Although not originally developed for research use, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) enables its data to be used in research. The present paper provides a structured overview of how AIS data is used for various research applications. Ten areas have been identified, spread across maritime, marine and other journals. Many stakeholders beyond the most frequently mentioned – authorities and maritime administrations – can benefit from the research in which AIS data is used. AIS data can be incorporated in various types of modelling approaches and play a small or large role as a source of data. AIS data can also be validated or used to validate research from other data sources. Although a large amount of AIS-based research adds to the literature, there is still a large potential for using AIS data for research by making greater use of the variety in AIS messages, combining AIS with other sources of data, and extending both spatial and temporal perspectives.