Generative AI Features in Major Databases & Platforms
EBSCOhost databases: AI Insights
In some EBSCOhost databases, EBSCOhost has introduced a new "Generative AI Insights" button available next to some full-text results. Select this button to display an AI-generated summary of the full text of the article.
This summary helps you get a quick overview of a resource and determine whether it may be relevant to your research. If it looks relevant, you should then access the full text and read it, being sure to verify whether the information provided by AI was accurate.
Not all EBSCO databases have this feature (EBSCO has provided a list of databases with this feature), and some results do not have this button either because the content is too short to summarize or the publisher has not granted permission to EBSCO. For more information, please see EBSCO's AI Insights documentation.
EBSCOhost databases: Natural Language Search
In EBSCOhost databases, EBSCO has introduced a new Natural Language Search mode. This does not replace traditional searching; instead, it is an additional search option you can try. The Natural Language Search allows you to enter a query using everyday language, which is transformed using an LLM into a Boolean search (a classic library search method using AND, OR, NOT to form a nuanced query). You may then view your results along with the constructed Boolean query to 1) to determine if the tool interpreted your natural language query accurately; 2) see how Boolean queries are constructed; 3) see if you want to revise your query to improve your results.
On the Advanced Search page (the default), the option "Natural language" is available in the Search options tab, in the Search modes section:
After completing a regular Advanced Search or Basic Search, on the Results page, "Natural language" is also available as a toggle which you may use to switch to a Natural Language Search:
After running a Natural Language Search, in the results page, you will see the results retrieved by EBSCOhost plus an option "Show refined query," which will display the Boolean search that the tool ran based on your query:
This allows you to see how the Natural Language Search has interpreted a query and turned it into a Boolean search:
For more information, see EBSCO's documentation: