AI tools for brainstorming

OTHER AI CHATS

Lumo

• Lumo is a generative chatbot.
• A limited free version is available that does not require creating a user account. If you create a user account, please do not use the university email address.
• Lumo does not use your conversations or other input data to train the language model.
• Lumo also does not store conversations unless you choose to save them encrypted on your own device.

ChatGPT

• ChatGPT is a generative chatbot.
• A limited free version is available that does not require creating a user account. If you create a user account, please do not use the university email address.
• Note that you can opt out of having your conversations used as training data for the language model: Settings > Data controls > Improve the model for everyone > OFF.
• Both Copilot and ChatGPT utilize OpenAI’s language model.

Claude

• Like ChatGPT, Claude is a generative chatbot.
• A free version is available, but it requires creating a user account. Please do not use the university email address.
• Claude not only assists you in brainstorming but can also process large amounts of information you provide for it. However, remember to take data protection and copyrights into consideration before you input any material into Claude or any other AI tool.

DuckDuckGo AI Chat

• DuckDuckGo AI Chat is a generative chatbot interface through which you can interact with various chat / language models (such as GPT-4o mini, Claude 3.5 Haiku, Llama 4 Scout).
• The chatbot is free to use and does not require creating a user account. There is a daily limit on usage.
• Your input and chats are not stored or recorded on the service provider's servers, and they are not used for AI training. If you wish to save your recent chats, you can do it locally on your own device.
• Different language models react to your prompts differently and perform the information retrieval tasks assigned to them with varying degrees of success. DuckDuckGo AI Chat allows you to test and compare different language models.

Perplexity

• Perplexity is a freemium application that offers a stripped-down free version in addition to a paid version. Searches can be made without logging in, but all features of the free version are only available by creating a user account. If you create a user account, please do not use the university email address.
• Like Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity is a combination of a search engine and a chatbot that utilizes natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning. Similar to Copilot, Perplexity retrieves up-to-date information from the web.

PROMPTING

Copilot, Lumo, ChatGPT and other generative AI chatbots operate based on prompts provided by the user. A well-crafted prompt is likely to yield a better outcome.

When formulating a prompt, consider at least the following:

• You often get best results when writing in English because the training data for the language model is primarily in English.
• Explain the context of your request.
• Make the task clear.
• Provide examples if necessary.
• Ask follow-up questions, one question at a time.
• Ask to explain choices and claims.
• Modify the prompt as needed.

Finally: test or verify the answers yourself from a reliable source.

CHATBOT USE CASES

Brainstorming research topics

• Ask for various scientific perspectives on your chosen topic and research questions that go with these perspectives.
• Request suggestions for the theoretical background of your research or ask for a list of suitable research methods.
• Request suggestions for hypotheses for your research.
• Seek help in narrowing down your research topic.

For example: I want to write a Master's thesis on the topic of sustainable consumption and whether it can contribute to a more equal society. My field of study is Sociology. Can you propose me three possible approaches and research questions to study this topic? 

• Select the suggestions you find interesting for a closer examination.
• Search for scientific sources related to the suggestions in scientific databases, Google Scholar, or by utilizing AI tools.
• To ensure the research topic is truly yours, you need to further refine the AI-generated ideas and justify your choices based on previous research literature.

Brainstorming search terms

• Ask for search terms / keywords relating to your research topic / research questions.

For example: I am writing a thesis on the topic: "A Threat to world peace? Discourse on artificial intelligence at the United Nations." My research questions are: "How is AI discussed at the UN, and how is it believed to affect peace and conflicts? What search terms could I use to find sources from academic databases?

• Ask for synonyms and related or alternative terms for your keywords.
• Verify that the generated terms are indeed used in your field in the way you intended. For example, you can ask the application for definitions of the terms, but ultimately, you need to check the definitions of the terms in scientific reference works and encyclopedias.

Creating a search statement

• You can ask the chatbot to create a search statement - either from already formulated/AI-generated keywords or from your research topic.
• You can then use this search statement in scientific databases and JYKDOK.

For example: Create a Boolean search phrase relating to the research topic: "Political debate on land restoration" using English-language keywords.

• You are more likely to get a functional search statement if you specify in your prompt that you are conducting a Boolean search, or requesting for a Boolean search phrase.
• You may need to ask the application to modify or fine-tune the generated search phrase. Most likely, you will also need to edit the phrase yourself to ensure it works optimally in different databases.
• Alternatively, you can create a preliminary Boolean search phrase yourself, and then ask the chatbot to check that it is technically correct and functioning, or to add more search terms / more precision to the phrase.

Getting to know scientific concepts

• Ask for definitions and explanations of concepts you want to understand better or that are difficult to grasp.

For example: What does global governance mean?

• The definition you receive often does not take into account that scientific concepts can have multiple and even conflicting definitions, and that concepts are used differently in various fields.
• As a follow-up question, you can ask for clarification: Global governance is a concept with multiple definitions. Can you cite some specific definitions in the field of Political Science, and also cite the sources in which those definitions are presented?
• Definitions and the sources provided to support them can be hallucinated, so you should always familiarize yourself with the concepts independently using scientific reference works and encyclopedias. If the chatbot you use is able to connect and search the internet, you can ask it to base the generated answer on scientific handbooks of your field of study.

FINTO.AI SUBJECT TERMS

In JYKDOK – and more generally in library collection databases – publications are described using subject terms that are listed in YSO - General Finnish ontology. When you know the YSO subject terms related to your topic, you can perform subject searches in JYKDOK, but YSO terms also work well as search terms on their own. If finding YSO subject terms is challenging, you can try the Finto.ai assistant.

How to use

Enter text: Briefly describe your research topic in a summary-like form. Enter the text in Finnish, English, or Swedish. For example: I study the concept of personal identity from the perspective of narrative theory and how selfhood is constructed. I draw on Ricoeur’s ideas and aim to determine whether identity is best understood as a fixed essence or as evolving and adaptable.

• Check that the selected vocabulary is: YSO – General Finnish ontology.
• Choose the language for the subject terms: Term language (Finnish, Swedish, English, Northern Sámi).
• Select how many subject term suggestions you want at most: 10, 15, or 20.
• Click Get subject suggestions.
• You will receive a list of subject terms related to your topic.