Finding a researchable topic can be significantly faster and more efficient by using a combination of Google Scholar, SciSpace Chrome Extension, and ChatGPT. Here's how you can leverage each tool effectively:
1️⃣ Google Scholar – Identifying Trending & Relevant Topics
- How it helps: Google Scholar allows researchers to explore recent papers, track citations, and identify research gaps in various fields.
- Steps to use it effectively:
✅ Search for keywords related to your broad interest (e.g., "AI in civil engineering").
✅ Use filters to focus on recent publications (last 2-5 years).
✅ Check the citation count—highly cited papers indicate impactful topics.
✅ Read abstracts & conclusions to find gaps in existing research.
🔹 Example: Searching “AI-based concrete durability assessment” may lead to recent trends in predictive modeling for material strength, helping refine a researchable question.
2️⃣ SciSpace Chrome Extension – AI-Powered Paper Summarization & Context
- How it helps: SciSpace (formerly Typeset) provides AI-powered explanations and highlights research gaps in real time.
- Steps to use it effectively:
✅ Install SciSpace Chrome Extension.
✅ Open a Google Scholar paper and use SciSpace to summarize key findings.
✅ Check “Related Papers” & “Cited By” sections to explore emerging research directions.
✅ Identify contradicting studies, which indicate areas needing further investigation.
🔹 Example: If a study concludes that "AI-based flood prediction models are accurate but lack real-time adaptation," this highlights a research gap—you could explore real-time AI-driven flood prediction models as a researchable topic.
3️⃣ ChatGPT – Refining Research Questions & Generating Hypotheses
- How it helps: ChatGPT can brainstorm research ideas, refine questions, and generate hypotheses based on existing literature.
- Steps to use it effectively:
✅ Input a broad research area and ask ChatGPT for potential research questions.
✅ Use prompts like:
🔹 "What are emerging research gaps in AI-based flood prediction?"
🔹 "Suggest 5 potential research questions based on recent AI trends in civil engineering."
✅ Ask ChatGPT to summarize conflicting studies and suggest new angles for research.
🔹 Example: After analyzing existing research on AI in concrete durability, ChatGPT might suggest:
- "How can deep learning improve real-time concrete strength assessment?"
- "What are the limitations of AI in predicting long-term material degradation?"
By refining the scope, you can develop a clear and researchable topic.
🔹 Combining All Three Tools for Maximum Efficiency
1️⃣ Use Google Scholar to find highly cited and recent papers in your field.
2️⃣ Apply SciSpace Chrome Extension to summarize findings and identify research gaps.
3️⃣ Use ChatGPT to refine the topic, generate hypotheses, and develop a structured research question.
✅ Outcome: You can quickly identify a novel and researchable topic with strong academic relevance! 🚀😊
