No AI detection tools have been approved by eSolutions or by the University Data Protection and Privacy Office because they raise significant implications for privacy, equity and data security. There is also a lack of evidence as to whether they are effective or reliable. Read more here.
Students are asked the following questions in relation to AI upon submission of their thesis:
1. Do you confirm that any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the thesis has been appropriately described and acknowledged, following general academic integrity practices?
Yes / No / N/A
2. Do you certify that all editorial assistance in the writing of the thesis has been appropriately described and acknowledged, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) ie: GenAI?
Yes / No
The research process varies considerably across disciplines, as will the way different researchers use AI.
AI can be used by PhD researchers in many ways:
Supporting your Literature Review
Academic Writing
Learning Content
Data and Analysis
Research Ideas and Design
Referencing and Presentations
At each milestone you and your supervisors will be asked about (and able to discuss) your use of AI. This is an ideal opportunity to get clear, discipline specific advice.
While not specifically designed for graduate research students, you can read a helpful introduction to using GenAI for writing and summarising information published by Student Academic Success here.
While the current regulations have been developed and refined across a short period of time, the fundamental principles underpinning responsible AI use are robust and consistent with the expectations of responsible research more generally. Maintaining a clear focus on authorship, transparency and recording
of how you use AI will enable you to meet new regulatory requirements as they arise and at the point of submitting your work for examination or publication. Talk regularly with your supervisors and colleagues to keep informed about changes and trends in AI use in your field.
All graduate research students should be able to access the AI tools outlined on this page.
If you encounter any issues, please email graduate-research@monash.edu and our team will follow up.
Each journal will have its own specific requirements around the use of AI and how it needs to be acknowledged, so it's important to check with these well ahead of when you plan to submit your work for publication.
It is possible to use GenAI to draft and code, if the use is appropriately acknowledged, but your understanding and ownership of the output is critical.
All GenAI use should be declared where required, such as during milestones, at the point of examination or publication. It is important to be transparent: to discuss with your supervisors and Milestone panel, and to declare as part of your examination and publication.
Ultimately, if you choose to use generative AI in your research, it must be done ethically, responsibly, and transparently. You should always ensure that its use aligns with principles of academic integrity, protects participant confidentiality, and that the interpretation and analysis remain your own.
The ideas in the ‘How can AI be used responsibly throughout a HDR student's candidature?’ FAQ will give you some thoughts as to how GenAI could be useful for your research – but there are no expectations that you use the new tools available or that you make use of them frequently.
You can also discuss with your supervisors what might be helpful. We recommend starting with the Monash licensed platforms here.
Honest and transparent conversations with supervisors about how you use GenAI - including tools supported by Monash - is an important part of demonstrating you are using the new tools responsibly and with a focus on the principles of research integrity. This could include sharing information around what prompts you have used and how you have validated the outputs so that they can be assured that the work you produce is your own: understood by you and consistent with the norms of your discipline.
Please see the Guidance Note on the use of Generative AI in Research Training & Examination for further information and resources.
