Welcome to this week’s HDR Development Bulletin.
This week we are focussing on Research Practice. This skill relates to navigating the interplay between policies, procedures and your research environment, as well as personal and professional integrity. Keep reading for a short overview of key policies and some considerations about using AI in Research Environments.
What policies and procedures should the HDR community be aware of:
The Flinders Policy Library contains all University-wide policies, procedures and guidelines.
- HDR candidates are governed by both the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures as well as the Research Integrity Policy and Procedures.
- There are also policies and procedures applicable to Higher Degree by Research candidacy. To find these, you will need to look in the Policy Library under Academic and Students > Higher degrees by research.
- Work Health and Safety Policies and Procedures relevant to your research context. For example, if your research involves any activity off campus at an urban, rural, remote, freshwater or marine location then you should undertake the online Fieldtrip training as part of developing your understanding about the Fieldtrip policies and procedures.
Where does Artificial Intelligence (AI) fit into the HDR policy context?
We are keen to discuss the Flinders AI position with you, but Higher Degree by Research students fit in a challenging policy space in that they are governed by both Academic Policies and Research Policies at the University. This means before guidelines on acceptable AI use can be created for the HDR context, the University’s position on AI for both Academic Integrity and Research Integrity needs to be established. We will share these with the research community when available.
Explore this recent addition to the REST Research Practice Resource page for the information and advice we have so far. Further considerations for using AI in the Higher Degree by Research context will be covered in an upcoming bulletin.
The library has also developed some evolving resources that you can use to start to familiarise yourself with AI.
What might using AI tools in research look like?
The Library has developed a new webpage, Using AI tools in Research, which provides researchers with an overview of assessing the suitability of AI tools. You’ll also find essential information on ethics, privacy, and intellectual property. This new resource is just our first step in understanding the possible uses of AI and the potential benefits and risks of these tools for research. If you’d like to learn more, there will also be a guest speaker, Julian Ridden, presenting Introduction to AI: Your first steps down the rabbit hole of these new digital disruptive technologies. Monday 14th August, 11am – 12.30pm in the Education building. Register via iEnrol.
Want some personalised advice? Email HDR.Development@flinders.edu.au and we can help 😊