These search tools are legitimate ways to find academic papers.  Used in conjunction with more traditional tools like library databases, they are an excellent way to broaden your search and find the academic literature you need. 

The tools mentioned below specialize in explaining and summarising text. However, any general chatbot that allows file uploads can also assist with this. If you open a PDF in the Microsoft Edge browser, you can use Bing Copilot alongside it to ask questions about the text you are reading. 

Any of the general chatbots can help you with generating plans and structures. However, to use chatbots for assignment planning, avoid inputting the full essay question. Break it into key themes. Use the chatbot's structure as a base, then refine it with your own research and ideas to align with your assignment's requirements. Critical thinking and subject knowledge are crucial to enhance the chatbot's suggestions and develop a comprehensive plan.

Most chatbots can help with corrections and giving feedback and it is a good idea to try different ones. When using chatbots to help with your work, think of them as a study buddy who points out where you've gone wrong and gives hints on how to make it right. They won't just hand you the answers or rewrite your work but will nudge you towards fixing the mistakes yourself. This way, you learn to do better next time.

ChatGPT is not a reliable tool for performing complicated computations or mathematical analysis but it is good at explaining concepts and processes. Existing services like the Khan Academy and Wolfram Alpha which focus primarily on science based subjects are now developing tools which incorporate ChatGPT.  However, the Wolfram plugin for ChatGPT is only available through a subscription to ChatGPT 4 whilst Khanmigo is still in development.