Google Gemini is the general-purpose generative AI tool licensed by TMU. It is available to TMU employees as of April 29, 2025, and to students later in 2025. Institutional access prevents Google from using if for training purposes.
Does Gemini search academic articles?
Can I use Gemini to search Omni or library databases?
Does Gemini search the library’s print and ebook collection?
How is Gemini different from using Omni or library databases? What can I use Gemini for?
Can I upload information and data from library journals and databases on to Gemini?
Can I upload information and data from public domain and Creative Commons licensed works to Gemini?
Does Gemini cite academic articles accurately?
Is my Intellectual Property (IP) safe on Gemini?
Who owns the copyright of what Gemini creates for me?
Can I publish output from Gemini?
Where can I get Gemini support at TMU?
How do I evaluate information generated by Gemini?
What should I consider before using Gemini for research?
Will the library computers have access to Gemini?
Gemini can find citations and content from free, online academic articles, particularly in Deep Research mode, but it is limited: it does not have access to journals that are subscription-based. It gives a mix or correct and incorrect citations, even in Deep Research mode. Library databases, Omni and Google Scholar are built for searching for academic articles, so they are more effective. TMU Libraries subscribes to academic journals that you can access through the library site but not through Gemini. Learn more [[LINK COMING April 29]] about how generating information is different from searching.
Gemini can’t access Omni or library databases. There are select library databases with AI tools that allow for searching, summarizing or generating information. Here is a list.
Omni is a better option for searching the library’s collection. Gemini does not have a my.torontomu.ca login, so it is not able to access the library’s collection.
Omni and library databases are collections, full of carefully selected resources TMU libraries or library partners own or subscribe to.
Gemini is more like an assistant that can tap into a variety of information across the internet: the information isn’t vetted but may be useful for helping you brainstorm ideas, summarize complex topics, find connections between different subjects, and generate creative content.
So, use Omni and library databases when you need reliable, scholarly sources, market research, reliable data and specific information within our collections. Try Gemini when you're in the early stages of research, exploring broad topics, or need a different way to synthesize information. Learn more about what it is useful for, and what its limitations are.
In general, no. The library’s electronic resources have license agreements that do not allow licensed and copyrighted content to be uploaded to third party platforms. Also note that Google’s Privacy and Security information states the following: “Google Gemini should also only be used to transmit information classified as ‘low’ sensitivity or ‘public’.”
The library has a few license agreements that allow limited use of licensed content with an AI tool in a closed environment/secure network for non-commercial research and academic use. Only limited portions of content can be used, and licensed content cannot be used to train algorithms of third-party tools. This is an evolving area that may change based on future legal cases and legislation. Please contact the library at erm@torontomu.ca for more details on current licensing terms for specific electronic resources.
Since public domain material does not have copyright protection, you can upload documents that are in the public domain to Gemini without having to worry about copyright. If you upload material that is licensed under a Creative Commons license be aware of the conditions allowed, as some Creative Commons licenses do not allow remixing, or commercial use for example. As well, make sure you attribute the original source and the Creative Commons licence if you are remixing the work or making a summary.
In some cases it does, but it is not as reliable as citation generators like Zotero, or the citations generated in Omni or library databases.
Share information that is considered public or "low sensitivity" on Gemini. Learn more about data protection in Gemini.
Copyright only covers work that is generated by a human. If you add significant human input into editing, revising and adapting AI created work, it may be more likely to be eligible for copyright protection but copyright for AI generated works remains uncertain under Canadian laws. Also there is no guarantee that the content that you create may not be identical to the output that another person also receives from Gemini, so the output may not be original. Copyright protection in Canada only applies to original works. There is also a concern copyright-wise if you claim to have generated the work yourself, and don’t cite that the work was significantly created by AI.
Can I publish output from Gemini?
You can publish output from AI but be aware that currently in Canadian copyright laws AI generated outputs are not copyright protected. Many publishers state in their terms how to document AI use for submissions to their journals. These include noting that some uses may not need to be documented such as spell-checking. It would be wise to document that you used AI in the creation of your work as the copyright status of AI generated works with significant human mediation is uncertain.
The Gemini Help Centre from Computing and Communications Services (CCS) has general and technical information on Gemini including an introduction, specifications, practical uses and more. CCS also offers guidelines on responsible use.
The Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching offers resources on prompts for teaching, GenAI literacy, syllabus statement examples, and other teaching-related information.
The Library has created a guide for how to cite AI in multiple different styles, including APA, MLA, and Chicago Manual of Style. It includes examples with Gemini and ChatGPT.
Generally, licensed versions of LLMs have greater capabilities than free versions and allow for more prompts. TMU Gemini also does not collect your prompts for training purposes.
AI integrated into library databases uses the information within the database to generate an answer (like Statista) or summarizes articles within the database (like Proquest One Business). Rarely will they reference information outside of the database.
Like all AI tools, Gemini can make mistakes. Information generated by Gemini should always be critically evaluated.
There are a variety of ways to evaluate information. A recommended method is VALID-AI for AI-generated information.
You should follow Policy 60: Academic Integrity and other relevant policies that may apply. For more information on Academic Integrity and AI, see Artificial Intelligence FAQs from the Academic Integrity Office. It’s also important to consider some of the issues and limitations with using AI.
Yes, Gemini only requires users to login with the my.torontomu.ca login to access: it’s accessible on computers with internet access.