This study examined the applications and perceptions of AI tools in doctoral studies, focusing on their efficacy in enhancing research effectiveness. A survey found that most participants used AI tools in their doctoral studies (63%), with the majority of those users reporting some positive impact from their usage. The most indicated uses of AI were proofreading, researching scholarly articles for literature reviews, and the organization and structure of research. Future research may include a larger sample size and examine instruments for alignment with the program practices and curriculum to best capture responses that indicate participants' program-specific use of AI tools. The study concluded that AI tools have not yet been integrated into research within doctoral studies, and 47% of participants did not find them conducive to effectively communicating research findings in their doctoral work.