Nurse research and GenAI: advantages and pitfalls of its use

Use of GenAI has burgeoned and it can help nurse researchers, but there are risks involving research integrity, quality, copyright and data security

Since ChatGPT’s launch in late 2022 use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has burgeoned. Internationally, many people use GenAI every day, sometimes without realising it. GenAI can significantly enhance research, but this new technology raises several risks regarding research integrity and data security.

Sharing research or grant applications with GenAI should be done cautiously as, once submitted, these data are considered in the public domain. This takes away control of how data are used and may also remove recognition of the researchers' intellectual property. Such sharing is often against research codes of practice and ethical data management procedures.

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Using GenAI data should also be carefully considered. While GenAI predominately collects data from the internet, tools have variable access behind paywalls. Using predominately publicly available information means that it may be biased, outdated and focused on views or controversial information that is widely debated.

Using AI in publishing requires careful consideration

Additionally, data retrieved from GenAI could be under copyright or another person's intellectual property without appropriate citation.

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Using GenAI in publishing requires careful consideration. GenAI may be an opportunity to enhance writing, refine text or assist in summarising content. However, there is no guarantee of the quality of editing provided. It may introduce errors in fact and provide poor expression. Given authorship criteria, GenAI cannot be an author, however, authors should disclose the use of GenAI.

‘As we move further into this brave new world of GenAI technology it is vital that researchers engage in the debate about its use to enhance research in a responsible manner that maintains research integrity’

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors provides guidance on such attribution and publishers may have requirements that need to be understood and followed.

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As we move further into this brave new world of GenAI technology it is vital that researchers engage in the debate about its use to enhance research in a responsible manner that maintains research integrity. Researchers must also keep abreast of guidance across the research sector about appropriate use of this and future technologies.

Find out more

• Child Health Nursing Research (2023) Ethical consideration of the use of generative artificial intelligence, including ChatGPT in writing a nursing article
• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (2025) Recommendations for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals
• Journal of Chemical Education (2023) Generative AI in education and research: opportunities, concerns, and solutions
• UNESCO (2023) Guidance for generative AI in education and research

Elizabeth Halcomb is professor of primary healthcare nursing, School of Nursing, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia and editor of Nurse Researcher