AI-Powered Research & Analysis for Data Scientists

ABSTRACT

As AI tools become embedded in research workflows, data scientists need to know how to use them to read faster, think deeper, and communicate findings with clarity and credibility. This session introduces two concise frameworks for AI-assisted academic work. The LEAD Framework guides students through AI-powered research: launching with AI to explore new concepts, examining outputs critically, applying independent analysis, and delivering findings in their own voice. The VALID Framework provides a five-step checklist for writing with integrity: verifying claims, attributing sources, localising arguments, injecting scholarly voice, and declaring AI use transparently. Through a short interactive activity, students will identify and correct common AI failures in academic writing. By the end of the session, students will have two practical, memorable tools that make them smarter, more independent, and more credible researchers.

SPEAKER BIO

Dong Wei is a multilingual communication professional and English educator. She holds a Master's degree in Multilingual Communication from the Catholic University of Louvain (UCLouvain), Belgium, and a dual Bachelor's degree in English and French from South China Normal University, China, where she graduated with First Class Honours, received the Zhang Wenjin Scholarship, and was recognised as an Outstanding Graduate. She was also honoured as an Excellent League Member by the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, and awarded Second Prize at the Foshan City English Speech Competition. She speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and French. For over seven years, she has worked at the Embassy of Switzerland and the Consulate General of Belgium, helping Chinese companies and European stakeholders communicate and collaborate across cultures. She has been teaching English since 2018, specialising in IELTS preparation and university application coaching. A three-year member of Toastmasters International, she is passionate about helping students find their voice and communicate with confidence — in English, across cultures, and in the age of AI.