At North Carolina Central University, you have access to tools and support that can make your research faster, smarter, and more efficient—while staying academically responsible. Here's how to enhance your research experience:
Elicit.org – AI-powered assistant for summarizing and exploring scholarly research based on your questions.
Connected Papers – Discover related research and visualize how academic articles connect.
Semantic Scholar – Free search engine using AI to prioritize influential and relevant papers.
ChatGPT – Generate outlines, summaries, or academic ideas. Recommended: verify with peer-reviewed sources.
Gemini (by Google) – Accessible with your NCCU Google account. Useful for drafting and question exploration.✅ Reminder: NCCU encourages ethical use—always cite your sources and avoid AI plagiarism.
Zotero – Free tool to save and cite sources across browsers and writing platforms.
Mendeley – Manage PDFs, generate citations, and collaborate with other researchers.
Library Tip: Ask your librarian for help installing Zotero or syncing it with Word/Google Docs.
Microsoft Excel (with AI features) – Use NCCU's Microsoft 365 subscription to enhance data analysis with smart fill, trends, and Copilot.
Data Science Support (NCCU-specific) – Contact your library or department to access help with tools like SPSS, R, or Python.
In today’s AI-driven world, being digitally literate means more than knowing how to use a computer—it means understanding how technology shapes communication, research, learning, and ethical decision-making. NCCU is committed to helping students, faculty, and staff become informed, critical, and empowered users of digital and AI tools.
Digital literacy includes the ability to:
Navigate and evaluate digital tools and platforms
Assess the credibility of online information
Understand how algorithms and AI affect what you see
Use technology ethically and responsibly in academic and professional settings
At NCCU, digital literacy is foundational to success in all disciplines—from STEM to social sciences, education, and the arts.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are part of a new digital landscape. Understanding how they work—and how to use them responsibly—is key to digital literacy.
What to Know:
AI can generate, summarize, and analyze content—but it can also hallucinate (make up) information.
AI reflects the data it was trained on, which may include biases—users must think critically.
Responsible AI use means citing content, verifying facts, and knowing where AI’s role ends and your own thinking begins.
Learning to use AI thoughtfully prepares you for academic success and career readiness.
NCCU’s LibGuides – Start with guides like this one to explore AI tools and digital research strategies.
Digital Literacy Lab (if applicable) – A space for hands-on exploration of digital tools and media.
LinkedIn Learning (Free with NCCU login) – Courses like:
AI Foundations
Digital Literacy for Professionals
Ethics in the Age of AI🎓 Ask your instructor or librarian about integrating these into your course or learning path.
Understand data privacy, intellectual property, and academic integrity in the age of AI.
Use the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy as a foundation for ethical digital practices.
NCCU’s Academic Integrity Policy applies to AI use—check with your professor or librarian before using AI-generated content in assignments.
James E. Shepard Memorial Library: Workshops, consultations, and digital learning sessions
Faculty Development Center: For instructors interested in teaching with AI or enhancing digital literacy outcomes
IT Services: Help with accessing tools like Microsoft Copilot or Google Workspace with AI features
Effective data management and analysis are essential skills for academic success and research integrity. Whether you're working on a class project, a thesis, or a faculty-led study, organizing, protecting, and analyzing your data properly ensures reliability, accuracy, and reproducibility. NCCU offers tools and guidance to support every step of this process.
Data management includes how you collect, store, organize, and preserve your data throughout the research lifecycle. Good data management helps you:
Avoid data loss or corruption
Comply with funding and institutional requirements
Share findings responsibly and ethically
Save time when analyzing or revisiting your data
NCCU encourages early planning through data management plans (DMPs) for faculty and student research.
Free tools to help with data management planning:
DMPTool (dmptool.org): Helps create data management plans that meet NSF, NIH, and other funder requirements
Google Drive (available via NCCU email): Use for organizing and sharing files, with version control
OneDrive (included with NCCU Microsoft 365): Secure, cloud-based storage for research files
NCCU supports a variety of tools to help you analyze quantitative and qualitative data, whether you're working in science, business, health, education, or the humanities.
Commonly supported and/or free tools:
Excel (with NCCU Microsoft 365): Ideal for small-scale analysis, descriptive statistics, and graphing
SPSS: Available in campus labs for advanced statistical analysis in social sciences
R and RStudio: Free, open-source tools for statistical computing and data visualization
Python with Jupyter Notebooks: For advanced data science, machine learning, or automation
NVivo or ATLAS.ti: Used for qualitative data analysis and thematic coding (check availability with your department or library)
If you’re just getting started, try:
CODAP (codap.concord.org): A free, browser-based tool for visualizing and exploring data
Datawrapper or RAWGraphs: Tools for creating charts and visualizations without coding
Always back up your data in more than one place (e.g., local and cloud storage)
Use clear file naming conventions and folder structures
Document your data (who collected it, when, how, and what each variable means)
Know your data rights and responsibilities, especially when working with human subjects (check with the NCCU IRB for compliance)
James E. Shepard Memorial Library: Offers research consultations and workshops on data tools and best practices
Faculty mentors and research advisors: Can help you choose appropriate tools for your discipline
NCCU IT Services: Assistance with software access like Microsoft Excel, OneDrive, or SPSS
Online courses via LinkedIn Learning (free with NCCU login): Includes Excel for Data Analysis, Python for Beginners, and Managing and Analyzing Data
Whether you're organizing a spreadsheet or building a statistical model, the right data practices will strengthen your work. NCCU is here to support your success at every stage of the research process.