Generative AI (GenAI): Evaluating GenAI

SIFT METHOD

S – Stop 

Pause for a moment to question the validity, accuracy, and quality of the material you are using. 

I – Investigate 

Question everything you get from a GenAI tool. If GenAI gives you a citation for an article or other source, search the title and author on a search engine or UIW Libraries’ catalog to see if that article exists. If GenAI makes claims about anything, look up that claim somewhere else that you know to be more authoritative (like your textbook, an encyclopedia, or UIW Libraries’ resources). 

F – Find Better Coverage 

GenAI tools can help you get started learning about a topic by providing basic background information and vocabulary you can use to search in UIW Libraries’ resources, but they’re not going to be the best source of information for whatever it is you are learning about or researching. While you investigate the information GenAI tools give you, you will also be finding better coverage of that material that will be more useful for you. 

T – Trace Claims, Quotes, and Media to their origins 

Whenever a GenAI tool provides quotes or statistics, you will want to find the original source for that information. Search for the quote or statistic in a search engine. If you can’t find a source for the information, then it’s best not to trust that information as being correct or accurate.

RADAR METHOD

R – Rationale 

• Traditional source: What is the purpose of the article/ book/ website/ source? 
• GenAI tool: What is the purpose of the GenAI tool? 

A – Authority 

• Traditional source: Who is the author or creator? What credentials or experience do they have that makes them an authority on this topic? 
• GenAI tool: What sources was the GenAI tool trained on? 

D – Date 

• Traditional source: When was the source created or published? Is the information in the source current enough to be suitable for what you are going to use it for? 
• GenAI tool: What is the cutoff date for the sources the GenAI tool was trained on? How recent is its training data? 

A – Accuracy 

• Traditional source: Was the information reviewed by editors or subject experts before it was published? Do the citations and references support the author's claim? Are the references correctly cited? 
• GenAI tool: Can you verify the information with outside sources? Have you checked for hallucinations? 

R – Relevance 

• Traditional source: Does the information add something new to your knowledge of the topic? Does the information help you answer your research question? 
• GenAI tool: Does the information add something new to your knowledge of the topic? Does the information help you answer your research question?