Assessment Objectives 

The following assignment was part of the course, Big Data Tools for Economists (ECO225, Fall 2023). The objective for this assignment was to familiarize students with conducting literature reviews using AI tools, enabling them to analyze and synthesize economic research effectively and to formulate research questions.  

By leveraging AI tools like GPT and Research Rabbit, students streamlined their research process, gaining insights into economic topics while supporting their ability to critically evaluate past studies and their methodologies. 

Assessment Process 

1. Search and Identify Key Papers: Students begin by searching for key papers related to their research idea using databases like Google Scholar or academic journals. They identify core themes, methods, and findings from these papers.
2. AI-Assisted Literature Mapping: Using the AI tool Research Rabbit, students upload these papers and generate a visual cluster map that shows the relationships between different research areas. The map helps students visualize where their research fits within the broader academic landscape, highlighting connections across fields. This visualization finally made it possible for me to explain how different fields intersect and how to find one’s contribution to the relevant literature.
3. Lit Review Table: Finally, students use ChatGPT to summarize the core aspects of each paper, including citation, data, method, and results. They create a table to organize this information, which serves as a foundational tool for their literature review. Students are required to verify all information and ensure the AI-generated summaries are accurate.

Future-Focused Skill Development 

This assessment aligns well with the University of Calgary’s STRIVE model, particularly in how it emphasizes transparency and supports responsibility. The exercise promotes transparency by openly incorporating AI tools like GPT and ResearchRabbit into the literature review process, requiring students to specify how they engage with these tools and acknowledge their use. It also fosters responsibility by guiding students to verify AI-generated information and critically evaluate its limitations. This not only supports students’ current research capabilities but also prepares them for the ethical considerations of AI integration in future economic research. By learning to balance the benefits of AI assistance with the need for human verification and critical thinking, students develop crucial skills for maintaining academic integrity.  

Student Feedback 

Professor Khazra shares: “Since Gen AI technologies are still relatively new, many students are not yet familiar with the effective and appropriate use of them. Guiding and supporting students in this area helps them develop valuable skills for using Gen AI in both research and professional settings. This is a skill that should be incorporated into higher education. Students found these exercises helpful during and post class.

One notable outcome of this exercise was that students revisited their literature review multiple times throughout the semester. In many instances, students were bringing their lit review tables to office hours asking about interpretations or comparing their estimates to other papers’ findings. Interpreting one’s estimates in the context of existing literature is a challenging task, even for experienced researchers. They also took these skills to the job market and their internships.”