AI-Accelerated Academic Research Program

Learning Objective: Apply Copilot in OneDrive and Word to organise research materials and create a structured literature review outline.

• Recap of Ethical AI Use
• • Reinforcing personal guidelines from Session 1.
• Leveraging OneDrive for Research Organisation
• • Structuring folders for articles, e-books, data sets, and notes.
  • Summarising documents (e.g., PDFs, articles) using Copilot for quick overviews.
  • Comparing multiple references or versions to identify distinct viewpoints.
• Utilising Copilot in Word for Literature Review
• • Generating outlines and drafts.
  • Expanding or summarising annotated bibliographies.
  • Identifying knowledge gaps and integrating peer-reviewed research.
• Best Practices for Maintaining Academic Integrity
• • Verifying Copilot's automatically generated references.
  • Citing paraphrased or summarised content properly.

Learning Objective: Develop a focused research question and formulate a clear, arguable thesis statement using Copilot.

• Importance of a Well-Defined Research Problem
• • How clarity at this stage shapes the entire thesis.
• Brainstorming Research Questions with Copilot
• • Generating and refining viable research questions from existing literature.
  • Testing scope and feasibility (time, data availability, etc.).
• Crafting a Compelling Thesis Statement
• • Using Copilot to articulate central arguments.
  • Balancing originality, clarity, and academic tone.
• Building a Preliminary Thesis Outline
• • Structuring chapters logically (Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, etc.).
  • Generating subheadings and bullet points for each section with Copilot.

Learning Objective: Employ Copilot in Excel to clean, prepare, and analyse research data using descriptive statistics and basic visualisations.

• Recap of Previous Sessions
• • Ethical Data Handling: Ensuring participant data usage respects privacy and IRB rules (if applicable).
• Introduction to Copilot in Excel
• • How Copilot reads and interprets spreadsheet data.
  • Basic formula generation and interpretation.
• Data Cleaning and Preparation
• • Removing duplicates, handling missing values, and spotting outliers.
  • Reshaping or transforming data formats for easier analysis.
• Descriptive Statistics and Data Exploration
• • Generating stats (mean, median, standard deviation).
  • Visualising data with histograms, scatter plots, and bar charts.
• Basic Inferential Statistics
• • Brief introduction to t-tests, ANOVA, and simple regressions.
  • Using Copilot to assist with formula-building and interpretation.

Learning Objective: Construct advanced data visualisations and interpret the results of regression analysis performed with Copilot in Excel.

• Deep Dive into Regression Analysis
• • Regression models, correlation, and multivariate approaches.
  • Interpreting coefficients and significance levels.
• Advanced-Data Visualisation
• • Creating interactive dashboards and combining multiple charts.
  • Choosing the right chart types for your research question.
• Connecting Visualisations to a Narrative
• • Using charts to tell a story with data and support a narrative point.
• Interpreting and Reporting Results
• • Translating statistical findings into layman's terms.
  • Ethical data presentation: clarifying assumptions and limitations.

Learning Objective: Develop logical arguments using appropriate frameworks and organise thesis chapters with clear intros, conclusions, and transitions using Copilot.

• Developing Logical Arguments
• • Brainstorming evidence, data points, and critical discussion with Copilot.
  • Addressing counterarguments to reinforce credibility.
• Writing Effective Chapter Introductions and Conclusions
• • Drafting compelling hooks.
  • Summarising key points and stressing significance in conclusions.
• Ensuring Coherence and Flow
• • Using Copilot to generate smooth transitions between chapters.
  • Maintaining a consistent academic tone and style.

Learning Objective: Use advanced prompt engineering to enhance Copilot's output for clarity, style, and substance while managing your writing process effectively.

• Overcoming Writer's Block with Prompt Engineering
• • Using strategic prompts to jumpstart paragraphs or sections.
  • Experiment with different prompt structures, keywords, and constraints to elicit targeted responses.
• Advanced Prompting Techniques
• • Role-playing: "You are a leading expert in [field]. Explain [concept] to a graduate student."
  • Chain-of-thought prompting: "Explain the steps involved in [process], and then provide a summary of the key challenges."
  • Few-shot prompting: Provide a few examples of the desired output to guide Copilot.
  • Prompt Chaining: Using output from one prompt as input for the next.
• Refining Style and Clarity
• • Grammar checks, tone adjustments, and rewriting complex sentences via well-crafted prompts.
  • Maintaining academic voice: using constraints in prompts (e.g., "rewrite in a more formal tone").
• Paraphrasing and Summarising Ethically
• • Avoid inadvertent plagiarism by clearly guiding Copilot (e.g., "summarise the key points in your own words").
  • Ensuring references are handled correctly when pulling content from Copilot.
• Time Management and Productivity Tips
• • Setting clear writing goals and scheduling sprints.
  • Using prompt engineering to quickly generate outlines or bullet points for each writing session.
• Activity:
• • Advanced Prompt Engineering Drill: Learners experiment with at least three variations of the same prompt, testing how keywords, tone requests, or word-limit constraints impact Copilot's output.
  • Compare results to see which prompts yield the best clarity, accuracy, and style for academic writing.
• Resources:
• • Share a curated list of resources on prompt engineering.

Learning Objective: Design engaging slides and develop a compelling narrative for presenting research findings using Copilot in PowerPoint.

• From Thesis to Presentation
• • Determining your core message and key takeaways.
  • Adapting complex research for a broader or non-specialist audience.
• Designing Engaging Slides
• • Generating slide layouts and design ideas with Copilot.
  • Incorporating charts, images, and tables effectively.
• Crafting a Compelling Narrative
• • Structuring presentations for maximum impact.
  • Speaker notes and bridging statements to maintain flow.
• Practice and Delivery
• • Harnessing Copilot's feedback for timing and pacing.
  • Strategies for handling Q&A sessions confidently.
• Activity:
• • Learners convert a short section of their thesis into a 5-7 slide presentation, generating speaker notes with Copilot.

Learning Objective: Generate accurate citations and references in various styles and apply consistent formatting to the thesis document using Copilot.

• Citations and References Demystified
• • Overview of referencing styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, etc.).
  • Common pitfalls in automated referencing.
• Using Copilot for Citation Management
• • Creating in-text citations and bibliographies with Copilot's help.
  • Verifying references, DOIs, and publication details for accu hi racy.
• Thesis Formatting Essentials
• • Applying consistent formatting for headings, margins, and line spacing.
  • Automatic table of contents, figure lists, and page numbering.
  • Accessibility considerations: Ensuring Word documents are accessible (proper headings, alt text for images).
• Proofreading and Editing
• • Identifying grammar, punctuation, and style inconsistencies.
  • Final checks for alignment with university submission guidelines.
• Activity:
• • Learners format a sample chapter to meet a specific style requirement (e.g., APA 7th).
  • Insert references using Copilot and verify each citation for completeness.

Learning Objective: Synthesize learnings from the program, develop a thesis submission checklist, plan for future use of AI tools in academic and professional contexts, and explore other AI tools for researchers.

• Thesis Submission Checklist
• • Comprehensive review for completeness and accuracy.
  • Ensuring ethical guidelines and referencing standards are met.
• Beyond Copilot: Other AI Tools for Researchers
• • Briefly showcase other AI tools relevant to research (e.g., AI-powered literature review tools data analysis platforms).
• Collaborative Review and Teamwork
• • Brief mention of Microsoft Teams or SharePoint for group projects or supervisor feedback.
  • Best practices for co-authoring and version control.
• Beyond the Thesis: Long-Term AI Integration
• • Potential career applications of AI-driven writing and analysis tools.
  • Keeping up with updates and future AI integrations.
• Program Wrap-Up and Feedback
• • Sharing success stories or key wins from participants.
  • Issuing certificates and next steps.