Collecting or generating data
Collecting or generating data is specific to individual projects. Data can be collected through measuring things or people, observing things or people, or talking to people, or through creative endeavours. In some cases, data is generated synthetically.
Researchers must comply with data management procedures and should not upload data to any genAI tool. They could breach confidentiality or subjects’ privacy.
Graduate research students are prohibited from using generative AI to create or manipulate images in theses, unless the creation or alteration of images is part of the research methodology and is fully disclosed.
Responsible use
- Do record all use of genAI when collecting or generating data, including prompts and outputs.
- Do consider the licenses and terms and conditions to determine how you can use generated content.
Cautions
- Don’t upload existing data into genAI tools.
Case examples
Click on the plus icons below to explore exemplar and cautionary hypothetical scenarios for collecting and generating data.
Exemplar - Case example 1
Omar is developing financial software as part of his PhD project and needs to test its effectiveness. To avoid using real data and risk breaching people’s privacy, he uses genAI to generate synthetic sets of data to test his new software on. Omar keeps a record of all prompts and outputs from the genAI tool, in case he is required to disclose this in the future.
Omar is compliant with Deakin’s guidelines to support the use of generative AI for researchers because he has not used the genAI tool on real, sensitive data and his use does not raise any confidentiality or privacy concerns.
Exemplar - Case example 2
Akemi is doing a fine arts PhD by exegesis. She has developed a series of paintings exploring experiences of the intersection between varying cultural identities. She is about to exhibit the works, and would like to develop an accompanying soundtrack to her work. She uses an AI music generator tool which produces a royalty-free soundtrack. She prompts the tool for both style and mood. She records her use of the tool, and adds a declaration to the exhibition catalogue.
Akemi is compliant with Deakin’s guidelines to support the use of generative AI for researchers because she has declared her use of the tool.
Exemplar - Case example 3
Ashley is about to begin field work for their research project. They plan to complete semi-structured interviews with six participants. In order to protect the participants’ privacy and anonymity, Ashley uses genAI to create a list of pseudonyms for their participants to choose from. Ashley keeps a record of the prompt and output provided by genAI in case they need to disclose this use in the future.
Ashley has followed the Deakin’s guidelines to support the use of generative AI for researchers by acknowledging their use of genAI, even though it is a minor aspect of their work.
Cautionary - Case example 4
Trevor wants to include an image in his manuscript to substantiate his research discovery of the structure of a novel virus. He is certain of his findings, but the image is fuzzy and doesn’t clearly represent the virus. He is unable to replicate the image as the Electron Microscope is currently being serviced. Instead of using the real image from the Electron Microscope, Trevor uses an AI image generator to create an image for his manuscript.
Trevor has breached Deakin’s guidelines to support the use of generative AI for researchers because he has breached the Research Code of Conduct – his image is fraudulent and this is an example of research misconduct.