Guidelines: Use of AI-Based Tools in Final Papers
Austria · Guideline · Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung
Our summary
This document provides guidance for supervisors and teachers in Austrian secondary schools on managing AI-based tools when students write final papers. It establishes that AI tools may be used in a supportive capacity provided students maintain academic integrity, clearly disclose all AI applications and prompts, and take individual responsibility for the content. The guidance covers potential benefits of AI for research and writing, risks including inaccurate outputs and data protection concerns, and requirements for proper citation, documentation, and assessment.
Written by the Index in our own words. It is not legal advice; the official text is the authority.
Inside this policy
Every section of this policy in order. Our notes summarise each one in plain language and do not quote the official text, which is the authority.
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12 sections
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Introduction
This guideline provides basic orientation for handling AI-based tools in final papers at secondary and vocational schools in Austria.
Artificial Intelligence as a Topic in Final Papers
3 sections
A blanket ban on AI tools is ineffective given AI's growing role in daily life. Schools must define when and under what conditions AI tools can be used in final papers and how to prepare students for AI in higher education. This section covers conditions for use, benefits, and risks.
2.1 Conditions for Using AI-Based Tools
AI tools may only support the work; the student must remain individually accountable for content and verify all information using trustworthy sources. Students must clearly identify which AI tool was used, what prompts were entered, cite AI use in the bibliography, and fully document sources. Work lacking complete and traceable source documentation counts as plagiarism.
2.2 Benefits of Using AI-Based Tools
AI can aid students by helping them explore different approaches and perspectives, serving as an interactive partner for developing concepts, supporting research and information access, providing organizational guidance, overcoming writing blocks, translating foreign sources, and refining language and reducing errors.
2.3 Risks of Using AI-Based Tools
AI may produce inaccurate or biased answers, inadequately account for current and academic sources, cause data protection violations, leave authorship unclear, and collect user data through personal information and prompts.
AI in the Final Paper Creation Process
3 sections
This chapter examines how AI fits into the various stages of final paper creation, including topic selection and approval, supervision, and assessment.
3.1 Topic Selection and Approval
Students should learn research methods during topic selection; AI tools may assist with literature searches. Topic approval requires an expected learning outcome document specifying the student's personal motivation, work outline, research questions, initial sources, and information about any tools or methods for data collection, including potential AI use. AI-generated text must be clearly marked as such in citations, with the system name and prompts specified both in the text and bibliography.
3.2 Supervision
Supervisors must help students recognize fraudulent use of AI, discuss examples of misuse, warn about unauthorized AI use and its consequences, and ensure students document all work stages and tools in an accompanying protocol. Students must sign a statement of independence confirming disclosure of all aids and sources, including AI tools, and acknowledging awareness of scientific standards and potential penalties for violations.
3.3 Assessment
Assessment covers the entire work process based on existing educational law standards; any AI use must be identified to show individual achievement. Plagiarism detection will eventually cover AI-generated text. Both the written work and presentation-discussion must substantially meet all competency criteria for a positive overall grade, with targeted questions helping identify AI-supported sections.
Anhang 1 Zitierregeln
Requires citing AI-generated content using specified formats: short citations must include the tool name, prompt description, and date in the main text; long citations in the bibliography must list the same elements. Multiple AI-generated content pieces dated the same day must be distinguished with letters (a, b, c, etc.), and the guideline recommends creating a table in the appendix that collects all prompts used. Continues the example dialogue showing how AI serves functions such as analysing data, generating text summaries, and finding ideas during research, while emphasising that researchers must supervise AI use, critically assess its results, and adapt them to ensure they meet academic standards and specific work requirements.
Anhang 2 Declaration of independent work template
Provides a template for students to declare that they authored their work independently and disclose any generative AI tools used, including the product name, version, and prompts, as well as all other sources consulted in the paper.
Anhang 3 Example questions for presentation and discussion
Lists sample questions that examiners may ask students during presentations about their paper, including questions about content details, literature selection, stylistic choices, AI tool usage documented in an accompanying protocol, and the student's learning interests and future work.
Controls
What this policy requires, forbids, grants or penalises, one control at a time and in our own words. Each control links to the official text, which is the authority. This is not legal advice.
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Themes covered 11 of 35
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Risk and scope 0 of 4
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- Prohibited practices, not covered
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Data and privacy 2 of 4
- Data governance and quality, not covered
- Cross-border data transfer, not covered
Transparency and records 3 of 4
- Technical documentation, not covered
Technical safeguards 3 of 4
- Bias and non-discrimination, not covered
Assurance and lifecycle 1 of 4
- Conformity assessment and certification, not covered
- Registration and notification, not covered
- Incident and breach reporting, not covered
Rights and protected groups 0 of 4
- Automated decision-making rights, not covered
- Children and vulnerable groups, not covered
- Biometric identification and surveillance, not covered
- Whistleblowing, complaints and redress, not covered
Roles and organisation 2 of 6
- Supply chain and provider-deployer duties, not covered
- General purpose and foundation models, not covered
- Public sector use and procurement, not covered
- Innovation support and sandboxes, not covered
Enforcement and sectors 0 of 5
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- Sector rules: finance and insurance, not covered
- Sector rules: employment, not covered
- Sector rules: education, not covered
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2.1 5 controls
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students should use AI tools only in a supporting role while remaining individually accountable for their work.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students must verify all information from AI tools using trustworthy sources.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students must identify which AI tool was used and document the prompts entered.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students must cite AI use in the bibliography and document all sources completely.
- PenaltyApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Work without complete and verifiable source and tool identification counts as plagiarism and attempted fraud.
2.2 1 control
- Applies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
AI tools should help students explore different approaches, develop concepts, conduct research, organize work, overcome writer's block, translate sources, and refine writing.
3.1 4 controls
- Applies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students should be introduced to research learning methods and approaches during topic selection.
- Applies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
AI-based tools may assist with literature searches.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students must document in an approval submission their personal motivation, work outline, research questions, initial sources, and information about any tools or methods for data collection, including potential AI use.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
AI-generated text must be clearly marked in citations, with the system name and prompts specified in both the text and bibliography.
3.2 6 controls
- Applies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Supervisors should help students recognize fraudulent use of AI and discuss concrete examples of misuse.
- Applies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Supervisors should warn students about the dangers of unauthorized AI use and its consequences.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students must document the work process and all tools used continuously, carefully and completely in an accompanying protocol.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students must specify in which phases of the creation process and in which chapters AI-based tools were used.
- ObligationApplies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Supervisors must record in the supervision protocol the use of AI-generated products where discussed and critically evaluate the student's knowledge growth.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Students must declare in an independence statement that they disclose all tools and sources used, including AI-based tools, and acknowledge awareness of scientific standards and potential penalties for violations.
3.3 4 controls
- ObligationApplies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Assessment covers the entire work process and any AI use must be identified to show individual achievement.
- ObligationApplies to: Public authorityDrafted by the Index
Plagiarism detection software will eventually be expanded to cover AI-generated text.
- ObligationApplies to: AnyoneDrafted by the Index
Both the written work and presentation-discussion must substantially meet all competency criteria in order to receive a positive overall grade.
- Applies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Examiners should use targeted questions during presentation and discussion to identify AI-supported work sections.
Anhang 2 3 controls
- ObligationApplies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Students must declare in writing that they authored their work independently and disclose all generative AI tools used, including product name, version, and prompts.
- ObligationApplies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Students must identify all sources from other works, electronic databases and the internet by citing them according to academic standards.
- ObligationApplies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Students must disclose all images, tables, sketches and drawings in their work and their sources.
Anhang 3 1 control
- Applies to: OthersDrafted by the Index
Examiners may ask students questions about their AI tool use during oral presentations, based on documentation they have provided.
Change history
No changes recorded since we began monitoring this policy.