SciLib Forum 2025 – AI Meets Scientific Writing

Aims

This course introduces participants to the practical and ethical dimensions of integrating generative AI into scientific writing. The aim is to empower doctoral candidates and postdocs to confidently use AI tools to support the development of theory, empirical manuscripts, and grant proposals, while fostering a critical awareness of transparency, authorship, and research quality in an evolving academic landscape.

Content

The course consists of two interactive workshop sessions and a concluding panel discussion.

• Workshop 1: AI-supported theory development, literature reviews, and grant writing using tools such as ChatGPT, Consensus AI, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).
• Workshop 2: AI-based workflows for turning data and presentations into structured empirical papers, with focus on tools like NotebookLM, Scite, Jenni.ai, and Julius.ai.
• Panel Discussion: Expert exchange on the implications of AI in scientific publishing.
  Participants are also invited to contribute to a data visualization competition (optional), promoting FAIR data practices and science communication.

Complete program: https://ub.unibas.ch/en/locations/university-medical-library/scilib-forum/

Methods

• Short inputs with tool demonstrations
• Guided hands-on exercises using participants’ own materials
• Panel discussion with Q&A
• Optional: participation in data visualization competition (individual submission)

Target Group

All Doctoral Candidates & Postdocs

Requirements

Basic familiarity with scientific writing. No prior experience with AI tools is required. Two weeks prior to the workshops, participants will be asked to pre-register for the required (free) tools, to envision potential research topics, and to prepare relevant materials—such as existing presentations, draft texts, and/or datasets—for hands-on application.

About the Trainer

The course is designed and delivered by a cross-disciplinary team of information specialists, AI researchers, and science communication experts from the University of Basel and partnering institutions.

• Workshop 1: Dr. Yannick Städler, subject specialist medicine and environmental sciences, University Library Basel
• Workshop 2: Dr. Robin Segerer, subject specialist psychology, University Library Basel
• Panel Expert Discussion: Researchers, journal editors and information specialists

Lead: Monika Wechsler, Head University Medical Library Basel

Workload

• 5 hours course attendance (2 workshops, 1 panel discussion)
• 1 hour preparatory work (registration tool access, preparation material for hands-on application)
• Optional networking apéro from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Feature

Once registration is open, applications will be collected for 24 hours and course places allocated by lot. All registrations received after the initial 24h period will be put on a waiting list and assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Course places/places on the waiting list will be confirmed by e-mail. Course registrations can only be canceled before the registration period ends (send an e-mail to grace@unibas.ch). Full course attendance is mandatory. Participants who fail to attend a course without prior notification or withdraw after the registration deadline are subject to a fee of CHF 30. In addition, participants who cancel their course registration at a later point in time, are absent without an excuse or do not attend the entire course will, for reasons of fairness, not be considered for course registration in the following semester and will be removed from other courses offered in the same semester. Please find the detailed regulations on the Transferable Skills Homepage.