Primo Research Assistant is a tool powered by GenAI (specifically LLM) that supports exploring academic content by asking questions in natural language.
"Primo Research Assistant: Ask research questions. Explore new topics. Discover credible sources."
The Primo Research Assistant is a component of OneSearch. It uses content found in your library to identify five documents that may help answer your question by extracting relevant information from the description/abstracts of each source.
The five documents will include articles, eBooks, or other resources available in OneSearch. Each document provides an overview and supplies information about the source. An option for viewing related results will expand your query into OneSearch.
Your question/search is converted into a query that the search engine understands with the help of a Large Language Model (currently GPT 4o-mini). It identifies the "most relevant documents" in the index and ranks them according to how well they can answer the question.
The top five documents is presented. Due to the nature of LLMs, answers to the same question are not always the same. There may be more than one possible answer and different resources that are relevant. If you are not satisfied with your answers, use the “Try again” button.
Clarivate / Primo tools "utilize LLMs to process your input and Clarivate’s licensed content for real-time responses. Neither your input nor the licensed content are stored by the large language model or used for any other purpose than the immediate interaction session. Clarivate does not use your data to directly or indirectly train LLMs" (Clarivate AI Policy).
"Your data is protected and processed securely to uphold its integrity and confidentiality. We strictly adhere to applicable data privacy policies and regulations, ensuring secure handling of your personal data and information. Our tools utilize LLMs to process your input and Clarivate’s licensed content for real-time responses" (Clarivate Data Privacy).
Keep in mind:
It is possible a search will return saying it can not generate any results. It does not necessarily follow that there is nothing available, but that the way the search was entered did not meet criteria set by the LLM - or that the LLM configured is set to "flag" topics or terms.
Take time to restate your query - or return to the main OneSearch page.
Explore how to locate Research Assistant, manage a search, and review an example search for defining social media filter bubbles.
From the navigation bar at the top of every OneSearch page, select the ellipses ...
Enter your research question or select one of the example questions and review suggested topics.
Research history is available (left sidebar); it's possible to revisit previous questions. User may opt to keep or delete any search query.
Research Question:
What are the main points of the book the narrative life of Frederick Douglass
Everything Search: Initial search conducted without any filters in place; sources returned included five books with dates ranging from 2007 - 2023. Three of the five sources are not available in Archer Library's collection or online. The remaining two items are eBooks.
Overview of sources:
"The *Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass* presents a detailed autobiographical account of Douglass’s life in slavery, his eventual escape to freedom, and his critical analysis of slavery as a social and moral condition. The work is recognized for its powerful eloquence and detailed recounting of the author’s experiences as a slave and his journey toward liberation, which played a significant role in the abolitionist movement of the early 19th century" (Research Assistant Overview).
Research Question:
What are the main points of the book the narrative life of Frederick Douglass
Article search: Conducted with filters in place for journal articles, all dates, and available online. Five items returned were journal articles with publication dates ranging from 2008-2025). All of the items are available in library databases. .
Overview of sources:
"The *Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass* presents a detailed account of Douglass’s experiences as a slave and his journey toward freedom and self-education. It exposes the internal workings of the slavery system, highlighting how it dehumanizes both slaves and masters, and illustrates the strategies Douglass developed to attain physical and psychological liberation through self-education and resistance . The narrative also serves as a testimony of the internal world of slaves, aiming to influence moral, social, and political change by linking the history of slavery with the potential for individuality and freedom" (Research Assistant Overview)..
