Writing smarter, not harder: The AI tools to transform scientific writing

As a researcher, you know that scientific writing is an essential part of your work. Whether drafting project proposals, research papers, or grant applications, writing consumes a significant amount of our time and energy. In my research career spanning three to four decades, a significant portion of my time was spent for writing. And for researchers like us from non-English speaking countries, writing in a language that is not our native language can be even more challenging. Many of us have experienced the frustration of having our articles rejected by publishers due to poor language, despite spending significant time and effort on the content.

A poorly written paper can be difficult to understand and therefore may be rejected or misunderstood by readers or readers. Similarly, many of you may have struggled to communicate your research effectively due to language barriers or writing deficiencies. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) have made it possible for researchers to save time and improve the quality of their work. In a previous article, I discussed the multiple uses of ChatGPT in scientific research. However, in a recent article published in Nature, John Tregoning discusses how AI-powered writing tools can free up researchers to focus on other important aspects of their research. So, I’d like to discuss in this post how ChatGPT like tools can be used to enhance your scientific writing.

How AI tools help in scientific writing?

From generating ideas to proofreading and editing, AI-powered tools for scientific writing can assist researchers in every step of the writing process. These tools use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to help researchers overcome language barriers, improve the clarity and accuracy of their writing, and even assist with formatting and citation styles. Here is a list of steps in scientific writing wherein AI tools can be of use to you.

• Generating an outline or draft

• Refining the draft

• Suggesting appropriate language, technical terms and concepts

• Identifying knowledge gaps

• Checking for coherence and clarity

• Enhancing readability

• Writing abstract, summary and conclusion

• Checking for plagiarism

What are the available tools?

With the recent launch of Open AI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s BioGPT, an AI language model specifically designed for the biomedical domain, and the availability of several other tools, researchers have a wide range of options to choose from. In my previous post, I have given an exhaustive list of AI tools which are for general purposes. Here, in this article, I would like to focus on tools that may help in scientific writing. These tools can help researchers from non-English speaking countries by offering translation features, scientific vocabulary assistance, and language error identification, ensuring that their research is communicated effectively. Here is a list of tools, which, of course, is not an exhaustive one.

Table 1: List of AI tools useful in scientific writing

Be cautious

While ChatGPT-like tools can be helpful for scientific writing, researchers should be aware of the potential pitfalls and ethical issues associated with their use. First and foremost is that we should not over rely on any of these tools. They use ML algorithms to generate text, which means that they may inadvertently generate text that is similar to previously published work. They may even generate incorrect or biased results if the training data is flawed and we need to be cautious about the output they generate. Finally, these tools are trained on existing data, which may contain implicit biases. Therefore, we should use these tools as a supplement to our own expertise and critical thinking and carefully evaluate the results they generate.

Conclusion

In conclusion, AI tools are transforming the way we approach scientific writing. By using these tools, researchers can save time and energy while producing documents that are more effective, accurate, and well-written. As John Tregoning notes in his article, the “gift of time” that AI-powered writing tools offer can be invaluable for researchers who want to focus on other aspects of their work, such as conducting experiments or analysing data. As these tools continue to develop and improve, they will likely become even more essential to the scientific writing process. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or a novice writer, AI tools can help you produce high-quality scientific papers more efficiently and effectively than ever before.