Assessing the Effectiveness of AI in Dissertation Writing_ Insights from Students' Experience.pdf

The presentation, *Assessing the Effectiveness of AI in Dissertation Writing: Insights from Students' Experience*, explores the role of artificial intelligence in assisting students with various stages of dissertation writing. It examines both the benefits and limitations of AI tools, highlighting their impact on research, writing, editing, and overall dissertation quality. The study is based on student experiences and survey data, providing empirical insights into how AI influences academic work.

The presentation begins by outlining the increasing reliance on AI in scholarly writing, emphasizing how modern tools go beyond traditional grammar correction to generate entire research texts. AI is particularly beneficial in organizing content, structuring arguments, summarizing research, and improving language clarity, especially for non-native English speakers. However, its limitations include inaccuracies, misinterpretation of sources, lack of deep analytical thinking, and ethical concerns such as plagiarism and over-reliance.

A key focus of the presentation is the analysis of student survey responses. The data reveals that AI tools like ChatGPT are widely used, with 72% of students utilizing them daily for dissertation-related tasks. While AI is rated as highly effective in structuring and proofreading, its reliability in generating original research is questioned. Only 16% of respondents found AI-generated content highly accurate, while 84% acknowledged that fact-checking was necessary. The presentation also highlights ethical concerns, with 72% of students advocating for AI regulations to prevent academic dishonesty.

The findings suggest that while AI enhances dissertation writing efficiency, it cannot replace human critical thinking and academic integrity. Most students (56%) believe AI improves their dissertation quality to some extent, but they emphasize the need for careful integration rather than complete dependence. The conclusion reinforces the idea that AI should be used as a supportive tool rather than a substitute for scholarly effort, encouraging a balanced approach to its application in academia.

1. AI as a Support Tool in
Dissertation Writing:
Benefits, Challenges,
and Ethics
22416 Paper 209: Research Methodology
Presented at: Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English (MKBU)

2. Personal Information
Presented by: Yashrajsinh Sodha
Enrollment Number : 5108230043
Email: [email protected]
Batch: 2023-2025
Date: 12 March 2025
Subject Code: 22416
Roll No: 28

3. Research Question:
How effective are AI tools in assisting students with different stages of
dissertation writing, and what are the associated benefits and challenges?
Hypothesis: AI tools enhance the dissertation writing process by assisting students
in research, writing, and editing, making the process more efficient. However, their
effectiveness varies across different dissertation stages, and challenges such as
accuracy issues, over-reliance, and ethical concerns limit their overall impact.

Null Hypothesis: AI tools do not significantly improve the dissertation writing
process, and their benefits are outweighed by challenges such as inaccuracies, lack
of critical analysis, and ethical concerns.

4. According to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, a research paper
is described as:

A form of exploration:

It involves going beyond personal knowledge to explore an idea, probe an issue, solve
a problem, or make an argument using external sources.

A combination of primary and secondary research:

Primary research includes first hand investigation such as analyzing texts, conducting
surveys, or experiments, while secondary research involves examining studies
conducted by others.

A means of communication:

It is a structured presentation of research findings, which requires clear and effective
writing.
(The Modern Language Association of America)
“(is) an investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of
facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical
application of such new or revised theories or laws” (RESEARCH Definition & Meaning)
Research (noun)

5. Using AI to Write Scholarly Publications
(Mohammad Hosseini, Lisa M. Rasmussenb, and David B. Resnik)
The Growing Role of AI in Scholarly Writing

●Unlike traditional tools like Grammarly (which only
corrects grammar), modern AI tools can generate
entire scholarly texts.
●This raises concerns about research ethics and
integrity.

Strengths of AI in Scholarly Writing
●assist non-native English speakers
●accelerates content generation
●rewriting, summarizing, and structuring
Limitations and Risks of AI in Academic Writing
●AI-generated content can be factually incorrect or
misleading
●AI struggles with mathematical reasoning and deep
analytical thinking.

Accountability and Ethical Concerns
●Who is responsible for AI-generated errors?
●Authors must take full responsibility for AI-assisted
content.
●Researchers must verify AI-generated text for factual
accuracy, coherence, and ethical integrity.
●The use of AI in scholarly writing should be
transparent and disclosed in research papers.

The Need for Regulation and Transparency
●AI’s role in authorship attribution remains
controversial—should AI be credited as a co-author?
●Journals should implement guidelines for AI-generated
content, ensuring ethical use.
●It is proposed that researchers disclose their AI usage
(e.g., which tool was used, what parts of the paper AI
generated).
(Hosseini et al., 2023)

6. Personal Experience
●Formatting a Title
●Preparing an Outline
●For Grammatical Error
●For Analysing Documents
●Organizing the Content
●Summarizing
Where have I used AI?
How do I see the effectiveness of AI
Pros:
●Saves time
●Reduces grammatical mistakes
●Helps in organizing ideas
●Makes work easy
Cons:
●Overreliance
●Fear of losing reading ability and critical
thinking skill if not properly used
●Have to be precise
●It makes lots of mistakes so cross check
is required

7. Evaluating the Responses
●ChatGPT (100%) is the most used AI tool, followed by Gemini (76%) and Claude (72%).
●72% of students use AI daily, showing strong reliance on AI for dissertation writing.

8. Key Takeaways
●AI is most effective in organizing &
outlining the dissertation, analyzing
data, and formatting & proofreading
(high ratings for 4 & 5).
●Moderate effectiveness in writing
the first draft, editing & refining
text, and conducting literature
review.

10. Key Takeaways
●Lack of deep analytical or critical perspectives (75%) is the most reported limitation.
●Misinterpretation of academic sources & incorrect citations (70.8%) is another major concern.
●Ethical concerns (plagiarism, integrity issues) (66.7%) are widely noted.
●Inaccuracy or misleading AI-generated content (62.5%) is a common issue.
●Over-reliance on AI affects critical thinking (54.2%), raising concerns about academic
dependency.
●Difficulty in integrating AI-generated text (50%) suggests challenges in blending AI output with
personal writing style.

11. AI-Generated Content Reliability for Academic Research
●84% of respondents found AI-generated content somewhat reliable but required fact-checking.
●Only 16% found AI-generated content mostly accurate.
●The chart suggests that while AI can assist academic research, most users still need to verify the
information for accuracy.

12. AI Tools and Dissertation Quality
●44% of respondents believe AI tools significantly improved their dissertation
quality.
●56% think AI helped to some extent.
●No responses indicate that AI made things worse, suggesting that AI was at least
somewhat beneficial for dissertation writing.

13. Analysis of the Chart:
●72% of respondents believe AI use in dissertation writing should be regulated but only for
ethical concerns like plagiarism.
●16% support strict guidelines for AI use.
●8% think AI should be freely accessible without restrictions.
●A small 4% are unsure.

14. Takeaways
●72% of respondents would recommend AI tools but with caution, indicating concerns about
reliability, ethics, or effectiveness.
●28% would definitely recommend AI tools, showing confidence in their usefulness.
●0% preferred traditional methods outright, suggesting that AI has gained acceptance
among students.

15. ●56% believe AI will be used in academic research but with strict limitations.
●40% think AI will be widely accepted and integrated.
●A small percentage is uncertain.
●No respondents completely reject AI for academic research.

16. Key Findings from the Research
●AI is not fully reliable – 84% say it requires fact-checking.
●AI helps improve dissertation quality, but only moderately.
●Ethical concerns exist – 72% support regulation.
●AI should be used cautiously – 72% would recommend it with caution.
●AI will likely be a standard tool but with strict limitations.
●AI is a useful assistant but not a replacement for critical thinking or
academic integrity.

17. “RESEARCH Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research . Accessed 9 March 2025.
ChatGPT. 'Evaluating the Effectiveness of AI in Dissertation Writing: A Discussion'." OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2025,
chat.openai.com.
Hosseini, M., Rasmussen, L. M., & Resnik, D. B. (2023). Using AI to write scholarly publications.
Accountability in Research, 31(7), 715–723. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2023.2168535
The Modern Language Association of America. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (Seventh Edition).
Modern Language Association of America, 2009.


References

18. Thank
You.