Is ChatGPT the Future of Academic Writing? A Sequential Explanatory Study to Explore Generative Conversational AI as an Academic Writing Support Tool for Research Scholars

Abstract

The growing prominence of ChatGPT has sparked interest in its potential to improve both the quality and productivity of academic writing. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap regarding how research scholars perceive and engage with ChatGPT in the context of academic research writing. The primary objective was to assess scholars’ views on ChatGPT's efficiency, usefulness, and effectiveness in academic research writing, while also identifying possible improvements to better align with the scholars’ needs. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was adopted, beginning with a quantitative phase and was subsequently followed by a qualitative phase involving semi-structured interviews. A sample of 317 research scholars drawn from diverse Indian higher education institutions. The findings reveal that research scholars generally perceive ChatGPT as moderately effective and useful in academic writing, though their perceptions of its usefulness vary. Although the overall user experience, certain ethical concerns were identified. Qualitative analysis showed that ChatGPT has the potential to enhance research writing, streamline processes, facilitate scholarly interactions, and support research writing challenges. However, areas needing improvement were also highlighted, including comprehensive topic coverage, cultural sensitivity, multilingual capabilities, and personalized support.