Artificial intelligence in academic research: A study of its use among PHD scholars
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Date
2025-08-22
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Central Department of library and information Science ,T.U Kirtipur
Abstract
The study entitled “Artificial Intelligence in Academic Research: A Study of Its Use
Among PhD Scholars” explores the utilization of AI among academic researchers,
particularly PhD students from the faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Tribhuvan
University. Its objectives were to identify the commonly used AI tools, explore the
scholars’ perspectives, and assess ethical concerns. A review of more than fifty
interdisciplinary studies highlighted AI’s growing role in literature reviews, data analysis,
publishing, and academic integrity, which also pointed out the gaps in training and ethical
guidelines. A qualitative research design was employed, using purposive sampling to select
14 PhD scholars with relevant experience in AI usage. Data were collected through the in
depth, semi-structured interview guided by prepared questions. Data analysis followed the
thematic analysis approach, focusing on identifying the key themes that emerged from
various data. The most commonly used AI tool found was ChatGPT during the early stage
of their PhD journey, i.e., for reviewing the literature. The researchers are positive towards
the ethical use of AI, but some have fears of plagiarism detection and the risks of bias.
Most of the scholars viewed AI as supportive assistants rather than replacements for
intellectual effort. However, scholars were worried about issues like plagiarism, mistakes
in context, and possible bias in AI results. Even though they saw AI as helpful for saving
time and supporting creativity, they emphasized the need for responsible and ethical use.
The major limitations of the study were the small sample size, single institutional focus
and the rapidly evolving nature of AI technologies, which may affect the long-term
relevance of results. The study also suggests structured AI training programs, development
of ethical guidelines and integration of AI literacy into curricula to foster responsible,
equitable and effective use of AI in doctoral research.
Key words: Artificial intelligence, Research-Technology, AI-Ethical Aspects
Description
This thesis related to artificial intelligence in PHD
Keywords
1 Artificial intelligence 2, 2Research-Technology
Citation
Poudel,Monika(2025).Artificial intelligence in academic research: A study of its use among PHD scholars.[Master's thesis T.U]. https://elibrary.tucdlis.edu.np/