76 The formative lab report
Supporting materials for the formative lab report will be available in the “Quizzes and assignments” section on Moodle from Friday, 13 March at 4pm. The deadline for submitting the lab report is Friday, 27 March at 4pm. The submission link on Moodle will be made available at least one week before the deadline.
Please do not underestimate the amount of work this will involve and start working on the lab report as early as possible! When you do, make sure to read the instructions closely!
Please keep in mind that while this lab report is formatively marked, one of the marking criteria for the summative lab report is engagement with the feedback received on the formative lab report. If you fail to submit a formative lab report, the summative mark for this criterion will automatically be 0.
AI use
Guidance on generative AI use for this formative assessment
Because this lab report is formative and does not contribute to your overall module mark, there are technically no academic penalties for using generative AI (such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude) to complete it.
However, we strongly advise you to strictly follow the AI guidelines set out for your upcoming summative lab report (included below). This formative assessment is designed to be a practice run. Its primary purpose is to help you develop your independent analytical, research, and writing skills. If you use AI to generate your arguments, structure your report, or write your paragraphs now, you will bypass the learning process and find yourself unprepared for the summative assessment, where unauthorised AI use will be penalised under the university’s false authorship policy.
Guidance on generative AI use for the summative lab report
As you prepare for your summative lab report, it is crucial to understand how you can appropriately use generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude) without compromising your academic integrity or your learning process. The university recognises the value of AI as an aid for orienting yourself in the literature and refining your writing. However, AI must never replace your own critical analysis, reading of primary sources, or independent drafting.
Before you begin your report, please ensure you have read the school’s full policy: Essential Guidance for Students on Using Generative AI in Assessments for the School of Psychology
To help you translate that policy into practical steps for this specific assignment, we have outlined some “Do’s and Don’ts” below. These guidelines are designed to help you leverage AI as a helpful tool, while ensuring you maintain absolute authorship over your submitted work.
| Category | Acceptable Uses (Do’s) | Unacceptable Uses & Cautions (Don’ts) |
|---|---|---|
| Research & Understanding | Generating database search queries; asking for summaries of broad concepts to orient yourself; checking your understanding of a topic. | Relying on AI as a primary source; trusting AI facts without verification (AI hallucinates and invents facts). |
| Writing & Drafting | Checking spelling and grammar; suggesting concise phrasing or improving syntax of existing text. | Using AI to write paragraphs or substantial parts of the report; using AI to generate the core arguments. |
| Translation | Translating individual words or short phrases. | Translating entire paragraphs or sections of your work. |
| Sourcing | Using AI to find key debates or recent developments as a starting point. | Citing AI directly as an academic source; trusting AI-generated references (which are often fabricated). |
Here are a couple of “safe prompts” that are designed with specific constraints built into the prompt so that the AI provides critique and guidance rather than doing the work for you.
For grammar, syntax, and conciseness
The prompt: “I am going to provide a paragraph I wrote for my lab report. Please identify any grammatical errors, clunky syntax, or wordy sentences. Give me your feedback as a bulleted list pointing out the specific issues and explaining why they need fixing. Crucial instruction: Do NOT rewrite the paragraph for me.”
For concept checking
The prompt: “I am preparing to write my lab report and want to check my understanding of [insert specific concept/theory]. In my own words, my understanding is: [insert your explanation here]. Am I accurate? Please point out any misconceptions or nuances I have missed. Crucial instruction: Do not write a summary for me to use in my report; just tell me where my current reasoning is strong and where it is weak.”
Crucial note on authorship: Regardless of how you use AI for writing support (e.g., syntax, grammar), your use must not impact your claim to authorship. You must be the creator of the submitted content. AI is not a replacement for reading primary materials.
Mandatory declaration of AI use
Whether you used Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, GrammarlyGo) or not, you must include a mandatory “Declaration of AI Use” as an appendix at the very end of your lab report. If you did not use any AI tools, simply state: “No AI tools were used in the preparation of this assignment.” If you did use AI tools, you must explicitly detail how they were used.
Please use the following format for your appendix:
Declaration of AI Use
- AI Tool(s) Used: [e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini]
- Purpose of Use: [e.g., checking syntax, brainstorming search terms]
- Specific Prompts Used: [Provide 1-2 examples of the exact prompts you gave the AI.]
- How the Output was Used: [Briefly explain how you incorporated the AI’s feedback. E.g., “The AI identified that my second paragraph was a run-on sentence, so I manually split it into two clearer sentences.”]