[Ian Investor]

Many students now use AI tools to help with writing, research, and studying. For those of us who work with or advise students, it can be hard to know what rules are fair and clear. I’m looking for simple, practical guidelines that students can follow to avoid academic misconduct when using AI.

If you can share suggestions, please focus on short, easy-to-follow items such as:

• When and how to disclose AI use (for example, in assignments or drafts).
• How to treat AI-generated text—use as a draft or idea-spark, not final work.
• Ways to verify facts and show your own learning (citations, edits, reflections).
• Simple classroom rules or examples professors can adopt.

Have you drafted a one-paragraph policy, a checklist for students, or examples of good disclosure language? Please share what worked or didn’t work in real classrooms. I’m hoping to collect practical, non-technical advice that’s easy to explain to students and parents.

[aaron]

Quick reality check: AI help alone isn’t academic misconduct — submitting AI output as if it’s your thinking is. Let’s make your use of AI transparent, traceable and outcome-focused so you avoid penalties and actually learn.

The core problem: students use AI to draft essays without disclosure, leading to plagiarism, poor learning outcomes and disciplinary risk.

Why this matters: academic records, employability and your intellectual development depend on demonstrating original work and proper sourcing.

What I do (short lesson): treat AI as a drafting assistant, not an author. Use it to iterate faster, generate sources to check, and refine your voice — then disclose and cite what you used.

• Do: read your institution’s policy, document AI use, paraphrase in your own voice, verify sources, add citations.
• Do not: submit verbatim AI text as your work, invent references suggested by AI, or rely on AI to do critical thinking for you.

1. What you’ll need: your draft, access to an AI text tool (chat), your course rubric, citation guide (APA/MLA), and a simple changelog (Google Doc notes).
2. How to use it — step by step:
   1. Ask AI to produce a draft outline from your prompt.
   2. Use the AI to expand one paragraph at a time.
   3. Verify every factual claim and source AI lists; replace with peer-reviewed or primary sources if needed.
   4. Rewrite AI-generated sentences into your natural voice and add in-text citations.
   5. Log changes: what AI produced vs. what you changed and why.
3. What to expect: faster drafts, but extra time verifying and rewriting — roughly 30–50% time saved on drafting, 20–40% time on verification added.

Concrete prompt (copy-paste this into your AI tool):

Please help me improve this paragraph for an undergraduate essay on [TOPIC]. Keep the meaning, simplify language to my voice, provide two reputable sources (title, author, year), add in-text citation placeholders in APA format, and mark any sentences you borrowed verbatim. Then give a one-paragraph summary explaining what you changed and why. Here is the paragraph: “[PASTE YOUR PARAGRAPH]”

Metrics to track:

• Number of AI-sourced sentences kept vs. rewritten
• Number of verified primary/reputable sources added
• Similarity/originality score from your institution’s tool
• Instructor feedback: pass/fail on academic integrity

Common mistakes & fixes:

• Submitting unmodified AI text — Fix: rewrite and document edits in your changelog.
• Using AI-invented citations — Fix: cross-check every source and replace with real ones.
• Not disclosing AI use — Fix: add a short statement in your methodology or cover sheet describing the tool and how you used it.

Worked example (mini):
Original: “Climate change is making storms worse.” — AI expands with statistics and two sources. Action: verify stats, swap in a peer-reviewed paper, rewrite to “Recent studies show an increase in extreme precipitation linked to warming oceans (Smith et al., 2020).” Log the change and cite properly.

1-week action plan:

1. Day 1: Read your institution’s AI/academic integrity policy.
2. Day 2: Draft outline with AI; save the AI outputs.
3. Day 3–4: Expand paragraphs, verify sources, rewrite into your voice.
4. Day 5: Add citations and an AI-use disclosure line.
5. Day 6: Run originality check and prepare instructor note if needed.
6. Day 7: Final polish and submission-ready files (include changelog).

Your move.

— Aaron

[Jeff Bullas]

Quick win (try in 3 minutes): paste one paragraph of your essay into an AI tool and use the disclosure line below on your draft. You’ll see how easy it is to keep AI as an assistant — not the author.

Good point from above: treating AI as a drafting assistant and documenting its use is the right mindset. Here’s a practical, easy-to-follow system you can use today to avoid academic misconduct and actually learn more.

What you’ll need:

• Your draft or paragraph to improve
• Access to an AI chat tool (free or paid)
• Your course rubric and citation guide (APA/MLA)
• A simple changelog (Google Doc or plain text file)
• 5–30 minutes per revision session

Step-by-step: a simple workflow:

1. Save the original paragraph and copy it into your changelog as “Original.”
2. Use the prompt below in your AI tool to get a suggested rewrite and source suggestions.
3. Verify each source the AI suggests — search the title/author, open abstracts or PDFs, and confirm facts (5–10 minutes per source).
4. Rewrite the AI output into your own words and rhythm. Read it out loud — if it sounds like you, it’s good.
5. Add proper in-text citations and a reference list entry from the verified source.
6. Log what the AI provided and what you changed (1–2 lines per paragraph). Add a disclosure line to your cover sheet.

Copy-paste AI prompt (use this exactly):

Please improve the following undergraduate essay paragraph on [TOPIC]. Keep the original meaning, simplify language to a clear undergraduate voice, mark any sentences you retain verbatim with [VERBATIM], suggest two reputable sources (title, author, year) with short notes on why each is relevant, and add APA-style in-text citation placeholders. Then give a one-paragraph summary explaining what you changed and why. Here is the paragraph: “[PASTE YOUR PARAGRAPH]”

Example disclosure lines you can copy:

• Cover sheet: “This submission used an AI drafting assistant to refine language and suggest sources. All AI contributions were verified and edited by the author.”
• Method section: “AI tool used: [tool name]. Purpose: editing and source suggestions. I verified and rewrote all content and added citations.”

Common mistakes & fixes:

• Submitting verbatim AI text — Fix: rewrite until it matches your voice and log the change.
• Believing AI citations are real — Fix: confirm titles/authors in Google Scholar or your library database.
• Not disclosing AI use — Fix: add one of the simple disclosure lines above.

2-step mini action plan (this week):

1. Day 1: Read your school’s AI policy and save it with your notes.
2. Day 2: Revise one paragraph using the prompt above; verify sources and add disclosure.

What to expect: faster drafting, a small time cost to verify and rewrite, and a clear record that protects your academic record while improving learning. Try the quick win now — it takes minutes, and you’ll build the habit that prevents big problems later.

[Rick Retirement Planner]

Quick win (3 minutes): pick one paragraph from your essay, paste it into your tool, and ask the AI to simplify the language and flag any sentences it copied verbatim — then add one of the short disclosure lines below to your draft. You’ll see how easy it is to use AI as a helper, not as the author.

What you’ll need:

• Your paragraph or short draft
• Access to an AI chat tool
• Your course rubric and citation style (APA/MLA)
• A changelog file (Google Doc or plain text) to record edits
• 10–30 minutes for verification

How to do it — step by step:

1. Save the original paragraph in your changelog and label it “Original.”
2. Ask the AI, in plain language, to simplify the paragraph, mark any sentences it keeps verbatim, and suggest two reputable sources with short notes about why they’re relevant (don’t paste a full prompt here; describe these tasks to the tool).
3. Verify each suggested source yourself: look up the title/author, read the abstract or summary, and confirm any facts the AI used (5–10 minutes per source).
4. Rewrite the AI output into your natural voice. Read it aloud — if it sounds like you, it’s probably good. Replace any AI-invented references with real ones.
5. Add proper in-text citations and a reference entry per your citation guide, then record in the changelog what the AI provided and what you changed (1–2 lines).
6. Include a brief disclosure on your cover sheet or method section noting the tool and its purpose.

One simple concept in plain English: documentation beats doubt. If you record what the AI helped with and show you verified and rewrote the material, you turn a mysterious assistant into an auditable part of your workflow — instructors can see you learned and didn’t pass off AI as your original thinking.

What to expect: faster first drafts but extra time to check sources and rewrite — most students save time on drafting but spend 10–30 minutes per paragraph verifying and adapting. You’ll submit with more confidence and a clear record that reduces the risk of integrity issues.

Common mistakes & fixes:

• Submitting verbatim AI text — Fix: rewrite until it matches your voice and mark what was kept in your changelog.
• Trusting AI citations blindly — Fix: open the paper or publisher page and confirm details.
• Not disclosing AI use — Fix: add a one-line disclosure (examples below).

Example disclosure lines you can use:

• Cover sheet: “This submission used an AI assistant to refine language and suggest sources; the author verified and edited all content.”
• Method note: “AI tool used for editing and source suggestions. All outputs were checked and rewritten by the author.”

Small habit: do this once on a paragraph — you’ll build a repeatable process that protects your record and helps you actually learn.

[Jeff Bullas]

Spot on: “documentation beats doubt.” Let’s turn that into a simple, repeatable system so you move fast, learn more, and stay well inside integrity rules.

Do / Do not (quick checklist)

• Do keep a changelog of AI help, your edits, and the sources you verified.
• Do rewrite in your own voice and add proper citations you checked yourself.
• Do include a brief AI-use note (what tool, what for, what you verified).
• Do map each paragraph to your rubric so you only include what’s assessed.
• Do not submit AI text verbatim or accept AI-suggested citations without checking.
• Do not hide AI use on graded tasks where your policy requires disclosure.
• Do not ask AI to “do my assignment” — ask it to coach you.

What you’ll set up once (5–10 minutes)

• Integrity Pack (3 small files):
  • Changelog.txt — records the AI prompt, its output summary, and your edits.
  • Source-Check Table.doc — a simple table: Claim | Source title/author/year | How I verified | Quote/idea | In-text cite.
  • Disclosure Note.doc — one sentence explaining tool and purpose.

15-minute “Integrity Cycle” (repeat for each paragraph)

1. Aim (1 min): Write your learning goal and rubric criteria for this paragraph.
2. Coach, not ghost (4–6 min): Use the prompt below to get suggestions, not a finished paragraph. Ask for tags like [CHECK FACT] and [CITE] so you know what to verify.
3. Verify (5–7 min): For each [CITE] item, find the source, read the abstract or section, confirm details, and complete your Source-Check Table.
4. Rewrite (3–5 min): Put it in your voice. Read aloud. Add proper in-text citations.
5. Log & disclose (1 min): Add one or two lines to your Changelog.txt and keep the disclosure note with your submission files.

Copy-paste AI prompt (guardrails included)

Please act as a writing coach for an undergraduate assignment on [TOPIC]. Do not write the full paragraph. Instead:
1) Suggest a clear outline for one paragraph that aligns with these rubric points: [PASTE RUBRIC POINTS].
2) List the specific claims that require sources and label each with [CITE].
3) Mark any statements that are uncertain or debatable with [CHECK FACT] and explain why.
4) Suggest search keywords and 2 types of reputable sources to look for (e.g., peer-reviewed article, government report). Do not fabricate citations or DOIs.
5) Provide 3 sentence-level rewrites of my draft that keep my meaning but simplify language; mark any words you reused verbatim from me with [VERBATIM].
Here is my draft paragraph: “[PASTE YOUR PARAGRAPH]”

Insider upgrade: after you verify sources, ask the AI to insert only APA/MLA placeholders where citations belong (e.g., (Author, Year)), and you fill in full references from the real source. This keeps accuracy under your control.

Worked example (from messy to compliant)

• Original student sentence: “Social media harms teen mental health a lot.”
• AI coaching output (summary):
  • Outline: define “harms,” cite longitudinal data [CITE], note nuance (usage type, duration).
  • Claims to verify: links between heavy use and depressive symptoms [CITE]; differences by age/gender [CHECK FACT].
  • Search terms: “adolescent social media depressive symptoms longitudinal,” “screen time mental health meta-analysis.”
  • Rewrites (samples): “Several studies associate heavy social media use with depressive symptoms in adolescents [CITE]. The effect varies by how platforms are used [CHECK FACT].”
• Student verification:
  • Find one meta-analysis and one government health report; read abstracts; confirm measures and limitations.
  • Fill Source-Check Table with titles/authors/years and short notes.
• Final student rewrite (own voice): “Evidence from recent reviews links heavier social media use with higher depressive symptoms among adolescents, though effects differ by how teens engage online (Author, Year; Author, Year).”
• Changelog note: “AI suggested outline and flagged [CITE]/[CHECK FACT]. I located two sources, confirmed measures, and rewrote in my voice. Added APA in-text placeholders and full references.”

Mistakes to avoid and quick fixes

• Copying AI text: If any sentence is still close to the AI’s wording, paraphrase again and read aloud. Aim for your natural rhythm.
• Phantom citations: Never paste a reference you did not open. If unsure, delete it and replace with a verified source.
• Over-claiming: If your source shows correlation, avoid causal language. Ask the AI to flag causal verbs for you to tone down.
• Policy blind spots: If the task bans AI, don’t use it. If unclear, ask your instructor how to disclose permissible editing help.

Templates you can copy into your files

• Changelog.txt: Date | Task | AI prompt (short) | What AI gave | What I changed | Why I changed it.
• Source-Check Table: Claim | Source (Title, Author, Year) | How verified (abstract/section) | Quote/idea | In-text cite.
• Disclosure Note: “I used an AI assistant for language refinement, outlining, and identifying where citations were needed. I verified sources, rewrote content in my own words, and take responsibility for the final work.”

What to expect (realistic)

• Drafting feels faster and clearer because you know exactly what to verify.
• You’ll trade raw speed for confidence: 20–40% time saved on brainstorming, 10–30 minutes added per paragraph for verification and rewriting.
• Your files form an audit trail that shows learning, not shortcutting.

One-week action plan (light lift)

1. Day 1: Create your Integrity Pack files.
2. Day 2: Run the prompt on one paragraph; add [CITE]/[CHECK FACT] tags.
3. Day 3: Verify two sources and complete the Source-Check Table.
4. Day 4: Rewrite in your voice; add in-text citations and references.
5. Day 5: Add disclosure; store AI chat transcript with your draft.
6. Day 6–7: Repeat for the next paragraph; do a final read-aloud pass.

Keep it simple: coach, verify, rewrite, document. That’s how you use AI to learn faster, protect your integrity, and submit with confidence.

[Author]

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