GEOL 5900 Seminar Presentations - 4PM-5PM HSH 336
Bella MacQuarrie 4:00- 4:30 pm (M.Sc. Geol)
AI Use in Academic Writing: A Present-day Dilemma
During this presentation, I will explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping academic writing, not only as a technical tool but also as a catalyst for debate across universities and scholarly publishing. I begin by outlining what large language models (LLMs) are, how they are trained, and the kinds of algorithms they rely on, a context that remains unfamiliar to many researchers but is essential for evaluating the validity of AI-assisted writing. I then explain how AI can assist writers by enhancing clarity, increasing accessibility in academia, and streamlining research, while also challenging traditional expectations of authorship, accuracy, and originality. For example, it has been argued that AI tools can streamline time-consuming tasks like editing and formatting, allowing researchers to focus on more complex intellectual tasks. However, concerns about authorship, accountability, and ensuring that human authors remain fully responsible for their work are also central to the discussion.
Drawing on recent surveys, journal policies, and my own reflections as a researcher, I examine how these tensions are influencing scholarly practice and expectations. Ultimately, I examine the emerging view that AI can be a valuable writing partner only when its use is transparent, accountable, and combined with human judgment, guided by clear institutional and publisher standards.
Deanne Watts 4:30 - 5:00 pm (M.Sc. AG)
Identity in Crisis: Cartography’s disciplinary place in the modern era
Cartography’s disciplinary positioning has been long debated, because of evolving technologies and critical theory, as well as changing perspectives on what defines maps and their function in society. While cartography’s significance is generally acknowledged, its orientation toward the sciences, humanities, or design is interpreted differently across disciplinary communities. This seminar provides an overview of cartography’s history and disciplinary evolution, highlighting fundamental moments when its identity was questioned and destabilized. From early mapping practices to the formalization of cartography as a scientific discipline in the 20th century, the presentation explores how shifts in technology and theory have since influenced both the practice and the perception cartography. Focus is placed on the early 2000s “dead or alive” debate, in which scholars and practitioners questioned cartography’s merit and identity in the face of emerging digital technology. This debate brought into focus the tensions between scientific and social perspectives on maps, highlighting both the authority and the interdisciplinarity of cartographic practice, adding to its continued destabilization. The seminar also explores the subsequent shift in debate, to the contemporary question of cartography’s positioning amidst rapidly evolving disciplines such as GIScience, computer science, design and visualization, and emerging AI technologies. The seminar considers the significance of these conflicting perspectives, addressing implications for continued education, public understanding and trust in maps, and the development of new mapping technologies.
