Ethical Ways of Using Artificial Intelligence in Academic Writing and Research
Okey-Kalu, Ozioma J.
English Unit, General Studies Department, Federal School of Statistics, Enugu
Abstract
Artificial intelligence, commonly referred to as AI, refers to the ability of machines and computers to think like humans and carry out human activities. It is currently applied in different sectors, including education, where it helps in the development of personalized learning, automated grading and feedback, advanced tutorial system, and research and academic writing. However, there is a debate on the ethical use of AI in academic writing and research because of the abuse of the concept by some students and scholars. This study, therefore, proffered six ways AI can be used in research and academic writing. These include generating ideas and suggesting research design, structuring and organizing papers, synthesizing papers, editing and proofreading, data management, and information dissemination. The study concluded that, in academic writing, materials from AI should be regarded as suggestions and not the main contents of the work.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, academic writing, research, ethics
Impact Statement
Artificial intelligence, commonly referred to as AI, is taking over the world because it is currently adopted and utilised in different sectors, including the educational sector. However, it has been discovered that AI is used unethically by some scholars, writers, researchers, and educationists, especially in research and academic writing. As a result, this study provides information on ways academic writers and researchers can use AI in their works without breaking the ethical codes. In other words, this study contributes to the literature on the use of artificial intelligence in educational sector.
About Author
Ozioma J. Okey-Kalu is a staff of the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria, but she serves the country as a lecturer of English at Federal School of Statistics, Enugu, Nigeria. She studied her first degree in English at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, and went further to obtain her master’s degree in English at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University and also a PhD in English at University of Nigeria Nsukka. Ozioma’s current research interest spans across several fields of linguistics, which include Sociolinguistics, Pragmatics, Applied Linguistics, and Semiotics. She is currently working on how rhetoric and semiotic signs can be used judiciously to solve several human problems, such as insecurity and climate change. She has also delved into language use disorders, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and aphasia. In addition to these, she has developed an interest in digital humanities, especially multimodal digital humanities, and hopes to begin another scholarly journey through that route.
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