Information Literacy Skills, Proficiency Levels, and Ethics of AI Use in Research among Postgraduate Students

Abstract

This study examined information literacy skills, proficiency levels, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) in research among postgraduate students in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. The study was guided by three research objectives: to identify information literacy skills possessed by postgraduate students, examine their proficiency levels in these skills, and investigate the relationship between information literacy and ethical AI use in research. Using a correlational research design, data were collected from 164 postgraduate students through a validated and reliable self-designed questionnaire titled "Information Literacy and the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Research among Postgraduate Students Questionnaire" (ILEUAIRPSQ). The instrument, which had a reliability coefficient of 0.78, comprised five sections covering demographic data, AI utilization, ethical principles adherence, information literacy skills possession, and proficiency levels. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that postgraduate students possessed basic and intermediate information literacy skills, with majority demonstrating competence in identifying and locating information (69.5%), retrieving and summarizing resources (61.6%), and online information retrieval (61.6%). However, advanced competencies such as formulating search strategies (41.5%) and integrating information into unified knowledge bases (37.8%) were less developed. Assessment of proficiency levels showed low overall proficiency (aggregate mean = 2.18, below criterion mean of 2.50), with most students rating themselves as beginners or novices across skill dimensions. The highest proficiency was observed in formulating search strategies (M = 2.32), while the lowest was in utilizing diverse information sources (M = 1.99). Crucially, a significant positive relationship was found between information literacy and ethical AI use (r = 0.578, p < 0.05), indicating that students with stronger information literacy skills demonstrated more ethical AI practices. The study recommends strengthened information literacy instruction, integration of AI ethics into research training, and clear institutional policies on ethical AI use...