Assignment Overview

This week, you will compare two research tools:

1. The J. D. Boyd Library website and its academic research databases
2. An AI tool (such as ChatGPT or Gemini)

Your goal is to understand the difference between scholarly, peer-reviewed research and AI-generated information.

This assignment will help you develop research skills that you will use throughout college.

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TLDR What You Actually Need to Do

1. Write one clear research question.
2. Use the J. D. Boyd Library website and databases to find one peer-reviewed article (last 10 years).
3. Take a screenshot showing the database name and peer-reviewed filter.
4. Include the APA citation and a short summary of the article.
5. Ask AI the same question.
6. Copy your exact AI prompt and the full AI response.
7. Write 12 paragraphs comparing the scholarly article and the AI response.
8. Upload everything in ONE document (Word or PDF).

If you do all 8 steps correctly, you will earn full credit.

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What Does Peer-Reviewed Mean?A peer-reviewed article is a research article that has been reviewed by experts in the same field before being published.

This means:

• Other professionals checked the research
• The evidence and methods were evaluated
• The article met academic standards

Peer-reviewed articles are considered credible academic sources because they go through a formal review process.

They are different from:

• Blogs
• News articles
• Wikipedia
• Opinion pieces
• Social media posts

In college, peer-reviewed articles are often required for research assignments.

Step 1: Choose a Research Question

Choose one focused research question related to:

• Your major
• Your future career
• College student success
• Leadership, stress, mental health, motivation, etc.

Examples:

• Does sleep affect academic performance?
• How does stress impact decision-making?
• What causes burnout in nurses?
• How does social media impact mental health?
• Why is diversity important in engineering teams?

Write your research question at the top of your submission. {DO NOT USE ANY OF THE EXAMPLES ABOVE :-)}

Step 2: Use the J. D. Boyd Library Website

You must use the official J. D. Boyd Library website and the databases explained in the Library Orientation Video.

Do NOT use Google, Wikipedia, or general internet searches for this portion.

You must:

1. Go to the J. D. Boyd Library website.
2. Click on Databases or Academic Research Databases.
3. Search your research question.
4. Use the filter labeled Peer-Reviewed, Scholarly, or Refereed.
5. Select one peer-reviewed journal article published within the last 10 years.

Submit the following:

• Full APA citation of the article
• Name of the specific database you used
• Screenshot showing:
• The database name
• The article title
• The peer-reviewed filter selected
• One paragraph summarizing what the scholarly article found

If you are unsure whether the article is peer-reviewed, check the database filters or ask a librarian.

Step 3: Use AI

Using the SAME research question, ask an AI tool to answer it.

Submit:

• The exact prompt you typed
• The full AI-generated response
• The name of the AI tool used
• One paragraph summarizing what the AI response said

Step 4: Compare the Two

Write 12 paragraphs answering:

• Which source provided more detailed evidence?
• Which source felt more credible? Why?
• Did the AI provide citations? Were they specific?
• What did the scholarly article include that the AI did not?
• When might AI be helpful?
• When is a peer-reviewed article necessary?

This reflection must be written in your own words.

Do NOT use AI to write your comparison reflection.

Submission Requirements

Upload ONE document (Word or PDF) that includes:

• Your research question
• Scholarly article citation
• Database name
• Required screenshot
• AI prompt
• AI response
• Comparison reflection

All parts must be included to receive full credit.

Why This Assignment Matters

AI is a tool.

The library is a tool.

College-level work requires knowing when to use each one.

This assignment is about building research judgment, academic responsibility, and critical thinking skills. This assignment supports QEP Student Learning Outcome 2: locating and evaluating credible information.

By comparing a peer-reviewed scholarly article from the J. D. Boyd Library with an AI-generated response, you will practice identifying credible evidence, evaluating sources, and communicating your findings clearly. My major is Agricultural Business and my research question is How can small-scale farmers in Mississippi increase profitability through sustainable farming practices? Here is the article peer reviewed Additional information

Title

• Profitability Analysis of Paddy Farming Systems in Wetland Areas, Kilombero, Tanzania: An Additional Layer to Curing Maladaptation.

Authors

• 1,2 onesigalla@gmail.com
• 3

Source

• . Nov2025, Vol. 2 Issue 2, p13-34. 22p.

Document Type

• Article

Subject Terms

• *
• *
• *
• *
• *
• *
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Geographic Terms

Author-Supplied Keywords

NAICS/Industry Codes

• Water Supply and Irrigation Systems
• Rice Farming

Abstract

• Agriculture contributes 28.9% of Gross Domestic Product; about USD 1 Billion to total export value and employs about 65% of Tanzanians. Identifying opportunities for enhancing profitability of the sector is paramount to informing choices of sustainable pathways. In the absence of such information, maladaptations are likely to be perpetuated. This paper investigated profitability of paddy farming both rainfed and irrigated systems using participatory rural appraisal approaches. It studied the mechanized and small-holder practices such as., the conventional transplant and flooding system (CTFS) and system of rice intensification (SRI). Findings demonstrated that; (a) although smallholder farmers use least inputs and technology, harvested an average of 1.33 Tons/Ha more than the mechanized irrigated system under Kilombero Plantations Limited. However, owing to better economies of scale and stable markets, the latter was more profitable (b) increased harvest due to irrigation in small-holder farms is less than 10% of their respective rainfed systems which suggests that rainfed system is more plausible in the case study (c) rainfed SRI harvests 73% more than rainfed CTFS. It is therefore recommended to promote rainfed SRI and grouping farmers at manageable scale to foster a better scale of economy, price negotiation basis and hence better profitability score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
• Copyright of Journal of Water Resources, Engineering, Management & Policy is the property of Journal of Water Resources, Engineering, Management & Policy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder’s express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Author Affiliations

• 1 Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology. Nelson Mandera Road, Arusha. P. O. Box 447 Arusha.
• 2 Rain Drop Initiative (RADI), 109 Regent Estate, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam. P. O. Box 8703 Dar es Salaam.
• 3 Sokoine University of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Economics and Business Studies, P. O. Box 3007, Morogoro.

ISSN

• 2619-8916

DOI

• 10.56542/wi.jwempo.v2.i2.a2.2025

Accession Number

• 190835511