Current Issue Summary
September 2025 (Vol. 65, Issue 3)

Editor’s Desk

A Call to Embrace GenAI in Academic Research

In his editorial in this issue of the Journal of Advertising Research, Editor-in-Chief Colin Campbell calls on the academic community to shift from a fear-driven stance on generative AI (GenAI) to one of curiosity and thoughtful integration. While emphasizing the need for guardrails — especially to prevent cheating, low-quality research or undermining foundational learning — Campbell argues that GenAI holds transformative potential across the research lifecycle, from ideation and literature review to data collection, analysis, writing and dissemination. By embracing GenAI as a partner rather than a threat, researchers can accelerate innovation, strengthen rigor and expand the reach of their work. The piece urges the field to develop shared norms and best practices, encouraging openness and experimentation so that GenAI enhances, rather than diminishes, the creativity and impact of academic research.