Systematic Reviews, Scoping Reviews, and Health Technology Assessments - Searching the Literature: AI for Searching

This guide from the University of Alberta Library explains how to use generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to assist with question formulation, methodology selection, and literature searching for systematic reviews. Readers will learn how to use AI to generate search terms, assist with Boolean logic, identify grey literature sources, and draft search documentation, while understanding the limitations of AI tools and the necessity of human oversight. The page also evaluates specific AI-powered search tools and provides sample prompts for getting started.

Task

Research & literature

Time

30 minutes

Level

intermediate

Cost

Needs a licence — Requires a licence your institution may or may not hold.

Tools

ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity, Elicit, PubMed.aim, SR Accelerator Word Frequency Analyzer, Yale MeSH Analyzer, searchrefiner, SR Accelerator TERA Farmer

Published

2025-08-28