Use of Generative AI in Scholarly Research: Challenges and Opportunities
Marco Marabelli, Robert M. Davison, Giovanni Gatti, Ankita Srivastava, Monideepa Tarafdar · Journal of the Association for Information Systems · 2026
AI-generated evidence extraction, verified across multiple analytical personas. Not a substitute for the peer-reviewed original.
Methodology & findings
Study design
Panel discussion report documenting a panel discussion held in October 2025 with publishers and editors in chief regarding generative AI use in academic research and publishing.
Sample
< 30, 2 groups
Primary method
No statistical methods were employed. This is a qualitative panel report, not a quantitative study.
Main result
The panel identified four key outcomes: "1) publishers and editors have some disagreements regarding GAI use; 2) besides disagreements, all recognize that GAI is here to stay, therefore outstanding issues (e.g., training for PhD students and junior faculty and consequences for unallowed uses of GAI) need to be addressed jointly; 3) GAI is in constant flux, and this is a challenge for publisher and journal policies; and 4) it is unclear the extent to which GAI will affect future scholarship outcomes, especially with in mind potential for scholarly deskilling."
Reports effect sizes.
Research paradigm
Qualitative/Interpretive
Author conclusions
The authors conclude that "publishers and editors have some disagreements regarding GAI use" but "all recognize that GAI is here to stay, therefore outstanding issues (e.g., training for PhD students and junior faculty and consequences for unallowed uses of GAI) need to be addressed jointly" while acknowledging that "GAI is in constant flux, and this is a challenge for publisher and journal policies."
Risk of bias
Selection bias: Panel participants were primarily representatives from major publishers and journals, potentially not representative of broader scholarly community views; Lack of systematization: No indication of systematic sampling or data collection protocols; Reporting bias: Panel outcomes reported without indication of methodological rigor or inter-rater agreement
Open questions raised
- The panel identified the need to address training for PhD students and junior faculty, consequences for unallowed uses of GAI, development of publisher and journal policies to account for GAI's constant flux, and clarification of how GAI will affect future scholarship outcomes, particularly regarding potential scholarly deskilling.
- The panel identified that outstanding issues need to be addressed jointly, including training for PhD students and junior faculty in GAI use, consequences for unallowed uses of GAI, and the need for publisher and journal policies to adapt to the constant flux of GAI technology. Additionally, the impact of GAI on future scholarship outcomes remains unclear.
- The authors identify several gaps: (1) need for training protocols for PhD students and junior faculty on GAI use; (2) need to address consequences for unallowed uses of GAI; (3) need for publisher and journal policies to keep pace with rapidly changing GAI technology; (4) uncertainty regarding how GAI will affect future scholarship outcomes and potential scholarly deskilling.
Explore related topics
Related papers
- Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statementDavid Moher · 2009 · 83,271 citations
- PRISMA 2020 explanation and elaboration: updated guidance and exemplars for reporting systematic reviewsMatthew J. Page · 2021 · 10,956 citations
- Guidance for conducting systematic scoping reviewsMicah D.J. Peters · 2015 · 7,472 citations
- Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education – where are the educators?Olaf Zawacki‐Richter · 2019 · 5,282 citations
- A SWOT analysis of ChatGPT: Implications for educational practice and researchMohammadreza Farrokhnia · 2023 · 1,171 citations
- ChatGPT and a new academic reality: Artificial Intelligence‐written research papers and the ethics of the large language models in scholarly publishingBrady Lund · 2023 · 769 citations