Posted on by Hannah Foster

Introducing Primo Research Assistant ✨

The Library discovery platform, findit@flinders, will include a new AI feature from 7 July called Primo Research Assistant.

What is Primo Research Assistant?

Primo Research Assistant is a generative AI-powered tool which allows you to search the Flinders Library catalogue using natural language questions (e.g. What impact does Vitamin C have on anaemia?).

How does it work?

Primo Research Assistant analyses abstracts & descriptions from academic content. It generates an answer based on the top five ranked relevant sources and provides citation details and links for each source. In-text references are also included to show how each source contributed to the response

How do you use it?

  • Select the “AI Research Assistant” in the toolbar of findit@flinders and then enter your research question. We recommend using precise and detailed questions to get the best results.
  • There’s options to view more results, view related results, refine searches, and search related research questions on topics similar to your prompt question.

What are some limitations and tips to keep in mind?

  • While Primo Research Assistant can be a helpful starting point for research, it’s not a comprehensive search. If you need further sources, check out these guides for advice.
  • Your previous search results are saved between sessions but can be deleted if no longer required. Primo Research Assistant keeps a history of your last 200 searches.
  • Primo Research Assistant does not currently support follow-up questions – each question stands by itself. This will be updated in future versions of the tool.

Academic integrity

  • Because Primo Research Assistant is a generative AI tool, check your assessment instructions for any restrictions on using AI. If you need further advice, speak to your topic coordinator.
  • For more information on using AI ethically at Flinders, see ‘Using AI for study’.

Further information

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