Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed the world of scholarly research as well as higher education in many ways, both positively and negatively, and this transformation calls for continuous study as the technology evolves and advances. As academics and doctoral students navigate the terrain of how these new technologies impact their work, it has become imperative to critically examine how AI can benefit the teaching, learning, and doing of qualitative research methods, while also carefully considering the myriad ethical dilemmas. In this presentation, I describe the continuation of a classroom-based action research project in which I explore the impact of an AI-focused qualitative research methods module in a doctoral-level course. The design of this module is based on input from doctoral students taking research courses from the past year, as investigated through the first phase of this action research project. Based on these ongoing dialogues with students as they explore and experiment with AI in their qualitative research, the module is designed in three parts: Research Design, Ethics, and Scholarship. The first part of the module, Research Design, is based on how AI can be used in various aspects of research design and qualitative data collection and analysis. The second part, Ethics, encompasses ethical considerations of using AI, including analysis bias, participant confidentiality, and data security. The third part, Scholarship, focuses scholarly writing and academic standards for appropriate use of AI for publication in scholarly journals. To document and evaluate this phase of the action research project, a pre and post evaluation survey that includes open-ended questions is provided to students who complete the module within their doctoral course. Students are also asked to describe their personal perspective, attitudes, and preferences in terms of their use of AI in the context of their research. Critical to this exploration is the participation of the students, who, along with the instructor, are reflecting on and interrogating the possible uses, misuses, and ethical issues that they encounter as they incorporate these technologies. In keeping with the iterative and cyclical nature of action research, I will incorporate these learnings into future versions of the module. I continue to analyze this information to inform an emergent direction towards the productive and ethical use of AI in teaching and learning qualitative research methods, while also considering how AI might impact students’ future roles as scholars and researchers, as well as faculty members’ roles as teachers, advisors, and mentors.

Keywords: Qualitative research methods, doctoral students, technology, artificial intelligence, ethics.