Academic guidance
Research Workflow & Responsible AI-Use Guidance
This guidance helps you organise how you work: planning a long project, managing sources and notes, keeping drafts under control and deciding where AI tools may or may not fit under your university's rules. It suits students who feel disorganised or unsure about AI use. We explain options and review your own plan. We do not use AI to produce work for you or interpret your university's policy for it.
At a glance
In plain English: We help you set up a clear way of working on research and understand how to use AI tools honestly and within your university's rules.
Suits: Students who feel disorganised, or unsure what AI use their university allows.
- 1Describe your current workflow
- 2Agree scope and quote
- 3Discuss and plan improvements
- 4Apply the workflow yourself
You remain the author. We explain, plan and give feedback; you write.
Many students work hard but lose time to their workflow: sources saved in five places, notes they cannot find, three files called "final". At the same time, AI tools have arrived, with rules that differ from one university and one module to the next. This service helps with both.
What it means
A research workflow is the way you move from reading to notes to drafts to submission. A good one makes it easy to find a source again, see where an idea came from and know which version of a chapter is current.
Responsible AI use means using AI tools, if at all, only in ways your university and module allow, being transparent about that use where required, and never letting a tool replace your own thinking, reading or writing. Policies vary widely: some modules ban AI tools, others allow them for specific tasks with a declaration. We help you understand the questions to ask. Your university's policy is always the deciding rule.
Problems it addresses
- Sources scattered across downloads, browser tabs and email
- Notes that do not record which ideas are yours and which come from a source, a common cause of unintentional plagiarism
- No reference manager, or one set up but not used consistently
- Multiple versions of the same draft and no clear backup
- Uncertainty about whether using an AI tool for brainstorming, translation or grammar is allowed
- Not knowing how to declare or cite permitted AI use
- AI-generated summaries or references that turn out to be inaccurate or invented
When you might need it
- You are starting a thesis or long project and want a system that lasts months.
- Your current notes and files feel out of control.
- You are unsure what your university's AI policy means for your assignment.
- You have used an AI tool and are worried whether you used it appropriately.
- You work in more than one language and want to keep notes and sources organised.
How the guidance works
- Describe your current workflow. Tell us how you store sources, take notes and manage drafts, and share your university's AI-use policy.
- Agree scope and quote. We confirm what the guidance covers and how it will be delivered.
- Discuss and plan improvements. We explain options for reference management, note-taking, version control and scheduling, and work through the questions your AI policy raises.
- Apply the workflow yourself. You set up and use the system that suits you.
- Review, if agreed. We look at how the workflow is working after a few weeks.
What to prepare
- Your university's and module's AI-use policy, and any declaration form
- Your academic-integrity or plagiarism policy
- Your project brief and deadline
- A short description of how you currently store sources, notes and drafts
- The tools you already use, such as a reference manager or note-taking app
- Any specific questions about AI use in your work
What you receive
Depending on the scope agreed in your quote, this can include:
- an explained workflow plan covering sources, notes, drafts and backups
- a list of questions to consider, or to ask your supervisor, about permitted AI use in your module
- a feedback summary on the project plan you have drafted
- notes on how to keep a record of any AI use your university allows
- a discussion by message or call
Outside the scope
- Using AI tools to produce text, summaries or analysis for you to submit
- Telling you that a specific use is permitted; only your university can decide that
- "Humanising" or disguising AI-generated text, or promising any detector result
- Setting up software on your device or accessing your accounts
- Contacting your university on your behalf
Our academic integrity page sets out our own position on AI.
An illustrative example
Frequently asked questions
Can you tell me if my AI use is allowed?
No. Only your university and module can decide that. We can help you read the policy carefully and prepare clear questions for your supervisor or module leader.
Do I need special software?
Not necessarily. A consistent folder structure, a reference manager and a simple note template are often enough. Our citation management guide explains the basics.
How do I plan a long project?
Start by working backwards from your deadline in stages. The coursework planning guide shows how, and the word count planner helps you divide the writing.
Learn alongside
Free resources for this topic
Use these before or after any guidance. They are free and you can work through them on your own.
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Referencing & Editing
Citation Management: Reference Managers and Reading Logs
How reference managers and a simple reading log keep sources organised and help you avoid accidental plagiarism.
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Essays & Assignments
How to Plan Coursework and Manage Multiple Deadlines
Read briefs and marking criteria properly, break assignments into stages and schedule several deadlines without panic.
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Referencing & Editing
How to Edit Your Own Academic Writing, Step by Step
A layered self-editing process, the difference between editing, proofreading and rewriting, and where ethical support begins and ends.