Database Searching and AI Ethics

Advanced Search: Always opt for advanced search options to fine-tune your search with multiple keywords and limiters.
Keywords: Use at least two to three keywords for specificity but be mindful of being overly general with just one.
Limiters:
- Full Text: Select this to ensure easy access to articles without requiring additional permissions or facing paywalls.
- Peer Reviewed: If required, select this to filter for academically vetted research.
- Date Range: Consider the relevance of publication dates to your topic; recent information may be critical for accuracy and current perspectives.
Expanding Search Terms:
- Use "or" to include synonyms or related terms (e.g., education or school or classroom) to broaden results and capture varied author terminology; this helps account for different word choices among authors.
- Adjust keywords based on initial results to narrow or broaden the scope as needed. If initial results are too broad, consider adding location or demographic keywords.

Preview Page: Review details such as publication, date, subject terms, and the abstract to assess relevance.
Full Text PDF: Open articles in PDF format to engage with the content directly.
Citation Tools: Utilize the cite tool for proper formatting (APA, MLA, etc.).
- Example: APA and MLA are common citation styles.
- Keep track of resources and citations before consulting with a librarian for assistance.
Sharing Tools: Use the share option to email articles for easy saving and access.

Subject-Specific Databases: Narrow down databases by subject to find resources most relevant to your topic.
Peer Types: Filter databases by the types of information they contain (e.g., video databases, newspapers).
- Examples:
  - America's News provides access to over 4,000 media sources.
  - Miami Herald can be accessed without a subscription through the databases.

Google Scholar: Use Google Scholar to search for articles, but configure library links in settings to prioritize Miami Dade College collection for direct access.
- Search using keywords and look for links to FTC (Florida Training College) for full access and tools.

Library Guides: Utilize library guides for topic ideas, sample outlines, and additional resources.
- These guides often include resources for persuasive, argumentative, and informative speeches.

Books and Films: Explore available books, eBooks, and films related to speech and communication.
Recommended Websites: Utilize resources like TED for speech examples and presentation tips.

Librarian Appointments: Schedule appointments with librarians for personalized research assistance.

Plagiarism: Failure to adhere to style guidelines can result in accusations of plagiarism and expulsion.
Artificial Intelligence (AI):
- The use of AI for assignments can be easily detected.
- AI-generated content often requires significant cleanup and may contain inaccuracies or "hallucinations."
- Ethical use of AI involves using it as a guide or template rather than for direct content generation.
- Instructors may penalize or report unethical use of AI, leading to sanctions or expulsion.
- Example: Failing to clean up AI-generated font or submitting without review.
Real-world Example: Harvard University terminated a professor for data manipulation, including giving honesty documents at the beginning instead of the end of research.

Gemini Pro, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot: These tools have limitations and are not always reliable for completing assignments.
- Example: Gemini Pro has three legs: video design, deep research, and creating charts and slides.
Prompt Engineering: Effective prompt engineering is essential to get useful results from AI.

Assignment Completion: Attempts to use Gemini Pro and Notebook LM to answer assignment questions were largely unsuccessful or required extensive modifications.
Video Creation: AI struggled to follow instructions accurately, such as including specific content or avoiding misspellings.
Chart Creation: AI can create charts from datasets but may require manual correction and refinement.
- Example: AI was able to generate a quick chart for COVID data but only did it for Afghanistan.
Speech Writing: AI can generate a speech on a given topic, but the content may not be suitable or accurate for the intended audience.
- An AI-generated speech on the secret language of pets was detected as 79% AI by one checker and 10% by another.

Guide, Not Replacement: Use AI as a guide for organization or to suggest topics, but create original content based on research.
Organizational Structure: AI can show you how to organize a speech, but the content should be original and researched.
Example: for a speech on the secret language of dogs, brainstorm these three topics, zoomies, barking and hair when they stand up.

PowerPoint Slides: AI can design a PowerPoint slide with a definition, but formatting and accuracy may be an issue.
Video Creation: AI can create videos, but they may contain errors, misspellings, or inaccurate information.
- Example: Video using AI, "A content oriented listener focuses on and evaluates information from a variety of sources."

44 Phonemes: Understanding the 44 phonemes is the foundation of English language and pronunciation.
Language is defined as a system of symbols used to communicate. Use language to label, to compare, to learn, and to judge. And utterance is a complete unit of talk.
Components of Verbal Language: Lexicon, phonology, syntax, and grammar.
Lexicon is everything that you use as a word and expression in your brain.
*Every time you're talking, it is bound by the speaker's literal.
Language is arbitrary using chosen symbols to represent thoughts and feelings.
*Pragmatic meaning is the understanding of a message related to its conversational context.
There are understandings in a sociolinguistic setting, when one person interacts with someone who operates using a different norm.
When cultures have norms that specific words.
The easiest way to explain this would be what someone is saying versus direct.

The professor is running into some problems with the link to Cengage website on Canvas.
The textbook that is supposed to be available online is not available, still working on solution.