A Comparative Study of Generative AI Writing Tools and Their Impact on Academic Writing among PhD Researchers
Pysyvä osoite
Kuvaus
Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.
The increasing integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in academic con-texts has significantly transformed doctoral writing practices. This study examines how various AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Gemini, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot can be used in the context of doctoral academic writing. The qualitative research design was adopted, and data were gathered using semi-structured interviews with 14 PhD re-searchers, 13 of which were from the University of Vaasa, and the remaining one from the University of Oulu. Data was analysed through thematic analysis to detect the pat-tern and main themes from the collected data. The analysis demonstrates that the doctoral researchers are not using all tools of AI they have available; rather, they are using multiple, but selective, tools of AI in a task oriented way. ChatGPT was primarily used for brainstorming and clarifying ideas, while Grammarly supported language enhancements and editing. Some creative uses included using Gemini and Claude for less comprehensive outputs and alternative perspectives, while Copilot was valued for its integration into writing environments. The results reveal benefits of AI tools for efficiency, writing quality, and user confidence, but also raise concerns related to issues of inaccuracy, originality, ethics, and dependency. Importantly, the study shows that the effectiveness of AI tools relies on their comparative and strategic application, with the researcher's critical thinking and academic responsibility. AI isn't meant to replace human thought, but rather to be a tool used in conjunction with it. This study contributes to the current knowledge on the use of AI tools in higher education by providing understanding of the use of multiple tools and its implications for doctoral writing practices.