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An increasing number of universities now require students to submit an AI use declaration alongside their dissertation. This guide explains what to include, what to avoid, and provides five ready-to-adapt sample declarations covering the most common scenarios.<\/p>\n
In this guide<\/span><\/p>\n The spread of AI use declaration requirements reflects how quickly universities have had to adapt their assessment frameworks. Where academic integrity policies once focused almost entirely on plagiarism, they now need to account for a much broader range of AI-assisted activities \u2014 some permitted, some prohibited, and many in between.<\/p>\n The declaration is your formal statement of where you stand. Done honestly, it demonstrates the integrity that the requirement is designed to promote. Done inaccurately \u2014 whether by omission or misrepresentation \u2014 it constitutes a separate form of academic misconduct at most institutions that require it.<\/p>\n For a full guide to what universities permit and prohibit in 2026, see: University AI Policies Explained: What You Can (and Can’t) Do<\/a>. For guidance on how to use AI ethically throughout your dissertation, see: How to Use AI Ethically in Your Dissertation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most universities do not prescribe a specific format for AI use declarations. Where a form is provided, use it. Where no form is provided, a clear written statement included at the start or end of your dissertation (check your handbook for placement guidance) should cover the following:<\/p>\n Copy the sample that most closely matches your situation and adapt the tool names and descriptions to reflect what you actually used. Replace all bracketed placeholder text.<\/p>\n Scenario A: Grammar checker only<\/p>\n Minimal AI use<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Use this if: you only used Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or a similar grammar-checking tool. Adjust the tool name as needed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Scenario B: Academic research tools and grammar checking<\/p>\n Research support<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Use this if: you used AI research tools to find and scan sources alongside grammar checking. Adjust tool names to match what you actually used.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Scenario C: Planning, research, and grammar support<\/p>\n Broad support tools<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Use this if: you used a combination of planning support, research tools, grammar checking, and professional proofreading. Adapt as needed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Scenario D: Significant AI support, no generated text submitted<\/p>\n Extensive AI support<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Use this if: AI tools played a significant role in supporting your research and planning process, but you wrote every word of the dissertation yourself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Scenario E: No AI use<\/p>\n No AI tools used<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Use this only if you genuinely used no AI tools of any kind. Note that if your institution treats grammar checkers as AI tools (some do), Grammarly use would need to be declared even if minimal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Declarations that say “I used AI tools for research assistance” without naming the tools or describing how they were used are unhelpful and may be flagged for clarification. Be specific: name each tool and describe each use.<\/p>\n If your university requires a declaration, omitting tools you used \u2014 even tools whose use was permitted \u2014 is itself a form of misconduct. Declare everything you used, accurately. Permitted use declared honestly is not a problem. Undisclosed use, however minor, carries risk.<\/p>\n Using Elicit to find sources is categorically different from using ChatGPT to write paragraphs. Your declaration should reflect this distinction clearly. Describe what each tool actually did in your process, not just that you “used AI.”<\/p>\n Some institutions ask students to declare any third-party assistance, including professional proofreading. Check your handbook. If declaration is required, include it. Professional human proofreading is permitted everywhere \u2014 declaring it demonstrates transparency, not wrongdoing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dissertation Proofreading Services \u00b7 Vappingo<\/span><\/p>\n Whatever AI tools you used to support your research and writing, Vappingo’s professional human editors provide the final review that no automated tool can replicate. Grammar, argument clarity, citation formatting, academic tone \u2014 all checked by a qualified human expert before you submit. Fast turnaround, all subjects, all citation styles, fully compliant with university academic integrity standards worldwide.<\/p>\n Get your dissertation proofread \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In an environment where AI detection tools are increasingly deployed by universities, submitting proof that your dissertation was reviewed by a qualified human editor<\/a> is a meaningful additional assurance \u2014 for you, and for your institution.<\/p>\n Vappingo \u00b7 Professional Dissertation Proofreading<\/span><\/p>\n Certificate of Human Editing<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When Vappingo proofreads your dissertation, we issue a Certificate of Human Editing confirming that your work was reviewed by a qualified human editor \u2014 not an AI tool. The certificate records the editor’s credentials, the date of review, and the scope of the proofreading service provided.<\/p>\n You can include this certificate with your dissertation submission as evidence that any proofreading was conducted by a human professional. In institutions where AI detection concerns have raised questions about the origin of polished writing, this certificate provides clear, credible documentation that the improvement to your text came from human expertise, not AI assistance.<\/p>\n The certificate is provided automatically with every Vappingo dissertation proofreading order.<\/p>\n Get your dissertation proofread and certified \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Not yet, but the number requiring one is growing rapidly. Check your course handbook and your university’s academic integrity guidance. If no declaration is required, you may still choose to include one voluntarily \u2014 it demonstrates transparency and is never penalized.<\/p>\n It depends on your institution. Many universities treat grammar checkers as writing support tools equivalent to spell-checkers and do not require their declaration. Others require declaration of any AI-assisted tool. Check your handbook. When in doubt, declare it \u2014 listing Grammarly in a declaration causes no harm and demonstrates care.<\/p>\n Declare it honestly. An accurate declaration of permitted AI use \u2014 even if you did not initially realize a declaration was required \u2014 is treated very differently from a discovered undisclosed use. Contact your supervisor or student support office if you are uncertain how to handle this.<\/p>\n Professional human proofreading is not AI use and should not appear in an AI use declaration unless your institution specifically asks you to declare all third-party assistance. Check your handbook. If third-party assistance requires declaration, mention your Vappingo proofread and attach the Certificate of Human Editing. If only AI use requires declaration, professional proofreading does not belong in the AI statement.<\/p>\n Yes. The certificate is provided with every Vappingo dissertation proofreading order. It confirms that your dissertation was reviewed by a qualified human editor, which may be appended to your submission as evidence of human-conducted proofreading. Check your institution’s guidance on supporting documents for any specific submission requirements.<\/p>\n Continue reading \u00b7 AI in Education Series<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n1. What a declaration needs to include<\/h2>\n
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\n2. Five sample declarations, ready to adapt<\/h2>\n
AI Use Declaration\r\n\r\nIn preparing this dissertation, I used the following AI-assisted tool:\r\n\r\nGrammarly (grammarly.com): Used throughout the drafting and revision process\r\nto identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation issues.\r\nAll suggested corrections were reviewed individually and accepted or rejected\r\nbased on my own judgment.\r\n\r\nNo AI tool was used to generate, rewrite, or substantially alter any text\r\nthat appears in this dissertation. The research, argument, analysis, and\r\nwriting are entirely my own original work.\r\n\r\n[Your name]\r\n[Date]<\/pre>\n
AI Use Declaration\r\n\r\nIn preparing this dissertation, I used the following AI-assisted tools:\r\n\r\nElicit (elicit.com): Used during the literature review phase to identify\r\nrelevant peer-reviewed papers and extract key findings for initial\r\ncomparison. All sources identified via Elicit were located, read in full,\r\nand independently verified before being cited in this dissertation.\r\n\r\nSemantic Scholar (semanticscholar.org): Used to supplement Google Scholar\r\nsearches for academic sources. All cited papers were verified against the\r\noriginal publication records.\r\n\r\nGrammarly (grammarly.com): Used to identify grammatical errors and style\r\ninconsistencies in my own writing. All suggestions were reviewed and acted\r\nupon individually.\r\n\r\nNo AI tool was used to generate text that appears in this dissertation. The\r\nresearch question, argument, analysis, conclusions, and all submitted writing\r\nare my own original work.\r\n\r\n[Your name]\r\n[Date]<\/pre>\n
AI Use Declaration\r\n\r\nIn preparing this dissertation, I used the following AI-assisted tools:\r\n\r\nElicit (elicit.com): Used during the literature review to identify and\r\ncompare academic sources. All sources were independently verified and read\r\nbefore being cited.\r\n\r\nChatGPT (openai.com): Used at the planning stage to stress-test my research\r\nquestion and explore potential weaknesses in my argument. Also used to\r\nexplain methodological concepts I found difficult to understand. No\r\nChatGPT output was incorporated into my dissertation text.\r\n\r\nGrammarly (grammarly.com): Used to identify grammatical and spelling errors\r\nin my own drafts. All suggestions reviewed individually.\r\n\r\nVappingo Dissertation Proofreading Service (vappingo.com): My completed\r\ndissertation was reviewed by a professional human editor for grammar,\r\nclarity, and citation formatting prior to submission. A Certificate of\r\nHuman Editing is attached.\r\n\r\nThe research, argument, analysis, and all submitted writing are my own\r\noriginal work.\r\n\r\n[Your name]\r\n[Date]<\/pre>\n
AI Use Declaration\r\n\r\nIn preparing this dissertation, I used the following AI-assisted tools\r\nat various stages of the research and writing process:\r\n\r\nLiterature review: Elicit and Consensus were used to identify relevant\r\npapers and compare findings across studies. All sources were verified and\r\nread before citation.\r\n\r\nResearch planning: [Tool name] was used to develop an initial research\r\nplan and outline. The final research question, dissertation structure,\r\nand argument were developed through my own critical engagement with the\r\nliterature.\r\n\r\nConcept clarification: ChatGPT was used on multiple occasions to explain\r\nmethodological terms and theoretical frameworks I encountered in the\r\nliterature. This assisted my understanding but did not contribute text\r\nto the dissertation.\r\n\r\nGrammar and style: Grammarly Premium was used throughout drafting and\r\nrevision to identify errors and inconsistencies in my writing.\r\n\r\nProfessional proofreading: My dissertation was professionally proofread\r\nby Vappingo (vappingo.com) prior to submission. A Certificate of Human\r\nEditing confirming this review is attached.\r\n\r\nI confirm that all text submitted in this dissertation was written by me.\r\nNo AI tool generated any portion of the submitted work. The research,\r\nargument, analysis, and conclusions are my own original intellectual\r\ncontribution.\r\n\r\n[Your name]\r\n[Date]<\/pre>\n
AI Use Declaration\r\n\r\nI confirm that I did not use any generative AI tools, AI writing assistants,\r\nor AI-powered research tools in the preparation of this dissertation,\r\nincluding but not limited to ChatGPT, Grammarly, Elicit, Copilot, or any\r\nsimilar tool.\r\n\r\nThe research, argument, analysis, writing, and all submitted content are\r\nentirely my own original work.\r\n\r\n[Your name]\r\n[Date]<\/pre>\n
\n3. Common declaration mistakes to avoid<\/h2>\n
\u25ba<\/span>Being too vague<\/h3>\n
\u25ba<\/span>Under-declaring to avoid scrutiny<\/h3>\n
\u25ba<\/span>Conflating AI research tools with AI writing tools<\/h3>\n
\u25ba<\/span>Forgetting to declare professional proofreading<\/h3>\n
Dissertation Proofreading Services: Fast, Affordable, Expert Editors<\/h4>\n
4. Strengthening your submission with a Certificate of Human Editing<\/h2>\n
\nFrequently asked questions<\/h2>\n
\u25ba<\/span>Does every university require an AI use declaration?<\/h3>\n
\u25ba<\/span>Do I need to declare Grammarly use?<\/h3>\n
\u25ba<\/span>What if I used an AI tool before I knew it needed to be declared?<\/h3>\n
\u25ba<\/span>Should I declare professional proofreading in my AI declaration?<\/h3>\n
\u25ba<\/span>Can I submit a Vappingo Certificate of Human Editing with my dissertation?<\/h3>\n
\nEthical Use<\/span>
\nHow to Use AI Ethically in Your Dissertation (Without Getting Expelled)<\/span>
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\nPolicy Guide<\/span>
\nUniversity AI Policies Explained: What You Can (and Can’t) Do<\/span>
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\nChatGPT Policies<\/span>
\nCan I Use ChatGPT for My Dissertation? (What Your University Actually Says)<\/span>
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\nPre-Submission<\/span>
\nIs Your Dissertation Really Ready to Submit? A Pre-Submission Checklist<\/span>
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