Primo VE Research Assistant: First Impressions

Primo VE Research Assistant: First Impressions

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Thursday, October 31, 2024 - 11:00am to 12:00pm

Join the CARLI Discovery Primo VE Committee to explore and discuss the new AI-powered Research Assistant in Primo VE.

Note: This session was NOT RECORDED to encourage open discussion. Session Slides

Takeaways from the webinar:

  • Research Assistant uses CDI metadata and abstracts, not full-text, to suggest resources. It does not return local collections. Libraries should keep an eye on Ex Libris's documentation, since the content scope is liable to change. Currently, there are several exclusions, including news content and collections from certain providers (JSTOR, Elsevier, etc.). Content from providers who do not participate in the CDI (e.g., EBSCO) is also excluded unless there are overlapping records from participating providers.
  • Content scope limitations are not clear to users.
  • Searches conducted using Research Assistant are automatically set to “expand beyond my library” and this cannot currently be customized. As a result, sources may be returned for which a user does not have access. Conversely, due to the scope limitations, results often don’t include resources users do have access to.
  • Default labels may be misleading for users (e.g., "the 5 most relevant sources"). Labels can be configured in Configuration > Discovery > Display Configuration > Labels > Research Assistant Labels.
  • Research Assistant may be useful for novice searchers and to illustrate how searches are created. Selecting “View More Results” will display the search terms being used, which can help explain keyword selection and Boolean searching. This set of results will include the providers whose abstracts were not included in the first set of AI results such as JSTOR. The constructed searches, however, are limited to extended OR keyword phrase searches.
  • Research Assistant is a search aid and does not attempt to do all the work for users, which may make it more suitable for students than other generative AI tools.
  • The tool may or may not fit within an institution’s AI policies. Libraries should investigate before enabling Research Assistant.
  • Ex Libris’s release of this feature gives them a competitive advantage by promoting that they have an AI-powered assistant. Libraries do not have to accept a tool that does not suit their needs and can continue asking for updates until they are ready to implement it.
  • After the webinar, CARLI distributed a survey asking participants for their biggest takeaway from the session. 26 responded with most agreeing that the tool wasn’t yet ready to implement.

More about the Primo VE Research Assistant:

The Primo Research Assistant was released by Ex Libris on September 9, 2024 to all customers.  According to Ex Libris, the "Primo Research Assistant helps users find an easy starting point for their research by leveraging the power of generative AI."

Ex Libris documentation about the Research Assistant:

I-Share Libraries can test out the Primo Research Assistant now without putting it in front of users by turning it ON in a Primo VE "Test View." This Test View can only be accessed through a specific URL so library staff can test the feature internally.  For more information on how to create a Test View, see CARLI’s Primo VE Views documentation.