Generative AI - Staff - Australian Catholic University

This guide provides advice for researchers and HDR candidates to help navigate the risks, benefits and appropriate use of generative AI tools to foster innovation and excellence while maintaining research integrity, appropriateness, responsibility and ethics.

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ACU acknowledges the emerging role of Artificial Intelligence and the transformative potential of these technologies in the lives of our staff and students, and the communities we serve.

To support the ACU community the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Council has been established to guide ACU's adoption of AI in its teaching, research and engagement, and to influence good practice with university partners and stakeholders.

The University advocates the responsible use of AI technologies and expects that all generative AI use in research complies with:

the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, including its Supplementary Guides and the ARC Research Integrity Policy.
Australia's AI Ethics Principles, a resource developed by the Department of Industry, Science, and Resources.
the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)'s Position Statement on Authorship and AI Tools in research publications.

ACU AI Guidance Resources

As AI tools and practices continue to develop ACU's stance may evolve. Researchers and HDR candidates are encouraged to regularly check this page for updates, as well as:

AI applications in research

Generative AI (GenAI) can have legitimate and beneficial applications in research processes. Researchers and HDR candidates can use GenAI tools within appropriate operating principles and parameters, such as:

Idea generation - GenAI can brainstorm ideas for research topics or experimental designs.
Data augmentation - GenAI can generate synthetic data to supplement real datasets, enhancing the robustness of research findings and providing additional material for analysis.
Prototype development - GenAI can aid in creating prototypes or simulations for experimental setups, allowing researchers to test hypotheses virtually before conducting physical experiments.
Research paper summarisation - GenAI can summarise complex research papers into concise abstracts, helping students grasp key concepts quickly.
Creative writing exercises - the incorporation of GenAI prompts into creative writing exercises encourages researchers to explore new ideas and writing styles.
Simulated experiments - the development of virtual laboratory simulations using GenAI to simulate experimental conditions and outcomes allows researchers to gain practical experience remotely.

Responsible use considerations

Researchers and research students are ethically and legally responsible for GenAI use. When using AI in research, care should be taken to ensure it is used responsibly in line with the following principles:

Ethics

Ensure that the generated content aligns with ethical standards and does not perpetuate biases or misinformation.

Transparency

Clearly communicate when GenAI is used in research or examination tasks.

Validation

Validate the outputs of GenAI against established methodologies and expert judgment to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Data privacy

Safeguard sensitive data used to train GenAI models and adhere to data protection regulations to maintain privacy and confidentiality.

AI applications in research training

While GenAI can be a valuable tool in research training, supervisors and HDR candidates should understand and apply these guidelines to ensure relevant principles and risks are thoroughly considered.

HDR candidates

While generative AI can have legitimate applications in research, HDR candidates should use it within the specified parameters below and avoid any breaches of research policies or academic integrity.

HDR candidates should

HDR candidates should not

for the purposes of thesis preparation, only use GenAI specifically for copyediting and proofreading and this use should be declared.
discuss with – and seek guidance from – their supervisors on any intended use of GenAI in their research, including how to appropriately acknowledge and cite its use in their academic work.
be transparent by recording and acknowledging tool usage and all prompts when using GenAI.
make a conscious effort to identify, critically examine, and mitigate potential biases, inaccuracies, and ethical concerns in the prompts and outputs of GenAI tools.
develop thoughtful and unbiased prompts, and carefully evaluate the generated content to ensure accuracy, relevance, and veracity.
maintain awareness and comply with ACU and relevant research policies and guidelines.
review each tools terms and consider implications for data sharing and reuse of output.

input sensitive or confidential information into GenAI tools, as it would breach ACU’s Research Code of Conduct and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.
use GenAI to substantially write or redraft text in a thesis. This is considered a breach of the Higher Degree Research Regulations and Preparation and Presentation of a Higher Degree Research Thesis for Examination Guideline, as candidates are required to declare submitted work as their own.
use GenAI to create or manipulate images in their thesis, unless it is part of the disclosed research methodology. ACU will not use third-party detection software to identify AI-generated material in student assessments.

HDR candidates should note:

they will be asked about their use of Generative AI in their research at each progress milestone and will be required to confirm they have used Generative AI in ways that are consistent with ACU policies and guideline and have made due acknowledgement when used.
for the purposes of thesis submission, a series of questions about use of Generative AI are included thesis submission form to preliminary pages will prompt students and supervisors to acknowledge any Generative AI use.

HDR supervisors

While GenAI can be a valuable tool in research training, supervisors of HDR candidates should understand and apply these guidelines to ensure relevant principles and risks are thoroughly considered and conveyed to HDR candidates during research training.

HDR supervisors should

HDR supervisors should not

Clearly define the role of AI-generated content in thesis and publications and provide guidelines for its use.
Design examination tasks that assess not only the ability to generate content but also critical thinking skills and understanding of underlying concepts.
Provide adequate training and support for both students and faculty to ensure effective use of GenAI tools during examinations.
Clearly communicate when GenAI is used in research or examination tasks and provide opportunities for students to understand the limitations and potential biases of AI-generated content.

input sensitive or confidential information into GenAI tools, as it would breach ACU’s Research Code of Conduct and the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

Thesis examiners

All thesis examiners are apprised of the University's stance, emphasising the responsible use of Generative AI aligned with ethical research practices. In addition, they are made aware of the requirements for students in relation to AI, including the responsible conduct of research and the declaration and acknowledgement of any use of AI technologies in their research.

Examiners are advised to thoroughly consider all relevant declarations and acknowledgments concerning the use of GenAI while reviewing and examining students' thesis submissions.

To uphold the confidentiality of thesis examination procedures, examiners are not permitted to employ GenAI technologies, such as ChatGPT, throughout the examination process, including the preparation of their examiner reports.

HDR candidates and supervisors should:

refer to the Institute for Professional Editors Guidelines to understand the appropriate scope of Thesis copyediting and proofreading when using GenAI.
refer to this guide for responsible GenAI use in research, research training and examination and observe research ethics and integrity obligations.
review the Australian Academic Integrity Network (AAIN) Generative Artificial Intelligence Guidelines (2023) when preparing their thesis for examination.

Additional AI Guidance Resources

Organisation	Resource
Australian Academic Integrity Network (AAIN)	Generative Artificial Intelligence Guidelines
Australian Council of Graduate Research (ACGR)	Guidelines for Generative Artificial Intelligence Use in Graduate Research Training
Australian Research Council (ARC)	Policy on Use of Generative AI in the ARC's Grant Programs
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)	Position Statement on Authorship & AI Tools
European Commission	Living Guidelines on the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Research
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)	Policy on Use of Generative AI in Grant Application & Peer Review
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)	AI Resources
Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA)	Using Generative AI in Research: 10 Tips
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)	ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education

Page last updated on 24/02/2025

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Guide for generative AI use in research, research training and examination