At the beginning of the new academic year, the Nicolaus Copernicus University Library has launched an e-resource Search Assistant in the Primo search engine (Library catalogue).

The tool is based on artificial intelligence and is designed to improve the efficiency of search operations. Currently, search assistance applies to electronic publications, but the software provider plans to further develop the tool to search all data contained in the library catalogue.

The tool is available to logged-in users.

The assistant allows you to ask questions in natural language, searches bibliographic data and abstracts of electronic publications available in CDI (a central, integrated index of scientific and academic materials from around the world, containing over 5 billion records from publishers, data aggregators and repositories).

How the tool works:

1. Enter your question - as with other AI-based tools, formulate it as clearly and in as much detail as possible.
2. The assistant composes a response in natural language based on 5 sources, providing references to them in the text.
3. At the top of the screen, it provides access to these sources and indicates the option to redirect to the library catalogue.
4. When the user selects the option ‘Show more search results in the library,’ the phrase is converted into an appropriate query using the logical operator (Boolean query) OR in Polish and English, and a list of bibliographic descriptions automatically appears, which can be refined using facets.

Tests show that the tool is constantly improving the accuracy of its responses, but it is important to be critical and carefully analyse the information presented.

We encourage you to rate the results ("thumbs" up or down). 

The search is performed in real time, and the information and results obtained may vary when the query is repeated. Therefore, if the Assistant's response is unsatisfactory, it is worth using the ‘Try again’ option and/or repeating the question at a later time. The suggested additional questions are a very encouraging feature.

 

We encourage to use!