Nature: Three ways ChatGPT helps me in my academic writing

Generative AI can be a valuable aid in writing, editing and peer review – if you use it responsibly, says Dritjon Gruda.

By Dritjon Gruda

For Dritjon Gruda, artificial-intelligence chatbots have been a huge help in scientific writing and peer review. Credit: Vladimira Stavreva-Gruda

Confession time: I use generative artificial intelligence (AI). Despite the debate over whether chatbots are positive or negative forces in academia, I use these tools almost daily to refine the phrasing in papers thatI’ve written, and to seek an alternative assessment of work I’ve been asked to evaluate, as either a reviewer or an editor. AI even helped me to refine this article.

I study personality and leadership at Católica Porto Business School in Portugal and am an associate editor at Personality and Individual Differences and Psychology of Leaders and Leadership. The value thatI derive from generative AI is notfrom the technology itself blindly churning outtext, butfrom engaging with the tool and using my own expertise to refine whatit produces. The dialogue between me and the chatbot both enhances the coherence of my work and, over time,teaches me how to describe complex topics in a simpler way.

Whether you’re using AI in writing, editing or peer review, here’s how it can do the same for you.

Polishing academic writing

Ever heard the property mantra, ‘location, location, location’? In the world of generative AI, it’s ‘context, context, context’.

Contextis king. You can’t expect generative AI — or anything or anyone,for that matter — to provide a meaningful response to a question withoutit. When you’re using a chatbotto refine a section of your paper for clarity, start by outlining the context. Whatis your paper about, and whatis your main argument? Jot down your ideas in any format — even bullet points will work. Then, presentthis information to the generative AI of your choice. Itypically use ChatGPT, made by OpenAI in San Francisco, California, butfor tasks that demand a deep understanding oflanguage nuances, such as analysing search queries or text, I find Gemini, developed by researchers at Google, to be particularly effective. The open-source large language models made by Mixtral, based in Paris, are ideal when you’re working offline but still need assistance from a chatbot.

Regardless of which generative-AItool you choose, the key to success lies in providing precise instructions. The clearer you are, the better. For example, you might write:

ChatGPT学术润色指令：

“I’m writing a paper on [topic]for a leading [discipline] academic journal. WhatItried to say in the following section is [specific point]. Please rephrase itfor clarity, coherence and conciseness, ensuring each paragraph flows into the next. Remove jargon. Use a professionaltone.”

ChatGPT学术润色指令翻译：

“我正在为一家领先的(学科)学术期刊写一篇(主题)论文。我在下一节想说的是[具体点]。为了清晰、连贯和简洁，请重新措辞，确保每一段都能与下一段衔接。删除术语。使用专业的语气。”

关注我们VersaBot 学术写作助手，并探索 ChatGPT 在提高写作效率和效果方面的潜力。

You can use the same technique again later on,to clarify your responses to reviewer comments.

Remember, the chatbot’s first reply might not be perfect — it’s a collaborative and iterative process. You might need to refine your instructions or add more information, much as you would when discussing a concept with a colleague. It’s the interaction thatimproves the results. If something doesn’t quite hitthe mark, don’t hesitate to say, “This isn’t quite whatI meant. Let’s adjustthis part.” Or you can commend its improvements: “This is much clearer, butlet’s tweak the ending for a stronger transition to the next section.”

This approach can transform a challenging task into a manageable one, filling the page with insights you might not have fully gleaned on your own. It’s like having a conversation that opens new perspectives, making generative AI a collaborative partner in the creative process of developing and refining ideas. Butimportantly, you are using the AI as a sounding board: itis not writing your documentfor you; nor is it reviewing manuscripts.

Elevating peer review

Generative AI can be a valuable tool in the peer-review process. After thoroughly reading a manuscript, summarize key points and areas for review. Then, use the AIto help organize and articulate your feedback (without directly inputting or uploading the manuscript’s text, thus avoiding privacy concerns). For example, you might instructthe AI:

ChatGPT同行评审指令:

“Assume you’re an expert and seasoned scholar with 20+ years of academic experience in [field]. On the basis of my summary of a paper in [field], where the main focus is on [generaltopic], provide a detailed review ofthis paper, in the following order:1) briefly discuss its core content; 2)identify its limitations; and 3) explain the significance of each limitation in order ofimportance. Maintain a concise and professionaltone throughout.”

ChatGPT同行评审指令翻译:

“假设你是一位在某一领域拥有20多年学术经验的专家和资深学者。根据我对[领域]的一篇论文的总结，其中主要关注的是[总主题]，对这篇论文进行详细的回顾，按以下顺序:1)简要讨论其核心内容;2)识别其局限性;3)按重要性顺序解释每个限制的意义。始终保持简洁和专业的语气。”

关注我们VersaBot 学术写作助手，并探索 ChatGPT 在提高写作效率和效果方面的潜力。

I’ve found that AI partnerships can be incredibly enriching;the tools often offer perspectives I hadn’t considered. For instance, ChatGPT excels at explaining and justifying the reasons behind specific limitations thatI had identified in my review, which helps me to grasp the broader implications ofthe study’s contribution. IfI identify methodological limitations, ChatGPT can elaborate on these in detail and suggest ways to overcome them in a revision. This feedback often helps me to connectthe dots between the limitations and their collective impact on the paper’s overall contribution. Occasionally, however, its suggestions are off-base,far-fetched, irrelevant or simply wrong. And thatis why the final responsibility for the review always remains with you. A reviewer must be able to distinguish between whatis factual and whatis not, and no chatbot can reliably do that.

Optimizing editorial feedback

The final area in which I benefitfrom using chatbots is in my role as a journal editor. Providing constructive editorialfeedback to authors can be challenging, especially when you oversee several manuscripts every week. Having personally received countless pieces of unhelpful, non-specific feedback — such as, “After careful consideration, we have decided notto proceed with your manuscript” — I recognize the importance of clear and constructive communication. ChatGPT has become indispensable in this process, helping me to craft precise, empathetic and actionable feedback without replacing human editorial decisions.

For instance, after evaluating a paper and noting its pros and cons, I mightfeed these into ChatGPT and getitto draft a suitable letter:

ChatGPT优化编辑反馈指令

“On the basis ofthese notes, draft a letter to the author. Highlightthe manuscript’s key issues and clearly explain why the manuscript, despite its interesting topic, might not provide a substantial enough advancementto merit publication. Avoid jargon. Be direct. Maintain a professional and respectfultone throughout.”

ChatGPT优化编辑反馈指令翻译：

“在这些笔记的基础上，起草一封信给作者。强调手稿的关键问题，并清楚地解释为什么手稿，尽管它的主题很有趣，可能没有提供足够的实质性进展，值得发表。避免使用行话。是直接的。始终保持专业和尊重的语气。”

关注我们VersaBot 学术写作助手，并探索 ChatGPT 在提高写作效率和效果方面的潜力。

Again, it mighttake a few iterations to getthe tone and contentjust right.

I’ve found thatthis approach both enhances the quality of my feedback and helps to guarantee thatI convey my thoughts supportively. The resultis a more positive and productive dialogue between editors and authors. There is no doubtthat generative AI presents challenges to the scientific community. Butit can also enhance the quality of our work. These tools can bolster our capabilities in writing, reviewing and editing. They preserve the essence of scientific inquiry — curiosity, criticalthinking and innovation — while improving how we communicate our research.

Considering the benefits, what are you waiting for?

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01042-3

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