Leveraging AI Tools to Summarize Research Articles

This 90-minute webinar explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in streamlining the research process, with a focus on using AI tools designed to summarize scholarly articles. As AI continues to transform how researchers discover, analyze, and synthesize information, understanding how to effectively integrate these tools into research workflows is essential. Participants will gain insights into a range of AI summarization tools, their practical applications, and the challenges and ethical considerations associated with their use—particularly in the context of evidence synthesis projects.

Why This Course Matters:
Librarians and information professionals are increasingly called upon to support research activities. This course equips participants with the knowledge to evaluate and apply AI tools that can enhance efficiency and accuracy in summarizing research, ultimately improving support for students, faculty, and research teams.

Key Challenges Addressed:

• Identifying appropriate use cases for AI summarization tools
• Navigating the limitations and risks of AI-generated content
• Integrating AI tools into systematic review and evidence synthesis workflows

Participants will receive a handout with links to all tools, resources, and articles discussed during the session.

This course is an approved elective for the Systematic Review Services Specialization.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify characteristics and functions of AI tools used for summarizing research articles
• Compare the benefits and limitations of AI summarization tools in the context of academic research workflows.
• Demonstrate how to use AI tools to generate summaries from full-text research articles.
• Evaluate the accuracy and appropriateness of AI-generated summaries for use in evidence synthesis projects.
• Integrate AI summarization tools into existing research support services and instructional strategies for library patrons.

Audience

Medical librarians and other information professionals who support students, researchers, or collaborative research initiatives—particularly those involved in evidence synthesis or systematic review projects.

Presenters

Margaret Foster, MS, MPH, AHIP, is the Evidence Synthesis and Scholarly Dissemination Librarian and the Director of the Center for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses at the Medical Sciences Library, Texas A&M University. She is the co-author of Piecing Together Systematic Reviews and Other Evidence Syntheses (2022). She received the Lucretia W. McClure Excellence in Education Award in 2024 from the Medical Library Association.

Gary Atwood, MS, MSLIS, is the Evidence Synthesis Librarian and Library Associate Professor at the Dana Health Sciences Library, University of Vermont. He also serves as co-facilitator for the University Libraries AI Implementation Team.