The Graduate College’s Center for Communication Excellence (CCE) at Iowa State University explored how to better prepare graduate students for using artificial intelligence (AI) in research communications through a 2024-25 Miller Faculty Fellowship. With a $48,000 award, CCE staff developed instructional materials and a two-session workshop to guide students in completing literature reviews while building AI competencies. The program aimed to help novice researchers evaluate AI outputs responsibly, determine ethical use, and gain practical skills for future AI applications. From summer 2024 to spring 2025, workshops demonstrated tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Elicit, an AI platform designed for literature reviews.
CCE assistant director Lily Compton emphasized the long-term importance of research ethics, noting that graduate students’ work becomes publicly accessible, and questions about ethicality can affect both the student’s and the university’s reputation. The workshops focused on three key areas: algorithmic awareness, procedural competence, and evaluative judgment. These areas helped students understand how algorithms influence outputs, follow proper research processes, and make informed decisions regarding the quality and value of AI-generated content.
Students were introduced to AI fundamentals, including how to write effective prompts and understand where AI retrieves information. The team created a framework to assess the appropriateness of AI use in scholarly work, measuring effectiveness, efficiency, and ethicality, and considering factors such as bias and potential inaccuracies. By the end of the workshops, graduate students were able to discuss their AI use confidently and transparently with advisors and instructors.
The project also prompted faculty to reflect on how AI is integrated into their courses. Graduate College associate dean and CCE director Elena Cotos suggested faculty consider expectations for student AI use, awareness of algorithm mechanics, and the degree to which students should be able to make independent judgments about outputs. Establishing clear guidelines helps ensure responsible and effective AI integration in academic work.
Building on the workshops, the Graduate College now offers a Mapping Scholarly Literature with AI micro-credential for graduate students and working professionals. The program combines two in-person workshops with asynchronous self-guided content to introduce generative AI concepts and demonstrate its application in mapping and classifying scholarly research. Cotos noted that the micro-credential also benefits undergraduates and aligns with Iowa State University’s strategic goal of fostering lifelong learning, offering professional development opportunities for the broader university community.
