GENERATIVE AI: ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, ETHICS, AND RESPONSIBLE USE
TASK 1: How much do you know about Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)?
A. Discuss the following questions.
1. What is GenAI?
2. How does GenAI work?
3. What can GenAI be used for?
4. What are some examples of GenAI technologies that you know of?
5. Have you ever used it? If yes, for which purposes have you used it? Were the GenAI responses
effective and helpful for you?
6. Have you ever experienced any negative consequences of using GenAI?
B. Fact Check on GenAI: Write T for True and F for False.
________ 1. The 'heartless' Tin Man from “The Wizard of Oz” is an early example of how artificial
intelligence has been portrayed in popular culture.
________ 2. Alan Turing suggested machines can use reasoning to
solve problems.
________ 3. Deep Blue, IBM’s computer program, did not have the
ability to beat humans on chess during the late 1990s.
________ 4. In 2017, scientists at The Facebook Artificial Intelligence
Research Lab developed two chatbots that invented their
own language and ended up being shut down.
________ 5. The AI-generated artwork "Portrait of Edmond de Belamy" was sold at an auction for
$432,500 in 2018.
________ 6. OpenAI’s GPT-3 model can only generate text in English.
________ 7. GenAI technologies can be used to diagnose diseases, reduce energy consumption, and
predict natural disasters.
________ 8. AI-generated art has been banned from major art galleries worldwide due to its potential to
replace human artists.
________ 9. Microsoft’s chatbot Tay, designed to interact with people on Twitter, started tweeting
offensive and inappropriate messages within 24 hours after being influenced by other
users' tweets, leading to its shutdown.
________ 10. AI-generated content cannot be protected by copyright law and is considered public
domain.
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C. Tick the boxes for the correct statements.
AI responses are…
❑ opinion-based
❑ constantly based on reliable research
❑ grammatically accurate
❑ potentially biased
❑ authentic
❑ a synthesis of vast data sources
❑ consistently factual/accurate
❑ fast-paced
❑ non-repetitive and concise
❑ continuously generated if necessary
D. List some possible PROs and CONs of GenAI.
PROs CONs
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GenAI Use in METU MLD English Courses
Goals
Writing goals of the ENG 101, ENG 102, ENG 211, and ENG 311 courses include helping students to:
1. write texts of different sorts (paragraph writing, essay writing, source evaluation, job application
documents, etc.),
2. think critically by engaging in analysis, evaluation, synthesis, and reasoning,
3. express themselves fluently, clearly, and concisely when writing,
4. be proactive in using feedback to improve their writing skills.
Speaking goals of the ENG 101, ENG 102, ENG 211, and ENG 311 courses include helping students to:
1. speak effectively in different contexts and for various purposes (discussions, presentations, debates,
interviews, etc.),
2. think critically by engaging in analysis, evaluation, synthesis, and reasoning in spoken communication,
3. produce and express sound and solid arguments and opinions supported by evidence,
4. express themselves fluently, and clearly when speaking.
To achieve these goals, different tasks are assigned to students to complete either in or outside of class.
Using generative AI tools like ChatGPT to write or rewrite your text/presentation or discussion script for you
is NOT permitted in this course because this interferes with the learning objectives listed above.
All graded written work will be submitted to Turnitin, and the AI percentage generated by Turnitin will be used
to detect AI use in the submitted work. If Turnitin detects AI use in a student’s submitted work, they will be
penalized based on the academic misconduct policy of the Department of Modern Languages.
TASK 2: Read the statements below and decide whether they are acceptable or not. Write A for
acceptable and M for academic misconduct.
Getting an AI tool to:
________ 1. offer words/expressions (using it as a dictionary- thesaurus/dictionary of collocations/etc.)
________ 2. produce a full text in response to a prompt
________ 3. produce part of a text written by the student in response to a prompt
________ 4. get feedback on one’s work
________ 5. edit a full text written by the student in response to a prompt
________ 6. edit a part of a text written by the student in response to a prompt
________ 7. check the grammar in a few sentences of a text written by the student in response to a
prompt (using it as a language editing tool)
________ 8. get some ideas on which to do research (using it as a search engine) about a prompt
________ 9. practice discussion (seminar/debate/interview) skills
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TASK 3: Match the prompts below with their purpose and decide whether they are acceptable or a
case of academic misconduct. Some of the prompts might have more than one purpose.
A/M Prompts Purposes
______ 1. Can you think of any work of fiction on the theme x?
______ 2. Answer this prompt in 700 words: How does ….?
a. To use AI to get ideas
______ 3. Rewrite this text in a more academic and formal (examples, etc.)
style.
______ 4. How can I get rid of informality in this sentence: b. To use AI as a search
“……”? engine (to find sources)
______ 5. Which other more formal word can I use meaning c. To use AI as a thesaurus
…?
______ 6. Can you suggest an academic article related to the d. To use AI as a collocation
topic x? dictionary
______ 7. Which adjectives can I use to describe the noun x? e. To use AI as a language
editing tool (to check
grammar, vocabulary,
______ 8. What would be a good example for x? spelling, punctuation, style)
f. To have AI write the
______ 9. How can I refute the idea x?
assignment
______ 10. Rewrite this sentence with correct punctuation. g. To have AI revise/rewrite
the assignment
______ 11. Revise this text in terms of organization.
h. To practice skills for a
debate
______ 12. Which adverbs can I use to describe the verb x?
i. To use AI to receive
feedback (language,
______ 13. How can I develop this idea? content, organization)
______ 14. How can I start a formal conversation in a debate
about X?
______ 15. Can you give brief feedback on the following essay
on X?
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Important Warnings and Suggestions
a. Using GenAI Tools During the Preparation Stage
GenAI tools may be used in the preparation stages of academic writing. When doing so, it is advisable to:
remember that all your conversations are recorded and that it is used as data for AI.
delete the chats that have no future value.
give a title for the conversations (to be able to reach them more easily later).
sequence prompts carefully to achieve the desired outcome.
try alternative prompts for better results.
While engineering prompts, some suggestions proposed by UNESCO (2023) are as follows:
Use simple, clear and straightforward language that can be easily understood, avoiding complex or
ambiguous wording.
Include examples to illustrate the desired response or format of generated completions.
Include context, which is crucial for generating relevant and meaningful completions.
Refine and iterate as necessary, experimenting with different variations.
Be ethical, avoiding prompts that may generate inappropriate, biased or harmful content. (p. 12)
As much as it is practical to use GenAI tools for writing, authors should remember that “the information
produced by GAI may be inaccurate or biased” (Council of Higher Education, n.d., p. 3). Thus, authors
should make sure that the information is correct and objective by doing more research before they can use
it in their work. They should also remember that “the authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for
the contents of the work” (Elsevier, n.d.b, para. 2).
b. Using GenAI Tools as a Source in Academic Work
If, after checking for the reliability and validity of the information, you would like to use some information
provided by generative AI tools such as ChatGPT in your work, just like with any other source, you need to
give reference to the tool (Check Appendix 4 to see how).
Also, you need to declare that you have used the tool in your paper. YÖK highlights the importance of
"transparency”, which “is the open declaration of which functions of the GAI are used in which stages of the
research and to what extent” (Council of Higher Education, n.d., p. 3) (See Appendix 1 for the YÖK Ethics
Guide). APA explains how to do this by stating that “if you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your
research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a comparable section of your paper”
(McAdoo, 2024, para. 3).
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Scientific journals have also published manuals or guidelines concerning this issue. For instance, Elsevier
(n.d.a), an academic publishing company publishing over 3000 journals, highlights the importance of this in
their “Guide for Authors” (See Appendix 2) as:
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing must be declared by
adding a statement at the end of the manuscript when the paper is first submitted. The statement
will appear in the published work and should be placed in a new section before the references list.
An example:
▪ Title of new section: Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing
process.
▪ Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in
order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content
as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article. (Ethics and
policies section)
In their “Policies – Publishing Ethics” document (See Appendix 3), Elsevier (n.d.b) also indicates that:
Where authors use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, these
technologies should only be used to improve readability and language of the work. Applying the
technology should be done with human oversight and control and authors should carefully review
and edit the result, because AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect,
incomplete or biased. (para. 2)
If you have used/are planning to use GenAI in your academic studies, use the flowchart on the next page to
ensure that you have used it correctly.
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How to Use Generative AI Tools (For Out-of-Class Study)
Although there are a variety of uses for GenAI, in the ENG 101, ENG 102, ENG 211, and ENG 311 courses,
GenAI can be used as a search engine, an idea generator, a database for sources, and a language assistant.
Below are some samples and illustrations of how to use GenAI in your studies.
1. Search Engine
You can use AI to search for new concepts and terms. When AI serves as a search engine, you can use the
following prompts:
“Explain the concept/term of {title or topic}.”
“Define the concept/term of {title or topic}.”
“Describe the concept/term of {title or topic} with specific examples.”
“List the key characteristics of {title or topic}.”
Below is an example of AI’s use as a search engine:
Image 1
(OpenAI, 2024)
2. Idea Generation
AI might be a practical tool to brainstorm arguments/ counter-arguments on a specific topic. When generating
ideas, you can use the following prompts:
“Generate arguments and counter-arguments for {title or topic}.”
“Identify key points to be discussed under the topic of {topic}.”
“Expand on the idea of {idea}, detailing {aspects of discussion}.”
“Give me a list of keywords associated with the topic of {topic}.”
(Lin, 2024, p.4)
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Below is an example of AI’s use for idea generation:
Image 2
(OpenAI, 2024)
3. Finding Sources
You can use AI to discover a variety of academic and non-academic sources. However, AI can generate
inaccurate or biased information and may contain errors, fake citations, and references. Therefore, it is your
responsibility to check the accuracy, credibility, and reliability of these sources.
Here are some examples of how to structure the prompts:
“Find (academic) sources on the topic of {topic}.”
“Provide (academic) articles/ journals/ books that discuss {topic}.”
“Find example articles published in the last five years about {topic}.”
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Be careful! You might receive different responses from GenAI even if you give similar prompts
at different times.
Image 3.1
(OpenAI, 2024)
Image 3.2
(OpenAI, 2024)
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Remember to check whether the sources are real, reliable, and relevant. See Images 4 and 5
below as an example of a made-up source.
Image 4
(OpenAI, 2024)
Image 5
(OpenAI, 2024)
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TASK 4: Suppose that you are writing an assignment on “Digital Nomadism” and have decided to use
GenAI during the preparation stages. Complete the three steps below to gather ideas.
Step 1: GenAI as a Search Engine: Definition of Digital Nomadism
Prompt (write your GenAI prompt here to get a definition/description of Digital Nomadism):
AI Response:
Your evaluation of the AI response (accuracy & relevance):
Step 2: GenAI for idea Generation: Pros and Cons of Digital Nomadism
Prompt (Write your GenAI prompt here to get ideas about the pros and cons of Digital Nomadism):
AI Response:
Your evaluation of the AI response (accuracy & relevance):
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Step 3: GenAI for Finding Sources: Sample Reliable Sources on Digital Nomadism
Prompt (Write your GenAI prompt here to find reliable sources on Digital Nomadism):
AI Response:
Your evaluation of AI response (accuracy & relevance):
4. Language Assistance
a. Vocabulary Assistance
AI can be a helpful tool as a thesaurus and dictionary to find definitions, antonyms, synonyms, collocations,
different word forms, and sample sentences. You can use the following prompts for such purposes:
“Define the word X.”
“List antonyms/synonyms for the word X.”
“Give a more formal/academic synonym for the word X.”
“Give common collocations for the word X.”
“List different forms of the word X.”
“Give the noun/verb/adjective/adverb form of the word X.”
“Use the word X in a sentence.”
Images 6 and 7 on the next page are examples of AI’s use for vocabulary assistance.
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Image 6
(OpenAI, 2024)
Image 7
(OpenAI, 2024)
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b. Language Editing
It is possible to use AI to check grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.
Be careful: in MLD courses, you may use GenAI as a language editor for VERY FEW sentences
only! Extensive editing of your work will be considered plagiarism.
Here are some example prompts:
“Edit the following sentence for grammar and explain the changes: {sentence}.”
“Identify and correct the spelling mistakes of the following sentence: {sentence}.”
“Correct the punctuation of the following sentence: {sentence}.”
“Revise the following sentence, using a formal style: {sentence}.”
Images 8 and 9 below are examples of AI’s use as a language editing tool:
Image 8
(OpenAI, 2024)
Image 9
(OpenAI, 2024)
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TASK 5: Review Image 10 and write a prompt for GenAI to receive the response in Image 11.
Image 10: Student’s Input
(OpenAI, 2024)
Image 11: GenAI’s Output (The corrected version of the student’s text)
(OpenAI, 2024)
Your Prompt (Write your prompt here to get the GenAI’s response given in Image 11):
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5. Speaking Assistance (Interaction & Production)
In addition to GenAI’s uses as a search engine, an idea generator, a database for sources, and a language
assistant, it is possible to benefit from it for speaking performances. You can use GenAI tools such as
ChatGPT to practice speaking by first saying your response out loud before typing it. This helps you hear how
your words sound and improve your speaking skills before you write them down.
You can also use some applications and websites to have real-time conversations. Two useful websites are
suggested below:
[Link]
[Link]
Such tools help language learners engage in a dialogue (e.g., a job interview) or in a structured discussion
(e.g., seminars), where arguments and counterarguments can be presented to practice formal speech and
critical thinking. These platforms may offer pronunciation feedback and conversational simulations to help
users improve their speaking skills. They may also provide AI-driven corrections and suggestions to enhance
language proficiency. While some features of these websites or applications are free, full access or premium
features may require payment.
The following is an example prompt to use GenAI to practice discussion skills:
Let's discuss [the topic/concept of X] that I want to know more about. You'll ask me questions to help
me explore it further. We'll work together to build a deeper understanding of the [topic]. Please provide
feedback to help me identify any misconceptions or gaps in my understanding of the style of the
Socratic technique. I want you to ask specific questions that will push my understanding of the topic.
[Only ask one question at a time. Let's begin with the [topic].
Here is an example of how to structure a prompt when GenAI is used to practice interview skills:
Act as an interviewer. I will be the candidate, and you will ask me the interview questions for the [job
title]. I want you to only reply as the interviewer. Do not write all the conservation at once. I want you
to do the interview with me only. Ask me the questions and wait for my answers. Do not write
explanations. Ask me the questions one by one like an interviewer does and wait for my answers. My
first sentence is “Hi.” (Prompts4All, n.d.)
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Below is an example of the use of GenAI to practice discussion skills:
Image 12
(OpenAI, 2024)
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Below is an example of the use of GenAI to practice interview skills:
Image 13
(OpenAI, 2024)
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TASK 6: Suppose that you are studying for a discussion on the concept of “Digital Nomadism”, and
you have decided to use GenAI during the preparation stages.
Prompt (write your GenAI prompt here to start a conversation on Digital Nomadism):
AI Response:
Your answer:
AI Response:
Your answer:
Your evaluation of the conversation (provide your opinion on the conversation you had with GenAI):
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References
Council of Higher Education. (n.d.). Ethics guides of generative artificial intelligence use in the
scientific research and publication process of higher education institutions.
[Link]
[Link]
Elsevier. (n.d.a). Guide for authors. [Link]
the-life-sciences/publish/guide-for-authors
Elsevier. (n.d.b). The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in writing for Elsevier.
[Link]
assisted-technologies-in-writing-for-elsevier
Lin, Z. (2024, March 18). Techniques for supercharging academic writing with generative AI.
Nature Biomedical Engineering. [Link]
McAdoo, T. (2024, February 23). How to cite ChatGPT. [Link]
chatgpt
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (Aug 15 version) [Large language model]. [Link]
Prompts4All. (n.d.). A role definition prompt: Act as a {position} interviewer.
[Link]
UNESCO. (2023). Guidance for generative AI in education and research. UNESCO.
[Link]
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APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1: “Ethics guide of generative artificial intelligence use in the scientific research and publication
process of higher education institutions” published by the Republic of Türkiye, Council of Higher Education
(YÖK)
Purpose
Within the scope of protecting scientific integrity and trust in science throughout the processes of higher education, it is
of utmost importance to determine ethical values governing and to establish ethical rules based on these values in the
integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), which offers multidimensional and qualified contributions to
education and training, scientific research, and publication activities.
Higher education institutions and scientists have a responsibility toward society to protect and develop ethical
standards in academic studies and scientific production. Science, technology, and ethics must be balanced in decisions
regarding the use of GAI in scientific research and publications. There is a significant difference between using the
possibilities of technology to the fullest and being aware of these possibilities but preferring not to use some of them
due to the high risks they pose (until the risks are eliminated) in terms of ethics and scientific integrity.
The use of GAI in higher education involves both opportunities and risks. This guide has been prepared to inform
higher education institutions to contribute to both understanding and evaluating the risks and benefits as well as, taking
precautions against risks in the rapidly developing field of GAI.
1. The Ethical Dimension of GAI Use in Scientific Research and Publications
1.1. Purpose and Scope of GAI Use
If any tasks such as research hypothesis, method, sample size determination/power analysis, data analysis, data
collection, data storage and sharing (including federated data sharing/use systems), literature review, source editing,
grammar and spelling control, or translation are outsourced to GAI, the assigned tasks must be carefully and diligently
reviewed by the researchers to correct any material errors, to identify and eliminate bias or factual/interpretive errors, to
ensure contextual consistency, and to take legal and ethical responsibility for the resulting product (text, image, sound,
image, code, decision, conclusion). Scientific research and publication is a process that gains value from the original
ideas and original findings of researchers. For this reason, the purpose and scope of the use of GAI should not include
stages that require high-level skills, experience, and expertise, such as hypothesis development, discussion,
interpretation, and application. Conclusions should be drawn by examining whether the use of GAI will eliminate the
researcher's contribution in terms of the extent to which it should be used in scientific studies. It should be recognized
that ethical problems are likely to arise if the process of using GAI eliminates the researcher's contribution.
1.2. Ethical Values Underpinned/Threatened by the Use of GAI
The desire of the researcher to do time-consuming and labor-intensive tasks more quickly and easily with the help of
technology is one of the main motivations that encourage the effective use of GAI in research and publication. However,
this motivation and the fact that GAI provides the expected convenience are not sufficient to ethically justify the use of
GAI. This is because the scientific research and publication process requires not only basic functions such as
observing, measuring, analyzing, synthesizing, interpreting, inferring, classifying, and predicting but also a variety of
integrated scientific process skills such as hypothesizing, defining variables with concrete indicators, designing, and
communication. In addition, the data collected and used in this process have a unique value due to the nature of the
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source from which they are obtained (humans, other living beings, society, or nature). Protecting the confidentiality and
privacy, and respecting the autonomy of the data subject is thus important. In addition, ethical obligations which arise
from scientific research’s aim to benefit humanity and the related charge to share the results of such research in a way
that contributes to collective scientific knowledge exist. In light of this information, it can be said that the scientific
research and publication process is a factual, social, and ethical process that requires care, experience, and high-level
cognitive skills. It should not be forgotten that GAI can be used as a tool in the scientific research and publication
process, but it cannot be held accountable and responsible for the determination, execution, accuracy, and supervision
of the above-mentioned main components of the process.
1.3. Risks to Scientific Accuracy and Integrity of the Use of GAI
Although they were initially designed as open-source systems, the data sources used in the training of GAI systems,
the models they are trained on, and the logic of their operation are not completely open to observation or control.
Therefore, experts state that the information produced by GAI may be inaccurate or biased. For this reason, the
information provided as the outputs of GAI needs to be tested in terms of scientific validity. In addition, the outputs also
need to be confirmed in terms of their presence in scientific sources. Moreover, regarding the scientific accuracy of
outputs, the second major problem area is scientific bias. GAI can only be as unbiased as the data it has access to. In
other words, if the data on which GAI is biased, inevitably, the outputs will also be biased. The data sources of GAI are
not an exact reflection of the real world, but only a filtered representation of a certain part of it. It is important to keep in
mind that today's GAI is not yet at a sufficient level in terms of scientific accuracy and objectivity, and therefore its use
in scientific research and publication should be approached with caution.
2. Core Ethical Values in the Use of GAI
The prioritized and fundamental values in the use of GAI in the scientific research and publication process and the
principles produced on their basis will provide the necessary ethical climate for the use of GAI in the scientific field.
Transparency
Transparency is the open declaration of which functions of the GAI are used in which stages of the research and to what
extent. The transparency approach, which can also be defined as the principle of openness, is valuable in terms of
maintaining trust in science as a requirement of scientific integrity. In addition, transparency can help to take
precautions against potential problems such as bias, breaches in data reliability, confidentiality and privacy as well as
factual and interpretative errors, which are known as artificial intelligence hallucinations, in the phases in which GAI is
involved.
Integrity
Integrity is a value that includes transparency but has a broader content beyond that. As one of the basic building
blocks of science, integrity binds not only scientists but also all institutions involved in the production and use of
scientific knowledge. It includes principles such as the use of science for the benefit of humanity, the use of the
knowledge produced for purposes that will benefit all humanity, the removal of obstacles to access to scientific
knowledge, and the production and publication process of scientific knowledge to be free from bias and conscious
errors. In this context, integrity is the fundamental ethical value in planning, conducting, evaluating, and reporting
research. The use of GAI has the potential to threaten these principles in many ways.
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Diligence
Diligence is an obligation that includes transparency and honesty. Diligence can be defined as all individuals and
institutions that produce science being aware of the responsibility they undertake and displaying the seriousness and
ethical sensitivity required by this responsibility in all their attitudes in all stages of scientific knowledge production and
academic publications. In this context, the principle of due diligence is effective in a wide range of issues, from sloppy
research, which is classified as unintentional scientific misrepresentation, to plagiarism, data fraud or manipulation,
conflict of interest, divisive publishing, publication of the same study in more than one place, which are among the
intentional ethical violations, and even in protecting the rights and benefits of research volunteers in authorship
contributions and ranking. The increasing use of GAI increases the vigilance required of scientists and individuals and
institutions involved in any stage of scientific production. Within the scope of this responsibility, researchers should aim
to benefit the individual, society, and all of humanity. In addition, diligent care should be taken to ensure that research
processes and results do not harm humans, the environment, and other living things.
Justice and respect
It is an ethical responsibility to be fair and respectful to other stakeholders in the scientific research and publication
process, the individuals/societies from which the research data are obtained, other living beings, and the environment.
It is mandatory to show the sources of the information obtained from the outputs of GAI, primarily as a matter of honesty
and respect for the labor of other scientists. In scientific research and publication writing stages, the sections where
GAI is used should be explained in the method section. Ignoring these issues will lead to disciplinary responsibility
within the framework of its conditions.
Privacy and protection of confidentiality
Data privacy protection has both ethical and legal dimensions. It is important to protect the privacy of data providers, to
respect their autonomy regarding the use of the data they provide, to carefully carry out the informed consent process,
which is legally and ethically mandatory, to take precautions by anticipating possible violations during data collection,
storage, and transfer, and to submit all these stages to the approval of the ethics committee when necessary.
Accountability and responsibility
In the process of scientific research and publication, researchers should be aware of the legal and ethical responsibility
of using content developed by GAI. The fact that the decision- making/reasoning process of the GAI is unknowable
does not eliminate the legal and ethical responsibility of the researcher. The researcher should not be responsible for
the reasoning process of the GAI, which is unknowable due to its nature, but should take responsibility for using the
results produced by that process and be accountable for these results. Testing the objectivity, reliability, and accuracy
of the outputs provided by the GAI is among the legal and ethical responsibilities of the researcher.
Contributing to ethical climate
It is the responsibility of all scientists to identify, publicize, and plan steps to resolve potential ethical issues related to
the use of technologies with high-level cognitive abilities such as GAI and similar technologies in scientific research and
publication. It is necessary to create an institutional climate to develop and support the necessary ethical sensitivity and
to facilitate ethically correct choices. Developing a human-centered approach to the use of GAI in scientific research and
publication is of utmost importance, and ensuring that the use of GAI proceeds for the benefit of humanity in a way that
does not deepen existing inequalities, by observing the principles of equality and equity is among the priority elements
of this ethical climate. Organizing trainings and workshops by relevant institutions, providing online access to
informative visuals, developing an institutional culture environment to ensure that ethically correct choices are the
easiest choices, and creating ethical guidelines and ethical compliance checklists that are updated in line with the
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developments in technology are among the important steps that will contribute to this ethical climate to raise awareness
on the ethical use of GAI in scientific research and publication and to ensure that the right steps are taken.
3. Some Important Risks and Ethical Issues in the Use of GAIs
GAI encompasses natural language processing and large language models; applications that can generate new content
in the form of text, images, video, audio, music, or software code; and artificial intelligence applications related to the
combination of their integrated forms. The ability to create new content makes GAI stand out. While traditional artificial
intelligence draws some conclusions by analyzing a data set, the ability of GAI to generate new content (text, picture,
sound, image, code) makes it functional in high-level functions similar to human intelligence. On the other hand, the
ability to generate new content does not necessarily mean that GAI understands the real world and social relations,
norms, or the contexts of the problem it is dealing with. The validity, accuracy, meaningfulness, and objectivity of the
content produced by GAI does not depend on its human-like understanding of the world, but on how well the data
provided to it represents the real world, its objectivity, timeliness, and size.
Although GAI offers groundbreaking solutions in many areas, it also brings many risks in its use. These risks arise from
the vulnerability of the GAI to threats such as the manipulation of training data, models, system decisions, algorithms, or
the entire process. All these risks should be taken into account when using GAIs.
It is necessary for the studies that are conducted, ideas that are developed, and works that are produced to be
determined and implemented within the framework of scientific research techniques and ethics. In addition, it is
important to establish rules based on ethical values in this regard to protect scientific integrity and trust in science.
Otherwise, ethical violations caused by the user will bring disciplinary responsibility according to their type and severity.
The main situations that may cause possible ethical problems (plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, violation
of confidentiality and privacy, etc.) that may be encountered in the use of GAI in scientific research and publications are
as follows:
1. Failure to disclose in the work that GAI was used in content production
2. Unauthorized use of content produced by someone else
3. Inappropriate citation of existing information in the literature without attribution
4. The production of false or misleading data by the GAI and the use of this data by the researcher
5. The inclusion of data and results produced by an irreproducible and unexplained research method into the
academic literature
6. Deepening of discrimination that vulnerable groups may face due to biased and limited data
7. Collection, storage, transfer, use, and reuse of personal data in violation of legislation
4. Some Important Recommendations for the Use of GAI Systems
1. Before starting to use GAI systems, information about how they work and their potential risks should be obtained.
2. GAI systems, which have great potential in education and research, can significantly improve the quality and
effectiveness of education and research when they are used with ethical principles and with scientific
responsibility.
3. It should be recognized that users are held accountable for any ethical violations that may arise from the use of
GAI systems.
4. It should be recognized that GAI systems may not always trained with high-quality data. Be aware of the potential
risks that systems may produce incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information and may lead to attitudes of
bias and discrimination. Products that apply responsible GAI principles should be preferred.
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5. The scope of service, terms of use, or policy documents of the systems used must be read. Entering original
ideas, methods, or documents into or sharing them through the GAI systems may lead to unintended
consequences.
6. Personal data should not be entered into these systems unless they are anonymized or masked outside the GAI
systems. Before starting to use the GAI systems, the user should have detailed information about how the
systems work and their potential risks.
7. Users who want to improve themselves on the subject can benefit from resources such as the "Artificial
Intelligence Risk Management Framework" documents, which have been developed to minimize the potential
negativity and maximize the positive effects that may occur in GAI systems and cover the steps to ensure the
reliability of the systems and manage the risks that occur in the system.
Frequently asked questions and answers to these questions regarding some of the issues encountered in the use of
GAI are given below.
1. Can GAI be used in scientific studies?
Since the use of GAI in scientific studies involves ethical issues such as authorship, copyright, and plagiarism, special
attention should be paid to citation principles. In this context, since it is not conceivable to dictate an entire article to
GAI, the administrative and legal sanctions that may arise from non-compliance with the citation principles, even
anonymous information, should not be ignored.
The use of text, visuals, audio, etc., produced by GAI may pose ethical risks, even if it is clearly stated in scientific
studies. Since GAI cannot take responsibility for the final version of a study as a researcher, it cannot take part as an
author in scientific studies. These studies should consist of the original opinions and findings of the author(s).
GAI may be used in a literature review. However, it should be kept in mind that the GAI may present fabricated
sources as real, may be far from evaluating the scientific quality of the sources, and may exclude current sources
from the search. Additionally, problems such as bias are common.
2. Is it ethically appropriate to use GAI in data analysis?
It is ethically appropriate to use the self-trained model in data analysis. However, if a ready- made GAI system is
used, it should be taken into account that the methods used in data analysis may create ethical problems.
3. Can GAI be used for translation or language control of scientific studies?
Yes. However, the final version of the translated content or the language checked with GAI must be also be controlled
and approved by the user. The final responsibility for the resulting text lies with the author(s).
4. Is it right to use GAI in surveys?
It is not correct to use GAI instead of real participants.
5. Can GAI be used for data labeling?
GAI can be used for text and image labeling. However, it should be noted that the accuracy of labeling depends on
the objectivity and quality of the dataset used to train the GAI. As in all other stages of using the GAI, scientific
accuracy and accountability are the responsibility of the user.
6. Can the GAI be used for data quality assessment, error/inconsistency detection, and bias detection?
Yes, but it may be more appropriate to position the use of GAI as part of a comprehensive data evaluation strategy,
rather than as the sole tool for this purpose.
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7. What should be considered in terms of data ethics in the use of GAI in scientific research and publication?
1. Data source and permission to use the data
2. Data privacy and confidentiality
3. Data bias
4. GAI hallucinations
5. Data timeliness
6. Data reliability
7. Intellectual property rights
8. Is it necessary to provide information on the use of GAI in the Ethics Committee application?
The researchers should inform the ethics committee about the purpose, scope, and nature of GAI use in the proposal.
9. What should be considered when reporting the content obtained from GAI systems?
1. The version of the GAI, and the phase of the study at which it is used should be specified.
2. The contents of GAI should be reviewed by academic rigor and ethical rules, and the content should be
checked and reported.
3. The accuracy of the content is the responsibility of the user.
4. The contents should be critically reviewed, and potential biases arising from the GAI should be assessed and
confirmed by the researchers. The responsibility for the report content, results, and arguments lies with the
researchers.
10. Is there legislation on GAI in Türkiye?
There is no legislation directly related to artificial intelligence in Türkiye yet. However, the following legislations are
recommended to be taken into consideration by researchers in the use of GAI:
- Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data
- Law No. 2547 on Higher Education
- Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works
- Graduate Education and Examination Regulations
- Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive
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APPENDIX 2: Elsevier Guide for Authors – Declaration of Generative AI in Scientific Writing
Authors must declare the use of generative AI in scientific writing upon submission of the paper. The following guidance
refers only to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyze and draw insights from data as part of the
research process:
• Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should only be used in the writing process to improve the
readability and language of the manuscript.
• The technology must be applied with human oversight and control, and authors should carefully review and edit
the result, as AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased.
Authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.
• Authors must not list or cite AI and AI-assisted technologies as authors or co-authors on the manuscript since
authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans.
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing must be declared by adding a statement at the
end of the manuscript when the paper is first submitted. The statement will appear in the published work and should be
placed in a new section before the references list. An example:
• Title of new section: Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.
• Statement: During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to
[REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s)
full responsibility for the content of the published article.
The declaration does not apply to the use of basic tools, such as tools used to check grammar, spelling and references.
If you have nothing to disclose, you do not need to add a statement.
We advise you to read our policy for authors on the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies for Elsevier.
Please note: to protect authors' rights and the confidentiality of their research, this journal does not currently allow the
use of Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies such as ChatGPT or similar services by reviewers or editors in the peer
review and manuscript evaluation process. We are actively evaluating compliant AI tools and may revise this policy in
the future.
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APPENDIX 3: Elsevier Policies – Publishing Ethics
Duties of Authors
Originality and acknowledgment of sources
The authors should ensure that they have written entirely original works, and if the authors have used the work and/or
words of others, that this has been appropriately cited or quoted and permission has been obtained where necessary.
Proper acknowledgment of the work of others must always be given. Authors should cite publications that have
influenced the reported work and that give the work appropriate context within the larger scholarly record. Information
obtained privately, as in conversation, correspondence, or discussion with third parties, must not be used or reported
without explicit, written permission from the source.
Plagiarism takes many forms, from ‘passing off’ another’s paper as the author’s own paper to copying or paraphrasing
substantial parts of another’s paper (without attribution) to claiming results from research conducted by
others. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical behavior and is unacceptable.
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing
This policy has been triggered by the rise of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies which are expected to
increasingly be used by content creators. The policy aims to provide greater transparency and guidance to authors,
readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors. Elsevier will monitor this development and will adjust or refine this policy
when appropriate. Please note the policy only refers to the writing process and not to the use of AI tools to analyze and
draw insights from data as part of the research process.
Where authors use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, these technologies should only be
used to improve the readability and language of the work. Applying the technology should be done with human oversight
and control, and authors should carefully review and edit the result because AI can generate authoritative-sounding
output that can be incorrect, incomplete, or biased. The authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the
contents of the work.
Authors should disclose in their manuscript the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies, and a statement will appear in
the published work. Declaring the use of these technologies supports transparency and trust between authors, readers,
reviewers, editors, and contributors and facilitates compliance with the terms of use of the relevant tool or technology.
Authors should not list AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author, nor cite AI as an author. Authorship
implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans. Each (co-) author is
accountable for ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately
investigated and resolved, and authorship requires the ability to approve the final version of the work and agree to its
submission. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that the work is original, that the stated authors qualify for
authorship, and the work does not infringe on third-party rights. They should familiarize themselves with our Ethics in
Publishing policy before they submit.
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in figures, images and artwork
We do not permit the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts. This
may include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure.
Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate
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any information present in the original. Image forensics tools or specialized software might be applied to submitted
manuscripts to identify suspected image irregularities.
The only exception is if the use of AI or AI-assisted tools is part of the research design or research methods (such as in
AI-assisted imaging approaches to generate or interpret the underlying research data, for example, in the field of
biomedical imaging). If this is done, such use must be described in a reproducible manner in the methods section. This
should include an explanation of how the AI or AI-assisted tools were used in the image creation or alteration process,
and the name of the model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer. Authors should adhere to the AI
software’s specific usage policies and ensure correct content attribution. Where applicable, authors could be asked to
provide pre-AI-adjusted versions of images and/or the composite raw images used to create the final submitted versions,
for editorial assessment.
The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the production of artwork, such as for graphical abstracts, is not
permitted. The use of generative AI in the production of cover art may, in some cases, be allowed if the author obtains
prior permission from the journal editor and publisher, can demonstrate that all necessary rights have been cleared for
the use of the relevant material, and ensures that there is correct content attribution.
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APPENDIX 4: APA – How to Cite ChatGPT
Quoting or reproducing the text created by ChatGPT in your paper
If you’ve used ChatGPT or other AI tools in your research, describe how you used the tool in your Method section or in a
comparable section of your [Link] literature reviews or other types of essays or response or reaction papers, you might
describe how you used the tool in your introduction. In your text, provide the prompt you used and then any portion of the
relevant text that was generated in response.
Unfortunately, the results of a ChatGPT “chat” are not retrievable by other readers, and although non-retrievable data or
quotations in APA Style papers are usually cited as personal communications, with ChatGPT-generated text, thereis no
person communicating. Quoting ChatGPT’s text from a chat session is, therefore, more like sharing an algorithm’s
output; thus, credit the author of thealgorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation.
Example:
When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated
text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that
people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an
oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).
Reference:
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. [Link]
You may also put the full text of long responses from ChatGPT in an appendix of your paper or in online supplemental
materials, so readers have access to the exact text that was generated. It is particularly important to document the exact
text created because ChatGPT will generate a unique response in each chat session, even if given the same prompt. If
you create appendices or supplemental materials, remember that each should be called out at least once in the body of
your APA Style paper.
Example:
When given a follow-up prompt of “What is a more accurate representation?” the ChatGPT-generated
text indicated that “different brain regions work together to support various cognitive processes” and
“the functional specialization of different regions can change in response to experience and
environmental factors” (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).
Reference:
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. [Link]
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Creating a reference to ChatGPT or other AI models and software
The in-text citations and references above are adapted from the reference template for software in Section 10.10 of
the Publication Manual (American Psychological Association, 2020, Chapter 10). Although here we focus on
ChatGPT, because these guidelines are based on the software template, they can be adapted to note the use of
other large language models (e.g., Bard), algorithms, and similar software.
The reference and in-text citations for ChatGPT are formatted as follows:
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model].
[Link]
• Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
• Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)
Let’s break that reference down and look at the four elements (author, date, title, and source):
Author: The author of the model is OpenAI.
Date: The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only
the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.
Title: The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the
template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the
general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers. The version number is included after the title in
parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI
is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the
version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or
other methods.
Bracketed text is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand
what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include
bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for
ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large
multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and
software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the
model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.
Source: When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the
source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for
ChatGPT is [Link] For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use
the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the
publisher’s homepage).
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Other questions about citing ChatGPT
You may have noticed the confidence with which ChatGPT described the ideas of brain lateralization and how the brain
operates, without citing any sources. I asked for a list of sources to support those claims, and ChatGPT provided five
references—four of which I was able to find online. The fifth does not seem to be a real article; the digital object
identifier given for that reference belongs to a different article, and I was not able to find any article with the authors,
date, title, and source details that ChatGPT provided. Authors using ChatGPT or similar AI tools for research should
consider making this scrutiny of the primary sources a standard process. If the sources are real, accurate, and relevant,
it may be better to read those original sources to learn from that research and paraphrase or quote from those articles,
as applicable, than to use the model’s interpretation of them.
We’ve also received a number of other questions about ChatGPT. Should students be allowed to use it? What
guidelines should instructors create for students using AI? Does using AI-generated text constitute plagiarism?
Should authors who use ChatGPT credit ChatGPT or OpenAI in their byline? What are the copyright implications?
On these questions, researchers, editors, instructors, and others are actively debating and creating parameters and
guidelines. Many of you have sent us feedback, and we encourage you to continue to do so in the comments below.
We will also study the policies and procedures being established by instructors, publishers, and academic institutions,
with a goal of creating guidelines that reflect the many real-world applications of AI-generated text.
For questions about manuscript byline credit, plagiarism, and related ChatGPT and AI topics, the APA Style team is
seeking the recommendations of APA Journals editors. APA Style guidelines based on those recommendations will be
posted on this blog and on the APA Style site later this year.
Update: APA Journals has published policies on the use of generative AI in scholarly materials:
([Link]
We, the APA Style team humans, appreciate your patience as we navigate these unique challenges and new ways of
thinking about how authors, researchers, and students learn, write, and work with new technologies.
Reference
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
[Link]
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