Methodological Workshops
Courses for the academic year 2025-2026:
AI for doctoral research: practical issues and ethical implications
Instructors:
Olga Kononykhina (University of Munich (LMU) and Munich Center for Machine Learning (MCML))
Patricia Santos (Tenure Track Professor on Human-Centered Learning Technologies and a Ramón y Cajal fellow at Pompeu Fabra University)
Day: 24 November, 2025
Time: 10:00h - 15:15h
Place: 40.035 (Sala de graus Calsamiglia)
Description:
Working with AI, especially for research, isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. AI tools don’t acknowledge when they don’t know something, and their output can vary significantly based on how we frame our questions. Good research isn’t about asking AI to do the work for us; instead, we should use AI as a powerful research assistant to help navigate the overwhelming amount of information available, allowing us to transform that information into high-quality research products.
In this talk, the two lectures will cover both the substantive and ethical components of conducting research with AI tools. Olga Kononyhina will introduce Large Language Models (LLMs) and explain how they function. She'll take you through the stages of the research process, showcasing a variety of tried-and-tested AI tools that can aid in formulating research questions, locating relevant literature, analysing data, proofreading, and even presenting findings. She'll also explore the art of crafting effective prompts tailored to diverse research scenarios. Finally, she'll touch on how tools like ChatGPT can support non-research aspects of large projects, such as creating visual identity, designing catchy acronyms, and developing communication strategies. Additionally, she'll discuss how AI can serve as a motivational coach in overcoming writing anxiety and perfectionism.
In the final part of the workshop, Patricia Santos (Professor on Human-Centered Learning Technologies and a Ramón y Cajal fellow at our own university) will deal with the ethical implications of the use of AI for research.
The workshop will be most valuable if we can engage directly with your current research topics, literature reviews, or drafts. We encourage you to bring any challenges you’re facing— we will have two hours to explore how AI can offer support.
If you are interested in the course, please fill out this form and bring a laptop and an account with ChatGPT or another similar LLM of your choice. You can access the full programme here.
