Tried and True AI Tools for Conducting DBA Research: The AI Whisperer

Guest Blogger: Yvonne Mosley, MBA CSSBB CPHQ CPPS
UNC Charlotte DBA Candidate, May 2025
www.linkedin.com/in/yvonnemosley

In the evolving landscape of doctoral research, leveraging advanced AI tools has become indispensable for maximizing productivity and ensuring thoroughness in data analysis and literature review. As I dive deeper into my dissertation, which explores how AI and wearable devices can mitigate the negative relationships between social determinants of health (SDOH) and adverse clinical outcomes, I've discovered a suite of AI tools that have become indispensable in my research journey. These tools not only streamline the research process but also provide profound insights, making the complex task of exploring healthcare innovations more manageable and engaging. Here’s a glimpse into the AI arsenal that's helping researchers like me to uncover the future of healthcare.

1. ChatGPT-4: Your Personal AI Research Assistant

• Description: This generative AI tool is like having a supercharged research assistant at your disposal.
• Value Add: It excels in creating initial outlines, generating detailed data analyses, and even coding in R and SAS. Imagine asking it to rewrite your research findings in an academic tone or summarize complex data sets – the possibilities are endless.
• Other Features: With a plethora of plug-ins and the ability to handle attached documents, ChatGPT-4 is a versatile tool that adapts to your research needs.

2. SciSpace: The Swiss Army Knife for Researchers

• Description: SciSpace is a comprehensive platform for finding and reading scientific literature.
• Value Add: It provides TL;DR summaries, explains mathematical concepts within articles, and integrates seamlessly with reference managers like Zotero. This is particularly useful when sifting through vast amounts of literature on complex topics.
• Other Features: Offers plagiarism and AI detection, ensuring your research maintains integrity and originality.

3. Petal: Conversational Interaction with Your Documents

• Description: Petal allows you to engage directly with your research papers.
• Value Add: By enabling you to pose questions to your documents, Petal helps to inform your hypotheses statements and gather specific insights. For example, I have used it to directly ask how a particular study supports or refutes my hypothesis and to note specific text in the document that does each.
• Other Features: Responses can be exported to Excel, making data analysis straightforward and organized.

4. Litmaps: Mapping the Citation Landscape

• Description: This tool visualizes and tracks citations, offering a dynamic view of your research field.
• Value Add: Perfect for exploring citation networks and identifying “fringe” articles that might offer groundbreaking insights.
• Other Features: Receive email alerts for new research findings, keeping you current with the latest developments.

5. Connected Papers: A Clean Interface for Comprehensive Searches

• Description: Similar to Litmaps but with a streamlined user experience.
• Value Add: Facilitates forward and backward reference searches, ensuring a thorough exploration of research related to AI in healthcare.

6. Scite.ai: Satisfy “Reviewer #3” Finding Citations for Your Statement

• Description: Helps visualize how research supports or contradicts your statements.
• Value Add: Essential for backing up your claims with robust, published research. It provides a visual representation of support and contradiction, enhancing your argument’s credibility.

7. Obsidian: A Knowledge Base for Detailed Notes and Organization

• Description: Obsidian is a powerful tool for managing reading lists and organizing research notes.
• Value Add: Ideal for conceptual note-taking and free writing, which is crucial when developing complex arguments.
• Other Features: Supports local storage, Markdown files, and backlinks, offering a flexible and robust knowledge management system.

8. Paperpal: Perfecting Your Manuscripts

• Description: Paperpal aids in grammar and language improvements for manuscripts.
• Value Add: It’s like having an AI editor that ensures your drafts are polished and publication ready.
• Other Features: Includes plagiarism checking and integrates with MS Word for seamless writing.

9. Consensus: AI-Driven Research Insights

• Description: An AI search engine tailored for research.
• Value Add: Finds new articles and gathers general sentiment from a wealth of research. This is invaluable for understanding the broader implications of your findings on healthcare quality.
• Other Features: Filters by journal rigor and research type, ensuring you access the most relevant and high-quality studies.

10. Google Scholar: The Classic Research Engine

• Description: A search engine dedicated to academic research.
• Value Add: Conducts Boolean searches to efficiently find relevant papers, a staple for any researcher.

11. Zotero: Organize and Manage Your References

• Description: While not AI-powered, Zotero is an essential reference manager.
• Value Add: Integrates with most AI tools mentioned, allowing seamless management of citations and references. It’s particularly useful for organizing research into folders and subfolders, aligning with your project’s structure.

These AI tools have transformed how research is conducted, making it more efficient, thorough, and accessible. They offer a range of functionalities from literature discovery to data analysis and manuscript preparation, ensuring that every aspect of the research process is optimized for success. For example, I have used these tools extensively in my research to explore how AI and wearable devices can mitigate the negative impact of social determinants on clinical outcomes. Integrating these tools into your workflow can significantly enhance your productivity and the quality of your research output.

As "The AI Whisperer," I can attest to the power of these tools in transforming the research landscape. By leveraging these technologies, we can uncover new insights and drive meaningful advancements in our respective fields.

Note: Costs for these tools vary, but many offer student discounts or free versions with some limitations.