How to use AI to research a paper with real citations

Steps

1. Check the rules first. Read your syllabus and the assignment's AI policy. If it's unclear, email your instructor and ask what AI use is allowed and how to disclose it. See AI and school rules.
2. Write your research question yourself. Decide your topic and question before opening any AI tool. The thinking is the assignment.
3. Use AI to find leads, not sources. Ask an AI search tool such as Perplexity, or a deep-research feature, for articles on your question. Treat every link as a lead to check, not a source to cite.
4. Confirm every source exists. Open each link. Find the article on the publisher's site, in your library database, or by its DOI. If you can't find it, or it doesn't say what the AI claimed, drop it. AI tools can make up references that look real.
5. Read the sources and take your own notes. Read at least the abstract, methods, and the parts you'll cite. Write notes in your own words, with page numbers.
6. Save each source in Zotero. Use the Zotero Connector in your browser to save the citation details and PDF. Check the author, year, title, journal, and DOI against the article, since imports can be wrong. More in our citations guide.
7. Write the paper yourself. Draft every sentence yourself. Don't let AI write or rewrite your paper. If your instructor allows it, you can ask AI to quiz you on your sources or point out unclear spots, then fix them yourself.
8. Insert citations with Zotero. Use the Zotero plugin for Word or Google Docs to add in-text citations and build the reference list in APA, MLA, or your required style.
9. Cite or disclose any AI use. If you used AI in a way your instructor allows, cite or disclose it as they ask. APA and MLA both publish official guidance on citing generative AI. See APA: AI references, APA: citing generative AI, and MLA: citing generative AI.
10. Do a final citation check. Before you submit, check that every in-text citation has a reference-list entry, that every entry is a real source you read, and that the details match the original.

A safe prompt for step 3

I'm researching: [your question]. List peer-reviewed articles or books on this, with links or DOIs I can check. Don't summarize findings I haven't read, and say clearly if you're unsure a source exists.

What not to do

• Don’t ask AI to write, rewrite, or “polish” your paper into its own words.
• Don’t cite anything you haven’t opened and read.
• Don’t try to hide AI use. Disclose it the way your instructor asks.