At the Canadian graduate schools quoted here, the first step is your supervisor, before you use the tool. York asks you to talk first, and Guelph and Simon Fraser want approval in advance. Simon Fraser also requires disclosure in the thesis. Check your own school and program, then get the answer in writing.
If your AI statement clearly doesn't cover what you describe elsewhere in your thesis, Esmond points it out.
York University puts it plainly: “Talk to your supervisor and/or supervisory committee before using generative AI in either your thesis or dissertation research, writing, creation, or editing.”
The University of Guelph's default is stricter in form: graduate students “must seek unambiguous approval for planned uses in advance from their advisor(s) and advisory committee.” Those approvals have to be documented, and departments can have their own rules on top.
Simon Fraser University “strongly discourages students from using agentic and generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools to create textual elements of their theses, including for summarizing or synthesizing the work of other scholars.” It sets one condition for any use: “Agentic and GenAI tools should be employed only with the prior and explicit approval of the student’s thesis supervisor.”
Western University explains why these rules look the way they do: “because GenAI tools are unique and evolving research institutions cannot readily set specific rules.” This document offers questions for you and your supervisor and refers to Western's separate guidance.
A hypothetical example of a commentYour acknowledgments mention an AI tool for summaries, but your methods section doesn't say how you checked them. Would your committee expect that here?
A first comment on one part of your own draft, right away and without an account.
Get a free previewYork also looks ahead to the defense: “be prepared to declare and acknowledge each use of AI in your thesis defense or in other discussions of your work”. Simon Fraser's wording leaves little room: “all uses of agentic and generative AI in thesis research and writing must be disclosed in the Acknowledgements and/or Methods sections of the thesis.”
| School | What it asks | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| York | Document and cite each use, and be ready to explain it | In the work, and at your defense |
| Guelph | Document uses in everything that is part of a submitted thesis | In the thesis outputs; papers in a manuscript-based thesis can follow their journal |
| Simon Fraser | Disclose all uses in thesis research and writing | The Acknowledgements and/or Methods sections |
Guelph is direct about what this means for you: “Honest error or lack of intentionality is not a defense in potential research misconduct.” So check every source and number a tool gives you, and be able to explain each part of your research in your own words at the defense.
Think about your data as well. Simon Fraser warns that many commercial applications compromise the confidentiality of research data, and Western asks you to weigh how much personal or research information you share and to use university-approved tools where available. If your thesis names participants, or uses data under an agreement, ask your supervisor before any of it goes to a tool.
Western's conversation starter suggests you prepare before the meeting, and that you consider concrete scenarios such as forming research questions, analyzing data and producing thesis text. A list of tasks gets you further than a general question about AI. For each one, ask whether it's acceptable in your field, whether your program has its own rule, and how you should report it.
Esmond evaluates every assignment before you submit. It never writes it.
Esmond is an AI tool that doesn't write for you. If your course doesn't allow any AI tools, don't use Esmond for that work. If you're unsure, ask your instructor or advisor.
Esmond comments on your own draft and adds no text to it. The policies above don't mention such tools separately, so raise it with your supervisor first. Can I get AI feedback on my thesis? goes through what to ask.
We didn't find one. The texts on this page come from individual graduate schools, and they differ. York points to guidance from the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies and the federal research funding agencies as background.
At the schools quoted here, you at least have to raise it first. Guelph and Simon Fraser ask for approval in advance. Your own school may differ, so check it.
It depends on the school. Simon Fraser names the Acknowledgements and/or Methods sections, and UBC asks for a statement in the Preface. Check your graduate school's thesis page.
It can. Toronto's guidance is framed around doctoral theses and leaves more to the graduate unit at the master's level. Ask your program which rule applies to you.
Read on November 4, 2026.
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