Pigg has found that "requesting, evaluating, and refining" are "three categories of practice that describe research writers' interactions with generative AI across research design, writing research genres, and proofreading and editing research communication" (2024, p. 2). The following guide adapts Pigg's findings to suggest a three-part process for academic writing with GenAI.
When using GenAI to generate text, prompt engineering--how you frame your requests for information--directly affects the quality of the output.
In the pre-writing stage, GenAI can help you to:
GenAI has real limitations as a search engine for scholarly research. It cannot conduct sophisticated searches or access paywalled content or non-digitized sources. Rather than admitting to its limitations, moreover, it often resorts to making things up (i.e., hallucinating). Independent research through MacEwan Library or platforms like Google Scholar remains the best way to collect secondary research on your topic.
However, Gen AI can help you to:
In the drafting and revising stage, you can request assistance with:
Try asking GenAI for help with:
💡 Tip: Be specific in your requests. Instead of "Help me plan my research paper," try "Create an outline for a 5-page research paper on the impact of social media on teenage mental health."
This critical step is where your own expertise and judgment come into play. When evaluating the outputs of GenAI:
💡 Tip: Remember, as a researcher, you should always maintain a critical stance. Don't assume GenAI is providing accurate information--it can "hallucinate" or generate false content confidently.
The refining stage is interactive and crucial for high-quality results.
💡 Tip: Try targeted prompts that are based in your own assessment of the output, such as "Can you make the tone of this piece more consistent?" or "Please revise this to address inconsistent APA formatting" to refine the content.
"Help me come up with a research topic about climate change."
Climate change is a broad topic. Here are some potential research questions:
These questions are too broad and generic. I need something more specific that connects to my environmental science course and my interest in local solutions.
"I'm taking an environmental science course and I'm interested in local climate solutions. I live in Vancouver and I'm particularly interested in how urban planning might address climate change impacts. Can you help me narrow down a research question?"
Based on your interest in Vancouver urban planning and climate solutions:
"Summarize this article about quantum computing."
Quantum computing uses quantum mechanics principles like superposition and entanglement. Unlike classical computers using bits (0 or 1), quantum computers use qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously, allowing faster calculations for certain problems. Current challenges include error rates and maintaining quantum coherence.
This summary is too generic and doesn't tell me anything about the specific article I'm asking about. I need to be more specific about what article and what aspects I want to focus on.
"I'm reading 'Quantum Supremacy Using a Programmable Superconducting Processor' by Arute et al. (2019). Can you explain their methodology for demonstrating quantum supremacy and the significance of their 53-qubit processor in terms an undergraduate physics student would understand?"
Google's 2019 paper demonstrated that their 53-qubit Sycamore processor performed a specific calculation in 200 seconds that would take the world's most powerful supercomputer approximately 10,000 years.
Their methodology involved:
The significance: This was the first clear demonstration that quantum computers can solve certain problems exponentially faster than classical computers—similar to the Wright brothers' first flight—brief and limited, but proof the concept works.
"Write an introduction for my essay on social media addiction."
Social media addiction has become a prevalent issue in modern society. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have captured the attention of billions of users worldwide, leading to concerns about excessive usage and dependency. This essay will explore the causes, effects, and potential solutions to social media addiction.
This introduction is too generic and doesn't reflect my specific viewpoint or research. It doesn't mention my focus on teenagers or incorporate any of the sources I've found.
"I need help structuring an introduction for my psychology paper on social media addiction among teenagers. I want to focus on how algorithmic design exploits adolescent brain development. I've found research by Dr. Jonathan Haidt showing correlations between social media use and depression rates, and studies by the Stanford Social Media Lab on dopamine response. My thesis argues that platforms should be regulated similar to age restrictions on other addictive products."
In an era where the average teenager spends over six hours daily on social media platforms, concerns about digital addiction have moved from parental grievances to serious psychological inquiry. Recent research suggests that this addiction is not merely a matter of self-control, but a product of deliberate algorithmic design intersecting with vulnerable adolescent neurodevelopment.
The teenage brain—with its developing prefrontal cortex and heightened sensitivity to social rewards—creates a perfect neurological target for platforms engineered to maximize engagement. As Dr. Jonathan Haidt's research demonstrates, there is a concerning relationship between heavy social media use and depression, particularly among teenage girls.
This paper argues that social media platforms employ sophisticated psychological targeting that exploits adolescent neurological vulnerabilities, and therefore should be subject to age-restriction regulations comparable to those governing other addictive products.
"I'm writing about passive solar design in architecture. Can you edit this paragraph?"
This edit is cleaner but still has issues: redundancy between "minimal maintenance" and "no mechanical systems," no clear connections between principles and effects, reads like a list not a system, and lacks necessary citations.
"I need a substantial revision that: eliminates redundancies, clarifies cause-effect relationships, creates a cohesive explanation of the integrated system, and incorporates citations from Balcomb on thermal mass and recent research on building orientation. I need an analytical tone."
"Explain intersectionality."
Intersectionality is a theoretical framework describing how aspects of a person's social and political identities combine to create unique modes of discrimination or privilege. Developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, it highlights how people in multiple marginalized groups experience overlapping systems of oppression.
This is technically correct but abstract. I need concrete examples relevant to my sociology class and how researchers apply this concept.
"I'm writing a sociology paper on how intersectionality is applied in research methodologies. Explain with specific examples how researchers operationalize intersectionality when studying health disparities. Include scholars beyond Crenshaw."
In sociology research, intersectionality becomes a methodological tool operationalized in several ways when studying health disparities:
GenAI is effective as a thought partner and drafting tool, not as a substitute researcher or writer. It is not capable of producing complex, research-based documents in your authentic voice. It cannot replace the writing process entirely, which is a good thing, since a key goal of any university education is to develop your own critical thinking, research, and writing skills.
AI tools are a powerful new support--but not a replacement--for your own intellectual development. Use them accordingly and always prioritize your own learning.
Pigg, S. (2024). Research writing with ChaptGPT: A descriptive embodied practice framework. Computers and Composition, 71, 102830. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2024.102830
