Abstract
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into academic research, its role in shaping student research skills demands critical examination (Lan & Henderson, 2023). AI-powered tools such as ChatGPT, Elicit, and Scopus AI provide students with unprecedented access to information, yet their impact on information literacy, critical thinking, and ethical research practices remains contested. While some argue that AI tools democratize access to knowledge and streamline research workflows, others raise concerns about cognitive offloading, bias, and misinformation. This study examines how AI influences students’ abilities to locate, evaluate, and synthesize academic sources through a combination of survey research, qualitative interviews, and textual analysis. By analyzing student and faculty perceptions, as well as AI-assisted research outputs, the study identifies key challenges and opportunities in integrating AI into research instruction. Further, this research seeks to explore pedagogical strategies that balance AI’s benefits with the development of essential critical thinking and analytical skills. The findings contribute to best practices for AI-enhanced research instruction, ensuring that students maintain academic integrity while effectively leveraging AI for scholarly inquiry. By addressing both the affordances and risks of AI-assisted research, this study offers actionable insights for educators striving to enhance student research literacy in an AI-driven academic landscape.
Presenters
Brad CurabbaSenior Instructor, Department of English, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE, United Arab Emirates
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
AI-Assisted Research, Information Literacy, Critical Thinking, Academic Integrity
