<p>Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) is reshaping creative industries and higher education, introducing unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges for artistic practice and scholarly inquiry. This article critically examines the integration of GAI within creative arts research, foregrounding questions of creativity, authorship, quality, and ethical responsibility. Through a review of recent literature, it interrogates shifting perceptions of authenticity and value in AI-generated artworks. The discussion then situates GAI within established creative arts research methodologies, particularly practice-led and practice-based approaches, arguing that these methodologies offer rigorous means to evaluate and document AI-enabled creative processes. Beyond artistic production, the article explores implications for academic writing, student learning, and researcher engagement, highlighting how GAI is transforming scholarly labour. Drawing on contemporary policy recommendations, ethical debates and creative practice research traditions, it proposes a seven-point reflexive methodological framework for responsible AI use in creative arts research. The framework is hybrid in form: it offers practical guidance for disclosure, documentation and evaluation, while grounding those practices in care-oriented and virtue-based accounts of researcher responsibility. By consolidating current practices and clarifying the methodological role of AI within creative arts research, this work aims to support creative researchers in navigating the evolving intersection of technology, creativity, and academic rigour.</p>