Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a detailed examination

Mary Scott-Herring

doi:10.1515/ijnes-2024-0050

Article

Artificial intelligence in academic writing: a detailed examination

Mary Scott-Herring

Published/Copyright: December 18, 2024

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From the journal International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship Volume 21 Issue 1

Abstract

Introduction

As AI tools have become popular in academia, concerns about their impact on student originality and academic integrity have arisen.

Methods

This quality improvement project examined first-year nurse anesthesiology students’ use of AI for an academic writing assignment. Students generated, edited, and reflected on AI-produced content. Their work was analyzed for commonalities related to the perceived ease of use, accuracy, and overall impressions.

Results

Students found AI tools easy to use with fast results, but reported concerns with inaccuracies, superficiality, and unreliable citations and formatting. Despite these issues, some saw potential in AI for brainstorming and proofreading.

Implications for international audience

Clear guidelines are necessary for AI use in academia. Further research should explore AI’s long-term impact on academic writing and learning outcomes.

Conclusions

While AI tools offer speed and convenience, they currently lack the depth required for rigorous academic work.

Keywords: academic writing; artificial intelligence; AI; machine learning; nursing

Corresponding author: Mary Scott-Herring, DNP, MS, CRNA, Assistant Professor, Research Director, Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) Program, Georgetown University, 3700 Reservoir Rd, NW, St Mary’s Hall, 4th Floor, Room 427, Washington, DC, 20057, USA, E-mail: ms4504@georgetown.edu

Funding source: Georgetown University (Project: Initiative on the Pedagogical Uses of Artificial Intelligence)

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: Mary Scott-Herring all components by this author. The author has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The author states no conflict of interest.
Research funding: Georgetown University AI Fellow Grant of $1000.
Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2024-05-28

Accepted: 2024-09-27

Published Online: 2024-12-18

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijnes-2024-0050

Keywords for this article

academic writing; artificial intelligence; AI; machine learning; nursing