all. In this blog, we recommend the 5 best AI-driven tools to assist you with annotating, citing and more!1. Semantic Scholar Housing over 200 million papers from all fields of science, this tool generates a comprehensive summary of an academic paper, including the area of study the research addressed and its overall impact on the discipline. 2. ZAIA AI Assistant for Research ZAIA is a domain-specific LLM designed to assist researchers in understanding essential research concepts and finding relevant papers. This tool enhances the efficiency of the literature review process, providing answers backed by millions of academic research papers. 3. Tableau This tool generates date visualisation and analytical tools for businesses and researchers. The platform is equipped with Einstein AI which is driven by machine learning and delivers predictions and recommendations within Tableau workflows to assist with efficient decision-making. 4. Scite.ai This is a well-rounded citation tool that provides context to citations by clearly stating whether an academic paper supports or contrasts the cited claim. This helps researchers save time having to read lengthy papers and quickly determine whether the citation is relevant to their research. 5. Consensus AI This tool annotates insights about research papers using AI. It produces “study snapshots” to condense lengthy research papers by mentioning study aims, variables, and findings. The platform also provides credible responses backed by academic papers to queries, by presenting research papers that both support and contrast the query, allowing users to browse through objective responses. Limitations of AI Tools While AI tools are effective in streamlining research processes, they raise ethical concerns and can impact research integrity if misused. AI raises ethical issues including data privacy, algorithm bias and misuse of AI. However, due to the increasing usage of AI tools, policies are developing quickly to ensure the technology is adequately regulated. Tips for Using AI Tools in Research Follow these recommendations to ensure ethical AI usage: Always fact-check content generated by AI tools Do not write academic articles using AI tools. Instead, use these tools to edit and structure original research content. Do not use AI tools to generate references, instead use it to manage and store the references. Use AI tools that produce accurate results. Incorporate your own voice and style of written content as much as possible. In conclusion, AI is a resourceful innovation in academic research when used ethically. The correct and responsible usage of AI can create immeasurable efficiency in research processes, and aid in citation management, resource annotation, data visualization, literature discoverability and summarisation.Discover a comprehensive suite of AI-driven tools like summarisation, keyphrase highlighting and ZAIA - AI assistant for research on Zendy now.
Understanding Research Hypothesis: Perfect your hypothesis for your research statement
In academic research, the hypothesis statement directs the course of investigation and exploration. It serves as the foundation of an experiment as it is a proposed outcome, this guides the methodology and findings of a research design. In this blog, we shed light on the significance and intricacies of formulating an effective hypothesis that solidifies the approach while investigating its impact on relevant variables. What is a research hypothesis? A research hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts the relationship between two variables and how they impact one another. A good research hypothesis has no ambiguity, clearly specifies variables and is structured to be proven or countered depending on the trajectory of the study. This statement should also specify how the study aims to generate new knowledge through the experiment. What are the different types of hypotheses? Hypothesis TypeDefinitionExampleSimpleProposes a relationship between independent and dependent variable.Increased sunlight exposure leads to higher plant growth.ComplexProposes relationships between two or more independent and dependent variables.Increased sunlight exposure impacts the growth rate of specific plant species, and this effect is contingent upon factors such as the plant's genetic makeup, soil composition, and optimal climatic conditions, implying that while sunlight plays a crucial role, its influence on plant growth is mediated by multifaceted environmental and genetic variables.DirectionalDetails the directions derived from theory, specifies the steps to be taken to identify a relationship between relevant variables.Increased sunlight exposure significantly increases the rate of plant growth.Non-directionalDoes not predict exact nature of relationship between variables and is usually applied when there’s an absence of theory and contradictory results.There is a relationship between sunlight exposure and plant growth.NullProposes that there is no relationship between variables, justifies the generation of results through chance.There is no significant effect of increased sunlight exposure on plant growth.AlternativeOpposite to null, alternative hypothesis states that there is a significant relationship between two variables.Increased sunlight exposure is associated with higher plant growth. Components of a hypothesis In the case of research experiments, a good hypothesis contains independent and dependent variables, the predicted relationship between them, and the outcome of this relationship. Example hypothesis: Variables: Employee job satisfaction (independent variable) influences productivity levels (dependent variable) within an organization. Predicted Relationship: Higher job satisfaction among employees will lead to increased productivity levels. Outcome: The study might find that departments or teams with higher job satisfaction scores tend to demonstrate greater productivity, implying a positive relationship between job satisfaction and productivity. Why is a well-written hypothesis important? A well-written hypothesis is the foundation of a research study, it helps the researcher determine how to address the investigation. A good hypothesis also aids in assuming the probability of the study’s failure or progress while also ensuring the methodologies are scientifically valid. Furthermore, the research hypothesis statement links the underlying theory to the research question while also measuring the reliability and validity of the study itself. Common hypothesis errors to avoid Your research hypothesis should be specific and clear. When constructing the hypothesis, try to be as concise as possible while understanding that less is more. The following should be avoided in research hypotheses: Ambiguity, overgeneralisation and lack of specifics Having too many variables without establishing clear relationship between them Unvalid or insufficient justification of variable relationship FAQs What are some tips for ensuring testability of a hypothesis? The hypothesis should be structured in a way wherein the possibility of it being being false or true is present. Furthermore, the results of the hypothesis should be reproducible. How do I differentiate between a research question and a research hypothesis? A research question states what the study will investigate without making any assumptions or predictions, whereas a hypothesis answers that question through predicting relationships between variables and their possible outcome. What are the potential drawbacks of a poorly formulated hypothesis? Having a poor hypothesis structure can negatively impact the research design as the hypothesis statement guides the methodology and findings sections. Discover millions of open access research papers across an array of disciplines on Zendy now. ol, ul { margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; } p, ul, li, ol { word-break: initial !important; }
Discover and avoid these types of plagiarism in your next academic paper
Originality is crucial in academic research. The initial approval process to conduct research relies on the originality of the idea and the new contribution the paper would make to the area of study. Academic research papers should be varied but rather drive the development of an idea or concept. This acceleration of new knowledge is hindered when plagiarism takes place. What is plagiarism? Plagiarism is the practice of presenting another person’s work or idea as your own. In the world of academia, this is a serious offense that can negatively impact a researcher’s career as their papers are usually retracted and they lose their credibility. Educational institutions like universities and colleges can expel and bar students from being admitted to other institutions as this ethical offense is reflected on their record. Common types of plagiarism Type DefinitionHow to avoid Direct PlagiarismWord-for-word duplication of somebody else’s content- Acknowledge and cite the source.- Paraphrase the content by changing sentence voice (active to passive or vice versa) - Include quotation marks in direct qoutes.Paraphrasing PlagiarismOriginal author’s work is restructured very similarly without citing them and their research.- Use synonyms for non-generic words.- Paraphrase by changing sentence voice and change clauses to phrases.Mosaic PlagiarismOccurs when phrases are taken from the original author without quotation marks and citations.- Appropriately cite sources using quotation marks and footnotes.Self-plagiarismUtilising your own sentence structures and ideas from previously submitted work without citing the source.- Ensure there is sufficient material to justify the new paper. - Appropriately cite the original source.Patchwork PlagiarismOccurs when material is copied from several sources and rearranged to create their own flow on a new paper without crediting any new sources.- Paraphrase material into your own words.- Enclose verbatim content in quotation marks and cite.Accidental PlagiarismOccurs when the author inaccurately cites sources, misquotes information or unintentionally paraphrases too similarly without the intent to present ideas as their own.- Proofread research paper multiple times before submitting. - Cite everything that was not discovered by you, including widely-known information. How to avoid plagiarism When working on a research paper, you can try and apply the following strategies to avoid committing plagiarism: Cite your sources When stating an idea or presenting information that you have found through a different source, add the proper in-text citation to indicate that this material is “borrowed”. Include quotation marks When quoting a source verbatim, using quotation marks helps avoid plagiarism and indicates that these words are relevant but not yours. The quote should also include it’s source. Paraphrase Paraphrasing can be tricky as it is a thin line between itself and plagiarism, it involves restructuring ideas into your own words without changing their meaning and intent. This also needs to be appropriately cited. Present your ideas Your research paper should constructively explain your perspective on the information that is cited. Touch on how this is relevant to your findings or argument. Use plagiarism tracker Utilising plagiarism detection tools can help avoid accidental plagiarism. These tools highlight plagiarised content and provide an overall percentage to help users understand their paper’s problem areas. Ethical writing practices In academic writing, ethical guidelines demand authors to avoid weaknesses of bias and exclusive language, while encouraging authors to write on a range of perspectives that are relevant to the area of study and clearly indicate through citations where external material has been incorporated into the paper. The infographic below describes 3 strategies to make sure your academic writing skills are in line with ethical guidelines. Plagiarism detection tools These detection tools ensure that academic research papers are original. They compare the material to a vast database of existing information and highlight any duplicated material, this helps maintain the author’s credibility and authenticity while avoiding certain legal issues. Here are a few detectors that Zendy recommends: Copyscape Turnitin Grammarly iThenticate Scribbr In conclusion, plagiarism is a serious academic offense that taints a researcher or student’s career by taking away their credibility and authenticity. Which is why the approval process of academic research is a rigorous one, to ensure the author and researchers have sufficient new contributions and perspectives within a specific area of study. Furthermore, establishing a practice of scanning lengthy research papers against recommended detection tools benefits researchers in citing all content appropriately and even avoids accidental plagiarism. ul { margin: 0 !important; } li a { color: rgb(244 178 35); }