Abstract:

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has permeated various spheres of knowledge, including education. In higher and postgraduate education, AI tools are emerging as key resources for developing research skills, not just as a trend but as a necessity. This study aims to analyze whether students, teachers, and social researchers in postgraduate studies use AI tools to develop their research projects. It also seeks to identify the tools used, their purposes, the methods of accessing these programs (formal or informal), and opinions regarding their advantages, disadvantages, and ethical challenges. This abstract arises from broader research being conducted (2024-2025) at the Center for Economic, Administrative and Social Research (CIECAS) of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) in Mexico (SIP – 20241226).

To achieve these objectives, documentary research has been carried out, and a qualitative phase based on in-depth interviews with specialists in education and AI is underway. The interviews were conducted at Mexico’s three largest higher education institutions: the IPN, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM). The interviews were analyzed using coding techniques with Atlas.ti qualitative analysis software to identify relevant patterns and trends. This approach allowed for a detailed understanding of the use and perception of AI tools for developing research skills in higher and graduate-level students. Research skills are defined as the aptitude and values to use the scientific method, promote the search and management of information appropriate to the problem, identify the environment, use specialized repositories and databases, as well as utilize technological programs for the systematization and treatment of information, analysis and interpretation of data, and the ability to communicate the results obtained.

Preliminary results from the documentary research reveal that AI tools are currently used to enhance research outcomes but not necessarily to develop research skills among undergraduate and graduate students. The development of these skills, including data analysis, critical thinking, and the ability to develop research projects, is not explicitly included in most curricula but is instead integrated tangentially with other subjects, such as research methodology. Consequently, the use of AI tools for research phases rarely appears explicitly in study plans. In the best cases, AI tools are taught to facilitate access to diverse information sources, improving the bibliographic review process and reference management. However, challenges were also identified, such as the need for adequate training for teachers and students in using these tools and ethical concerns related to technological dependence and data management.

This study highlights the importance of AI as an essential ally in high-level research training, from which recommendations are drawn for implementing strategies to develop research skills at the higher and postgraduate levels, with a special emphasis on the IPN. Adopting these measures will allow staying at the forefront not only in the use of AI tools but also in co-developing better future researchers, particularly in the fields of social sciences and humanities.

Keywords:

Artificial intelligence tools, research skills, higher education, postgraduate studies, development.