Getting Started with AI for Research
A practical guide to setting up AI tools for humanities research.
Why AI for Humanities?
As a humanities scholar, you're trained to work with texts, interpret sources, and construct arguments. AI tools can help you do this work more efficiently — not by replacing your expertise, but by handling tedious tasks so you can focus on what matters.
Choosing Your First Tool
For most humanities researchers, I recommend starting with Claude (claude.ai). Here's why:
- Long documents — Claude handles longer texts than most alternatives
- Nuanced writing — Better at preserving voice and style
- Honest about limits — Less likely to make up information confidently
Other good options include ChatGPT (GPT-4) and Google's Gemini.
Your First Task: Summarizing a Source
Let's try something simple. Find a PDF of an article you've been meaning to read.
- Go to claude.ai
- Upload the PDF
- Ask: "Summarize this article's main argument in 3 paragraphs"
That's it. You've just used AI for research.
What's Next?
- Understanding LLMs — Learn how these tools actually work
- Browse the Dictionary — Get familiar with the terminology
- Try more complex tasks — Ask Claude to help outline a paper or find patterns in your notes
Important Caveats
AI tools are useful, but they have limits:
- Always verify — AI can confidently state incorrect information
- Cite properly — AI-generated text is not a citable source
- Maintain your voice — Use AI to assist, not to replace your thinking
This guide is part of the Lingnan Lab project.