The Indira Gandhi Memorial Library (IGM Library), University of Hyderabad, in association with Elsevier, organised a hands-on training programme titled “Empowering Academic Research with ScienceDirect, Scopus and AI Guidelines” on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, at the Auditorium, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad.
The programme aimed to provide researchers and scholars with practical guidance on the effective use of ScienceDirect and Scopus for academic research, along with an understanding of the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic research and publishing.
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Ms. Padmini, who welcomed the resource person, dignitaries, scholars and participants. Ms. Shivalika Verma, Customer Success Manager, Elsevier, served as the resource person and delivered an informative session on the effective use of ScienceDirect and Scopus in academic research. She also discussed the impact of AI tools on academic research and publishing, highlighting the importance of AI in information retrieval for research output.
Mr. Rangappa Naidu, Assistant Librarian, and Dr. V. Venkateshwarlu, Assistant Librarian, coordinated and organised the programme in collaboration with the Elsevier resource person. They also provided assistance to the participants throughout the training programme.
The session was highly interactive, with active participation from scholars and other audience members. Participants enthusiastically engaged with the resource person and raised questions about the use of AI, research practices, and academic publishing.
Dr. O. Sivasankar Prasad, University Librarian (I/c), Indira Gandhi Memorial Library, addressed the gathering and highlighted concerns regarding excessive reliance on AI tools. He emphasised that extensive dependence on AI may affect the reading habits and critical-thinking abilities of research scholars. He also stressed the importance of maintaining a balance between technological assistance and independent reading, analysis and scholarly thinking.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Ms. Jasna, who expressed gratitude to the resource person, the University Librarian (I/c), the organisers and all participants for their valuable contributions and active involvement in making the programme a success.
The programme provided an important platform for researchers and scholars to enhance their knowledge of leading academic research databases and to reflect on the responsible and thoughtful use of AI in research and publishing.