Generative Artificial Intelligence in Research and Scholarly Communication: A Systematic Literature Review

The purpose of the systematic literature review is to analyze empirical studies that clearly explain recent trends, applications, attitudes, acceptance, and impact, as well as ethical and academic integrity issues related to Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in research and scholarly communication. Keyword searches were conducted in the first week of February 2026 in Google Scholar, Dimensions.AI, OpenAlex, and Semantic Scholar for the identification of literature for the review. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 26 articles were found eligible for review under the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess their quality. The study reported that the use of GenAI in research varies across disciplines, experience, and technological literacy. The tools’ usage varied depending on the needs of the research community. Researchers used GenAI at different stages of their research, including information gathering and categorization, methodology framing, data collection and analysis, academic writing assistance, and publication of research papers. The review reports that dependency and decline in critical thinking skills were concerns, yet researchers continued to rely on GenAI despite ongoing confusion and trust issues. The study results provide insight into current trends, applications, attitudes, acceptance, impacts, and ethical and academic integrity issues of GenAI among the scholarly community worldwide.