EBSCO has introduced AI Conversational Search, a new feature designed to offer a more intuitive way to explore academic content and develop research questions.

Part of the EBSCOhost AI Research Companion suite, this guided, chat-based experience allows users to formulate questions in natural language. The tool uses artificial intelligence to generate concise answers supported by citations, helping students and researchers identify relevant information and continue exploring a topic through follow-up questions.

Results are organised into two complementary panels. The left-hand panel presents an AI-generated summary of the main ideas related to the question, including citation indicators. The right-hand panel displays the publications supporting the statements contained in the summary, allowing users to consult the evidence and access the original sources.

This structure brings together three important stages of the research process: exploring the literature, obtaining an initial synthesis of the information and verifying the sources behind the generated response. It can therefore provide a useful starting point for becoming familiar with a topic, identifying key concepts and locating relevant publications for further reading.

AI Conversational Search is one of four features included in the EBSCOhost AI Research Companion suite, alongside Ask This Document, AI Insights and AI-Assisted Search. According to EBSCO, the conversational search feature is currently available exclusively through Business Source Ultimate on the Business Searching Interface.

As with any AI-supported research tool, generated answers should be reviewed critically and checked against the original publications. AI Conversational Search does not replace detailed reading or academic evaluation, but it can help users navigate trusted content and begin their research more efficiently.

Learn more about the EBSCOhost AI Research Companion features.