VIU student studying in the campus library

Use of AI in Graduate Studies

The Office of Graduate Studies has participated in a number of working groups both at VIU and with other Canadian universities (via the Western Deans of Graduate Studies and the Canadian Association of Graduate Studies) to create guidelines and relevant resources to assist graduate programs and students to best navigate the use of AI in the graduate context.

In addition to the OGS further support in the use of AI is available from the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning and the Office of the General Counsel and University Secretary. 

It can be a bit overwhelming. 

We recommend starting with familiarizing yourself with VIU's policies and procedures on Academic Integrity, Responsible Conduct of Research, and VIU's data privacy and security guidelines. 

Next, the Western Deans of Graduate Studies provides a set of recommended practices on the use of GenAI for graduate and postdoctoral stakeholders. Topics include: writing, research, citations & references, application proposals, scholarship and award application proposals, and university-wide responsibilities and considerations.

Generative AI and Graduate and Postdoctoral Research and Supervision

From the Western Canadian Deans of Graduate Studies 

Resources

VIU's Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning, The CIEL Blog, Academic Integrity and Generative AI: Best Practices.

University of Alberta Centre for Teaching and Learning. (2023a). About Generative AI.
University of Alberta’s Centre for Teaching and Learning.
https://www.ualberta.ca/centre-for-teaching-and-learning/teaching-toolkit/teaching-in-th
e-context-of-ai/generative-ai.html

Duke University. (2023). Artificial Intelligence Policies: Guidelines and Considerations. Duke Learning Innovation.

https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/ai-and-teaching-at-duke-2/artificial-intelligence-policies-in-syllabi-guidelines-and-considerations/

Stanford University Office of Community Standards. (2023, February 16). Generative AI Policy Guidance.

https://communitystandards.stanford.edu/generative-ai-policy-guidance

Morrow, J.A. (2023, July 17) Using ChatGPT to Develop Survey Questions: A Survey Researcher’s Experience Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Item Development. Emerging Dialogues in Assessment

https://www.aalhe.org/emerging-dialogues---using-chatgpt-to-develop-survey-questions--a-survey-researcher-s-experience-using-artificial-intelligence--ai--for-item-development

University of Michigan. (2023, August 16). Using Generative AI for Scientific Research: A Quick User’s Guide. MIDAS.

https://midas.umich.edu/generative-ai-user-guide/

University of Southern California. (2023, August 14). Research Guides: Using Generative AI in Research: Using of Generative AI in Scholarship & Research.

https://libguides.usc.edu/generative-AI/scholarship-research

University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies. (2023, August 9). Guidance on the
Appropriate Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Graduate Theses.
https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/about/guidance-on-the-use-of-generative-artificial-intelligence/

Shiri, A. (2023, February 2). ChatGPT and Academic Integrity. Information Matters.
https://informationmatters.org/2023/02/chatgpt-and-academic-integrity/

University of Alberta Centre for Teaching and Learning. (2023b). AI-Squared—Artificial
Intelligence and Academic Integrity. University of Alberta’s Centre for Teaching and
Learning.
https://www.ualberta.ca/centre-for-teaching-and-learning/teaching-toolkit/teaching-in-th
e-context-of-ai/artificial-intelligence-academic-integrity.html#

Vancouver Island University, Faculty of Science and Technology. (2023). Academic Integrity.
https://scitech.viu.ca/academic-integrity

The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. (2023, July). Generative AI in
Academic Writing. The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/generative-ai-in-academic-writing/

University of Alberta Library Services. (2023, September 15). Subject Guides: Citation and Reference Management: ChatGPT & Generative AI.
https://guides.library.ualberta.ca/citing/ai

VIU's Library has put together a selected list on policies developed by academic publishers on the use of generative AI.

University of Waterloo. (2023, July 25). Frequently Asked Questions: ChatGPT and generative
AI in teaching and learning at the University of Waterloo.
https://uwaterloo.ca/associate-vice-president-academic/frequently-asked-questions-chatgpt-and-generative-ai