It’s clear that the use of AI technology is on the rise and transforming many aspects of modern society, one of which is the academic research space. But how to use AI effectively and ethically within academic research is complex and challenging. This is because it affects researchers, writers, publishing houses, educational institutions, students and the wider academic community. Here, we explore the different ways that AI can help when researching and writing, while also being ethical and maintaining academic integrity.
How AI tools can be helpful
AI tools can support researchers, writers and students during their academic research process, including the wordsmithing and research stages. The University of Arizona defines wordsmithing tasks as those that don’t involve searching and are related to idea generation and development. They form the building blocks for creating academic research papers by focusing on writing levels and style.
As highlighted in a Harvard Business Publishing article, using AI in academic research can be your partner, not your replacement. Namely, in the academic sector, generative AI can help increase the efficiency of the writing process and allow researchers to communicate their findings more clearly.
A 2024 systematic review found that AI can support academic writing and research by helping to manage complex ideas and comprehensive information. It provided 6 core ways it may be useful: generating ideas, structuring content, synthesising literature, managing data, editing content, and complying with ethical requirements.
So, AI tools can speed up part of the writing and research process. This may mean academic journals can enter the widespread food industry quicker, enabling fellow researchers to draw upon their findings and start their studies sooner. Ultimately this will bring more research into the publishing sphere at a faster rate. AI tools can also help support researchers, whose native language is not English, to write and gather information more easily and efficiently. This shows that AI can make information more accessible and allow the research and writing processes to be more personalised.
Legitimate uses of AI tools in academic research and writing
We can also identify more specific tasks that AI tools can help us with in both academic research and writing processes. In terms of research, AI can help with tasks such as finding gaps in scientific research; verifying findings; identifying web pages, journal articles and blogs that answer questions; and maintaining a digital audit trail to improve transparency.
Alternatively, AI can support ideation and writing in tasks like creating ideas for food research and examples of existing academia; suggesting keywords to enter into library databases; checking for spelling and grammatical errors; modifying the writing level of language and writing styles used; and predicting and editing content based on expected reviewer feedback.
These can all be legitimate uses of AI tools, but remember: AI can be a helpful assistant, but you must verify and properly interrogate any AI-provided material. The latest chapter of our Best Practice for Literature Searching guide provides more examples of tasks where AI can assist in these two academic areas.
The technology of generative AI tools and the research community's understanding of responsible use in academia is constantly evolving. Always be sure to refer to the plagiarism and academic integrity policies at your institution for specific requirements.
Concerns about using AI tools in academic research and writing
With AI rapidly on the rise due to the arrival of its more advanced evolution, generative AI, academic institutions from schools, colleges, universities and professional development organisations have concerns about the rapid increase of the technology in education.
Now, peer-reviewed academic journals are also worried about the rate and level at which AI is being deployed to support researchers with writing—from creating research outlines and drafts to completing entire papers.
As the UK Research Integrity Office (UKRIO) states, in some cases where AI tools have replaced academic endeavours, rather than assisting and enhancing, this can breach research integrity or be considered research misconduct in serious circumstances. AI is a significant asset in research and writing, but there are threats and risks if it’s not used appropriately or if it is solely relied upon.
For example, without undergoing a vetting procedure by publishing houses or academics disclosing AI tools in their work, using AI tools may be considered plagiarism. AI tools could also result in the spread of fake references and insights, producing an inaccurate and non-credible picture of the food research space. The added problem of failing to make the use of AI clear and exactly how and where it’s been used in the journal article is another issue affecting academia.
Other issues, such as the accuracy of results, credibility and trust, are important to be aware of when deciding to use AI tools. In particular, there are downsides to using tools like ChatGPT for a scientific literature search compared to subject-specific databases like FSTA® (Food Science and Technology Abstracts).
Balancing effectiveness with ethical issues
Generally, there’s no standard definition or response to using AI tools in academic research. This makes it harder for researchers to know the do’s and don’ts of using AI tools to assist them in their research. Typically, the rule of thumb is that journal policies specify that it’s the author’s responsibility to ensure the validity of information provided by AI.
The use of AI in academic research appears to be becoming a field of study in its own right. Guillaume Cabanac, a professor of computer science at the University of Toulouse explored this subject in 2021. With his team, Cabanac identified several telltale signs of text generator use in academic research, including “tortured phrases”, complicated or convoluted wordplay instead of simple terminology.
AI detection tools are one way to counter unethical uses of AI and a lack of vetting or disclosure. In 2023, researchers studied using a tool that can review science writing and differentiate with 99% accuracy those written by a human and those created by ChatGPT. Rather than building a “one-size-fits-all” approach, the researchers sought to develop an accurate tool focused on a narrow type of writing.
As AI only becomes more advanced, academia needs to prioritise education on AI tools and the opportunities and challenges associated with their use to retain scientific integrity, trust and credibility.
At IFIS Publishing, we recognise that the advancing technology and conversations around it are increasing, so as AI continues to develop, key educational resources are essential to support researchers and writers throughout their academic research. Our popular Best Practice for Literature Searching guide now features a new chapter on the use of AI tools to help steer effective literature searching while maintaining scientific integrity. The chapter also includes an interesting case study comparing 5 of the leading AI tools and the information they provide around nutrition. This may be useful when deciding which AI platform, if any, you decide to use to aid future research and writing.
This article is based on the new chapter, Using AI in Academic Research, from the Best Practice for Literature Searching guide, written by Natasha Spencer and with additional contributions by Eleanor Widdows.
