2. Research Guides

GSS 1160: Sex and Society - Lowe

FALL 2024 - PROFESSOR LOWE

Your GSS Librarian

Profile Photo
Brenna Bierman
she/her
Contact:
Central Library - 800FH
615-343-2718

Getting Started with your Research

As a Vanderbilt student you can connect with the library wherever you are!

  • Access books, journals, databases, films, and more using your VUnetID
  • Work with a librarian - don't spend more than 20 minutes aimlessly searching!
  • Central Library spends ~2 million dollars every year to purchase books, ebooks, articles, and other materials that are behind paywalls.
  • Vanderbilt Library subscribes to over 700 databases.
  • These resources make up a majority of the Deep Web.
  • Google, Bing, and other familiar tools capture less than 1% of information on the internet.

Infographic Credit: CNN Money

As generative AI tools become more prevalent, you may want to try using some of these tools and services to help you complete your coursework. According to the Syllabus AI Policies for the College of Arts & Science, "...the policy of Vanderbilt University to leave it up to individual faculty to decide whether and how AI tools are used in their courses..."  Therefore you should always check the course syllabus and speak with the professor before using any AI Tool. If allowed by the professor, whether or not you choose to use AI is ultimately your decision, however there are a few things to keep in mind:

Why should I use AI tools? Why shouldn't I use AI tools?
  • AI tools can complete some of your repetitive tasks more easily - AI is good at completing tedious, repetitive tasks that would normally take time away from your ability to think critically about your research question and ideas. Using AI can give you the ability to invest your time more heavily in creating a quality, well-thought out analysis or argument.
  • AI can be good for brainstorming ideas & helping you kick off your project/assignment - it isn't always easy to come up with a research question or topic for a paper. AI tools can help you brainstorm a topic for you to explore.
  • The professor is not allowing their use - if you use AI tools when the professor explicitly states it is not allowed, you could be risking your grade if discovered.
  • AI tools aren't always correct - AI can generate answers that sound authoritative and look reasonable to the untrained eye, but are revealed to be incorrect or poor quality to subject experts. If you don't already have experience with the topic you are studying and you can't catch mistakes, you may be risking your grade.
  • AI can't access all of the scholarly information that is available to you - as mentioned in the "Why not Google?" tab, Vanderbilt Libraries spend a large sum to ensure we have access to scholarly materials that are behind publisher paywalls. Your research could stall if you aren't accessing all of the materials that are available to you.