Adriana Ilavská – Sharpening Your Research Edge: Strategic use of AI tools in academic work

This workshop is designed for PhD students who want to critically and creatively integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their workflow. It focuses on enhancing research effectiveness from the very first steps, helping to streamline sometimes tedious processes, sharpen analytical thinking, and strengthen methodological precision. 

Module 1: Thinking with the Machine – Understanding, Critiquing & Using AI Strategically 
To use AI tools effectively in research, we must first understand how they work. This module introduces how LLMs mimic human reasoning, where they can distort knowledge, and why critical awareness of their biases and limits is essential. Building on this understanding, we’ll explore how to use AI for brainstorming, reframing, and stress-testing research questions, revealing blind spots and expanding conceptual horizons without outsourcing academic judgment. 

Module 2: Research Integrity in the Age of AI 
It is possible to AI strategically in literature review and writing while preserving scholarly rigor and academic integrity. We will look into specialized tools designed for each stage of the literature review process – from mapping the field to synthesizing. Explore best practices for transparency, ensuring that AI supports rather than compromises your research. 

(Hopefully) You’ll walk away with: 

• A clear understanding of how AI tools work – including their limits, biases, and how to use them strategically rather than passively. 

• Practical strategies for integrating AI into the conceptual stage of your research to refine and stress-test your research questions. 

• A structured approach to literature review, supported by specialized tools tailored to different stages of the process. 

No prior technical knowledge required – just curiosity and a critical mindset.