The discussion about AI in higher education has largely focused on how to prevent cheating and deception in examinations. We already know quite a lot about how AI can be used in doctoral education, for example as support in supervision, but also how AI may pose a threat to doctoral students’ development of academic writing. Despite this, there are still very few studies that examine doctoral students’ perspectives on the use of generative AI. AI in doctoral education raises important questions about academic integrity and research ethics. During their doctoral studies, students are expected to prepare for a future career within academia. However, due to the rapid development of AI, the future of academia is uncertain, making it even more important to deepen our understanding of how doctoral students reason about AI use in their future professional lives. Our study addresses a knowledge gap concerning doctoral students’ perspectives on their research training and on the future of academia.
Examing the role of generative AI in educational science doctoral studies
This project is funded by the AIST Lab at Linköping University and will run throughout 2026. It is an interview study in which we examine doctoral students’ perceptions of and use of generative AI in their dissertation work. The sample consists of doctoral students in the field of educational sciences who are at different stages of their doctoral studies and who have varying experiences with and attitudes toward generative AI. Data collection will take place during the spring semester of 2026, and analysis will begin in the autumn of 2026.
The project can also be seen as part of an effort to help “AI-secure” doctoral education. The knowledge generated will be valuable for the planning and implementation of doctoral programmes, both at Linköping University and nationally.
