Welcome to ERAM 590: AI and Academic Literature. This course addresses a fundamental question: how do we conduct scholarly research in an era of generative AI?
Course Overview
This course is both foundational and future-oriented:
- Foundational: How to develop a rigorous literature review
- Future-Oriented: How AI is impacting scholarship
- Practical: Mix of theory and hands-on application
Weekly Structure
- Week 1: Research Topic and Question
- Week 2: Anatomy of a Journal Article / Mapping a Field
- Week 3: Vibe Scholarship - AI for Close and Distant Reading
- Week 4: Reading Challenging Texts with AI / Writing Styles
- Week 5: Structuring the Literature Review
- Week 6: Sociology of Knowledge and Reflexivity
- Week 7: Final Review and Acknowledging AI
Key Concepts
Vibe Scholarship
| Qualities | Coding | Scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional | Waterfall | Individualized |
| Collaborative | Agile | Interdisciplinary |
| AI-Assisted | Vibe Coding | Vibe Scholarship |
The Literature Review Recipe
- Define your research question
- Search and map the field
- Read closely and distantly
- Identify gaps and contributions
- Structure your argument
- Write with appropriate framing language
Assessment
Students develop a literature review throughout the course, with iterative feedback and revision opportunities.
Learning objectives
- Develop a comprehensive literature review on a chosen topic
- Master techniques for close and distant reading with AI
- Understand the sociology of knowledge and reflexivity
- Apply AI tools ethically and effectively in scholarship
Course materials
Lecture notes and workshop materials from this course.
Reading list
- Can the Subaltern Speak?
- The Sociology of Knowledge