"I wrote my dissertation with AI": Reflections on a New Technology as a Writing Tool
2024-10-01
Academic writing is difficult. Everyone has their own writing processes and strategies for working through the challenges of putting their thinking onto the page. For me, one of the most challenging stages is the jump from ideation phases (e.g. brainstorming and outlining ideas) to an initial draft (full sentences and paragraphs). Once I have some full prose to work with, I have little trouble continuing since it feels like I’m just editing, and not necessarily writing. (Though of course, editing is as much a part of the writing process as writing text on a blank page). But once I’ve written an outline for a piece of writing, it takes considerable mental energy to begin the process of writing the first draft. I ran into this familiar roadblock while working on the conclusion of my dissertation, and I saw this as another opportunity to experiment with using AI as a writing tool.
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