Influence of AI tools across research processes on the research productivity of postgraduate students in Nigerian public universities

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming research practices in higher education, yet empirical evidence on how AI supports research productivity among students remains limited, particularly in developing contexts. This study examined the influence of AI tools used during the research preparation, analysis, and dissemination stages on the research productivity of postgraduate students in public universities in Nigeria. The study was guided by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) and Experiential Learning Theory. The study adopted a descriptive survey design involving 312 respondents. Data were collected using the AI Tools Utilisation and Research Productivity Questionnaire (AITURPQ) and analysed using simple linear regression. The analysis examined the predictive effects of AI-assisted research preparation, analytical, and dissemination tools on research productivity. The findings reveal that AI-assisted research preparation tools significantly predicted research productivity (R² = .241, p  < .05). AI-supported analytical tools also exerted a significant positive influence on research productivity (R² = .137, p  < .05), while AI-driven dissemination tools demonstrated the strongest predictive effect (R² = .329, p  < .05). The findings underscore the role of AI across the research lifecycle in supporting knowledge creation, analytical competence, and scholarly dissemination. They highlight the need to strengthen AI literacy and institutional support and promote responsible AI integration to enhance postgraduate research productivity.