The integration of AI features into academic databases is transforming how students and staff conduct research. Currently, Newcastle University offers AI-enhanced tools in The Financial Times, Mintel, Statista, and ProQuest Ebook Central, which can help you quickly find relevant data, generate summaries, and visualise information.
While these features are limited to a few databases now, this trend is expected to grow. The following tabs explain what these AI features are and how to access them, and we will add to them as more AI technologies are adopted.
FT.com's AI tool helps you quickly find reliable information and make informed decisions by providing easy access to a vast archive of content from the past 20 years. This means you can efficiently research topics, stay updated on trends, and gain insights that are crucial for your work or studies.
You can access the current edition of the Financial Times for free through the FT.com website via Library Search. Use it to search for up-to-date articles on pressing issues in the business world, the global economy, and international affairs. When you visit FT.com for the first time, log in using your Newcastle University username and password. After logging in, create your own personal 'MyFT' account to set up alerts and save topics of interest.
Mintel Leap is an inbuilt AI tool within the Mintel database that gives quick answers to questions using Mintel data and insights. It's useful as it helps you find reliable information fast and think more strategically for your projects.
Statista Research AI is an advanced tool that combines human-curated data with AI to provide precise and reliable insights. It uses semantic search and large language models to quickly find and synthesise relevant data from Statista's extensive database, offering users detailed responses, visualisations, and personalised follow-up questions.
A global data and business intelligence platform with an extensive collection of statistics, reports, and insights on thousands of topics, from several sources, in a wide range of industries. Explore insights on consumer attitudes and behaviour worldwide, revenue analytics and forecasts, political, social and trending topics, market and industry insights, and more.
ProQuest has introduced the Ebook Central Research Assistant, an AI tool designed to enhance user engagement with scholarly ebooks by providing chapter-level key takeaways, highlighted terms with definitions, and one-click search functionality. This AI tool helps you assess book relevance, explore insights, and connect with related resources, thereby supporting critical thinking and research literacy.