Evaluate What You Find

This is an AI-generated image created by Google Gemini in July 2025 in response to the prompt "Please generate a photorealistic image of a UVic student studying at a laptop in a sunny library setting, using a 16:9 aspect ratio."

Generative AI tools are powerful content creators, but they have well-established weaknesses when it comes to the credibility, completeness, and ethics of their output.

For instance, does it surprise you that when we gave Google Gemini this prompt, it created images of white or Asian male students five out of six times?  

Our tools will help you understand the importance of critically evaluating any generative AI content you encounter as you do your research assignments.  Before using any generative AI tool for your assignment, make sure you've read UVic's position statement on generative AI, and talked to your instructor or TA.

Tutorial

• Evaluating generative AI outputs (self-paced downloadable PDF)

If you want to cite websites in academic work, you will need to be more critical of the content than you might be for casual Internet use.

Remembering a short mnemonic can help: BAT (Bias, Authority, and Timeliness):

• Bias: What is the purpose of the site, who is the intended audience, and what motives does the author have for presenting this information?
• Authority: Who is responsible for creating or maintaining the site, and from what knowledge or experience does the author speak?
• Timeliness: How current is the information and when was the site last updated?

Our tools can help you evaluate information that you find online, to determine whether to use it for your research assignment.  Remember to read your assignment carefully, and talk to your instructor or TA if you have questions about what types of sources are permited.

Tutorial

• Evaluating Wikipedia articles and sources (10-20 minute tutorial, Wiki Edu)

You may be asked to use primary sources for your research assignment.  But what is a primary source, and what's a secondary source? 

In a nutshell, a primary source is a source of information that was created at the time of the event you're researching.  A secondary source was created at a later date, usually by people researching that event.  But that can look very different depending on your research topic and the kinds if sources you're using.  

For instance, did you know that a newspaper article might be a primary source, but it also might not be a secondary source?

Use our tools to help you understand whether your sources are primary or secondary.

Tool

• What are primary sources? (online guide)

Tutorial

• Primary vs. secondary sources  (online self-paced tutorial)