• Have you confirmed your professor's genAI policy? 
  Each professor may have different rules about genAI use in their courses or for specific assignments. Always clarify each professor’s genAI policies before using any genAI tools.
• Are you respecting academic integrity?
  Make sure that using genAI tools align with your professor’s guidelines as well as the College’s academic misconduct policy.
• Is this genAI tool appropriate for your learning goals?
  Consider if genAI tools are enhancing your understanding or simply completing tasks for you. Using genAI inappropriately can hinder your educational experience. For example, if the goal of the assignment is for you to think critically about a text or to develop your writing or coding skills, then using AI to do that work for you would not be appropriate.
• Is the information verifiable? 
  Output from genAI tools isn’t necessarily factually accurate, and the inaccuracies can be difficult to spot unless you’re familiar with the topic. Even if the genAI tool you’re using cites sources, it’s important to verify those sources and the claims being made.

We recommend you always cite the use of a genAI tool just as you would any research source or scientific instrument. Which tool you used, how you used it, and why you used it will matter to the audience engaging with your work, and citing appropriately could guard against potential legal ramifications. We recommend writing a “statement of use” as part of an assignment and/or citing the integration of AI generated materials as part of a bibliography. You should cite any text, images, media, or data analysis you have generated with AI tools. Most disciplinary professional organizations now provide clear citation guidelines and templates, such as the MLA, APA, and Chicago style guides.

• Have you considered your data privacy?
  Avoid entering personal, sensitive, or identifiable information into genAI platforms. Often, genAI systems that are open to the public store, analyze, and train on your data, potentially risking your privacy.
• Do you understand the genAI platform’s privacy policies?
  Always read and understand privacy agreements to make informed decisions about the information you share.

• Are you using genAI for job or internship applications?
  Be aware that companies may have policies regarding genAI use during the application and interview process. Confirm what's acceptable before using genAI tools for resumes, cover letters, and interviewing.

• Have you reached out to Career Services to help you navigate the use of genAI tools for career tips?

  Email career@swarthmore.edu to explore genAI tools to assist you with interviewing, resume writing, and job market preparation.

As you are likely aware, there are many genAI tools available, and they are not all equal. Before using a genAI for any purpose, consider the following:

• Who owns, sponsors, or controls this site? Make sure the company is transparent about the terms and conditions.
• Is the tool compatible with your needs? Was it designed for the purpose or goal you are trying to achieve (such as writing code, analyzing data, making images, editing video, etc.)? Take a look at this rubric to help you decide.
• And finally, did you consult with an expert on campus who can provide you with access to our licensed software supported by ITS? If not, contact Academic Technology at support@swarthmore.edu or Amanda Licastro in the Libraries for help.

Have you weighed the benefits and risks of using genAI platforms? Are the ethical implications worth the use of these platforms for your purposes?

• Did you consider the environmental impact of using this tool?
• Have you considered the potential bias in the data set and how that will impact your results?
• Did you research the labor exploitation used to moderate the content for many genAI platforms and the possible copyright infringement inherent in using these tools? 

Are you offloading critical thinking in a problematic way by using this tool? 

• Librechat in Beta
• Adobe Firefly
• Notebook LM

Prompt engineering is the practice of carefully crafting and refining the instructions or questions (prompts) you provide to genAI tools. When you do have permission to use genAI tools, providing detailed and specific prompts is key to getting the best possible result. Use the tips below to help generate a better prompt.

• Define your audience (who are you communicating with)
• Define your tone (create a persona or rhetorical style)
• Define your scope (use dynamic verbs, provide a date range, data source, or code library)
• Define output (how much text, code, media, data, etc do you need and in what format)
• Provide references - but only materials that you have permission to share with the model

As with any tool, this is an iterative process that requires curiosity and experimentation. Keep an open mind and learn as you try to refine and reimagine your prompts within the same platform or across a variety of tools. Always evaluate your results critically, and check your sources.