Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly becoming part of everyday academic work - supporting tasks from literature discovery via structuring data to manuscript preparation. For Early Career Researchers, these developments offer considerable opportunities to increase efficiency and clarity in the research process, while simultaneously raising new questions regarding transparency, authorship, research integrity and Good Scientific Practice.

This Masterclass provides a structured, practice-oriented overview of how generative AI can be meaningfully integrated into different stages of the scientific workflow, without focusing on technical aspects, machine learning methods, or programming. Instead, the session will address AI as a pragmatic research companion: What can it realistically contribute, where are its limitations and how can researchers use it responsibly in alignment with institutional, journal-specific and overall scientific standards?

A particular emphasis will be placed on scientific publishing, including AI-assisted drafting and editing, literature synthesis, structuring of arguments, preparation of journal submissions and support in responding to reviewers. We will critically discuss risks such as hallucinated citations, bias, confidentiality issues and unintentional misconduct, and translate these challenges into concrete strategies for ethically sound AI use. Participants will be introduced to key principles of transparency and documentation, including how to report AI use appropriately and how to ensure compliance with evolving publisher and scientific guidelines.

Beyond publication-related workflows, additional examples will cover grant writing, project planning and research documentation. The Masterclass includes interactive elements such as short case discussions and decision-making exercises, enabling participants to reflect on real-world scenarios and to develop practical guidelines for their own research context.
Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how AI tools may support productivity and creativity while maintaining scientific rigour, accountability and trustworthiness. This session is designed for researchers who wish to explore the role of AI in academic practice - critically, responsibly and with a focus on real-life applicability.

This abstract was fine-tuned with the support of ChatGPT-5.2 to improve English language and clarity. The author takes full responsibility for the content.

Date: Tuesday, 7 July
Time: 09:00 – 11:30
Session room: 2BC

Please register for this Masterclass via the official ECSS Congress App as soon as it is released towards mid-June.

Prof Barbara Wessner
University of Vienna
Centre for Sport Science and University Sports
Vienna, Austria
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