Ethical Prompting Practices and Use of Generative AI Tools for Academic Writing by Librarians in Nigerian Universities: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

The increasing integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools into academic writing has introduced new opportunities and ethical challenges relating to authorship, originality, transparency, and academic integrity. This study examined the use of GenAI tools and ethical prompting practices among librarians in Nigerian universities. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire from participating academic librarians in Nigerian universities. The findings revealed that librarians use a wide range of GenAI and AI-assisted writing tools, with ChatGPT, Grammarly, QuillBot, Gemini, and Copilot among the most frequently used applications. GenAI tools were primarily used for idea development, language editing, summarisation, paraphrasing, manuscript refinement, and improving clarity of academic texts. The findings further showed that librarians demonstrated considerable awareness of ethical issues associated with AI-assisted writing, including verification of AI outputs, disclosure of AI assistance, responsibility for generated content, and avoidance of plagiarism. Ethical prompting practices were also reported, particularly in ensuring that AI supports rather than replaces human scholarly contribution. A statistically significant positive and moderate relationship was found between ethical prompting practices and GenAI use. In addition, ethical prompting practices significantly predicted GenAI usage. The study concludes that GenAI is reshaping academic writing practices among librarians in Nigerian universities, requiring a balanced approach that combines technological adoption with ethical responsibility. The findings highlight the need for institutional AI guidelines, continuous AI literacy development, and professional frameworks that support transparent, accountable, and academically responsible use of GenAI in scholarly communication.