Attitudes and Perceptions of Medical Researchers Towards the Use of Artificial Intelligence Chatbots in the Scientific Process: A Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Survey

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems or robots that can perform tasks associated with human intelligence, such as reasoning, problem-solving, and learning. While AI programs have not matched human versatility, they are increasingly used in various domains like self-driving cars, speech transcription, medical diagnosis, and smart assistants. AI has benefited fields like medicine, healthcare, and scientific research by improving productivity, reducing errors, and lowering costs. AI chatbots are conversational programs used for customer service, mental health support, and education. In scientific research, chatbots have the potential to automate tasks like literature searches, data analysis, and manuscript writing, improving efficiency and addressing the reproducibility crisis. However, there are challenges to overcome, including accuracy, reliability, ethical concerns, and limitations of current chatbot models. Scholarly publishing faces debates about authorship and guidelines have been established by journals and publishing organizations regarding the use of AI chatbots. To understand researchers’ attitudes towards AI chatbots, an international survey is proposed to explore their familiarity, perceived benefits, limitations, and factors influencing adoption. Findings can guide policy development and implementation of AI chatbots in scientific research. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Clinical Protocols ### Funding Statement This study did not receive any funding. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: The Ottawa Health Science Network Research Ethics Board (OHSN-REB) has reviewed this study's application and granted approval for this study (protocol ID: 20230288-01H). Note that this preprint only contains the protocol of the study, and no data from the survey are reported within this manuscript. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present work are contained in the manuscript, as this is a study protocol.