academic integrity

Background: The nature of scholarly research has undergone a profound transformation in recent decades, transitioning from traditional, library-based inquiry to digitally mediated and increasingly AI-assisted methodologies. This article reflects on that evolution through an autoethnographic lens, drawing upon the author’s personal academic trajectory and long-standing engagement with satire. Aims: This article explores the evolving landscape of research, communication, and authorship in the digital age, with a particular focus on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence. Methodology: The study employs a reflective, autoethnographic methodology combined with AI-assisted literature synthesis. Drawing on personal academic experiences and outputs from ChatGPT and Claude, the author critically examines artificial intelligence’s role in communication research and satire. This qualitative approach blends narrative inquiry with theoretical analysis to explore the epistemological and ethical implications of AI in scholarly authorship. Discussion: Reflecting on a shift from traditional library-based scholarship to AI-assisted inquiry, the author critically examines how tools like ChatGPT and Claude reshape academic and journalistic practices. The manuscript considers the integration of AI across domains such as human communication, media, sentiment analysis, and translation, while addressing ethical concerns including privacy, authorship, and misinformation. Through both anecdotal reflection and synthesized research, the text interrogates the promises and pitfalls of AI in content generation, especially in the context of satire—a long-standing interest of the author. Conclusion: Drawing on personal experience and historical theories of satire from figures like Northrop Frye, Juvenal, and Linda Hutcheon, the article positions AI not just as a technological tool but as a cultural force influencing narrative forms and critical thought. While acknowledging AI's generative capabilities, the author emphasizes the enduring need for human discernment, intellectual ownership, and critical interpretation in both academic and creative contexts.

Incorporating technology into the process of writing in an EFL setting can aid educators to create an engaging learning environment and learners to explore various strategies of developing their writing skills. This study was set up to investigate the experiences of 28 pre-service EFL teachers in an MS Word integrated writing course at Farhangian University. Participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews administered upon completing the course, and triangulated via focused group discussions moderated by an expert in academic writing. Content analysis of the interviews revealed that students expressed favoring an MS Word integrated approach with regard to writing skills improvement (through features such as spell check, grammar suggestions, thesaurus tools, etc.) as well as utilizing feedback mechanisms in the Review menu (via track changes feature and editing facilities, proofing, and comments), and the References menu (via Manage sources and Insert citation features). Participants also expressed preferring the on-screen editing activities performed in the classroom compared with their previously held conventional writing sessions. Implications regarding how MS Word can be incorporated into teacher education curricula to improve both their academic writing skills and teaching writing through technology-based instruction are discussed.