Choosing a research topic can be difficult. It can help to learn more about the topics. Try searching for background information to help with your decision.
After you choose your topic these sources can still be useful. Search for your topic to find academic keywords you can use while you search for library sources. Look at the reference lists in the encyclopedias to find other sources you can use.
Your course syllabus (on Brightspace) includes a long Reading List of sources related to ethical issues in AI. Look for sources related to your topic as a starting point for your research.
Articles in reference books have background information about a topic. When you search in the database Credo or in these books you might not find articles about your exact research topic, but you can learn about main concepts that make up the topic.
Ethics, science, technology, and engineering : a global resource by 
The Cambridge Handbook of Information and Computer Ethics by Start on the NYU Shanghai Library website and use the main Catalog Search box to look for your research topic. Click on the magnifying glass icon to search.
The search results will include many types of sources. You can limit your search to different sources, and change the limits as you learn more about your topic. Watch our video about source types to understand more.
As you research, read, and learn about your topic, you can change your search words to look for more complex ideas. Try to use words you see in good sources from your results.
Book chapters can be a good place to learn about a new topic. Try filtering your search to only see Books in the results.
When you find a useful or interesting book, look for the table of contents.
Magazine articles and news articles are popular sources, and they can be easier to read and understand than academic sources. This can be very useful for starting research about AI, because academic sources might have difficult math or computer science in them. Try filtering your search to only see magazine and news articles in the results.
When you find an interesting article you can:
When you know more about your topic you can start to look for academic journal articles. These articles are written by researchers sharing specific new ideas and findings. Try filtering your search to see only these articles in the results.
When you find an interesting article you can:
If you've looked through the catalog and you still need more information, these databases might have other useful sources. If you need help using these databases you can talk to a librarian.
It's important to use citations and references in your academic work. It will show that your ideas are credible and supported by research, help others find your sources, and avoid plagiarism. Watch our video about citation to understand the basics.
In your video you might include oral citation when you present ideas from a source, in-text citation on the screen when you present ideas from a source, and full references on the screen at the end of your video.
A reference is usually part of a list of sources at the end of an academic essay, presentation, or video. References give all the information needed to find a source that you used in your writing or presentation.
When you find a useful source in the Catalog Search you can create a draft reference using the Citation button.
You might also find draft citations on the book or article itself. Even if the source gives you an APA 7th edition citation, you should always check it yourself. You're smarter than the computer!
