Is it ethical to use ChatGPT to edit academic writing?

With modern technologies, people can get assistance merely in any field, and college students are no exception. Tools like ChatGPT have become the most frequently used among college learners because they can help them with their writing tasks in a timely manner, with low effort, and at no cost.

Of course, online services that offer customized writing assistance are still on the top of the list among the best helpers in academic writing, but if one can’t afford paid assistance, AI tools can come in handy. Another question that bothers most users is whether it is ethical to use apps like ChatGPT.

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In this article, we will take a precise look at this issue and try to provide you with a profound answer to help you understand that it is absolutely ethical to work with helpers like ChatGPT if you know how to use their services properly. Such requests as “do my assignment” won't be enough to get the most out of the service.

How Can Students Benefit from ChatGPT?

Well, if you have never used these tools, we will first provide you with some information on how these tools can come in handy when you are a college student who struggles with tens of writing assignments and has no idea how to complete them by the deadline.

  • Idea generation. ChatGPT can help you brainstorm topic ideas for various academic essays, research papers, and other projects. You only need to specify the discipline and ask the tool to provide you with the relevant ideas.
  • Writing guidance. ChatGPT can serve as Google, where you can search for various information, but with ChatGPT, you do not have to open new tabs in order to search for the answers to your questions; the tool will do this for you. Thus, if you have no idea how to complete a certain paper, you can ask the app, which will provide you with step-by-step instructions and examples of well-structured content.
  • Proofreading. You can provide Chat with your writing and ask it to identify any grammar, punctuation, and stylistic issues as paper writers do. As a result, it can proofread your paper for you and save you a lot of time and effort. Just remember that you should always critically evaluate the suggestions and make corrections based on your own knowledge and experience.
  • Feedback. Well, ChatGPT can also assess your paper and tell if you need to improve clarity and coherence. Again, we do not recommend fully relying on its suggestions and assessing the highlighted weakest points on your own.
  • Citation help. Suppose you are assigned to follow a certain format, and you do not know how to complete citations. The tool can easily assist you in formatting citations in MLA, APA, or other styles. Just provide it with the source, and it will do the rest for you.
  • Writing support. This is a great feature for foreign students who still face issues communicating their ideas clearly. You can write a text and ask the tool to rewrite it in the language appropriate for ENL students, and ChatGPT will simplify complex topics for better understanding in a few moments.

Is It Ethical? 6 Reasons to Consider Chat’s Help Ethical

There is no doubt that such assistance is a great idea for those students who work on writing assignments days and nights. However, it is really important to use such services for help, not entirely rely on their assistance. Below, we will provide you with some examples of how to use AI assistants like ChatGPT properly, get the most out of their help, and remain honest.

#1. Adherence to Originality

ChatGPT can help refine your drafts while sticking to your original ideas and expressions. As a result, you will ensure the work remains authentically yours.

#2. Focus on Guidance

Such assistance should be limited to suggestions, clarifications, and improvements, similar to the role of a writing tutor or peer reviewer. Never use the texts you receive as yours because you risk being caught for plagiarism or AI-generated content that any professor can check today with a few clicks.

#3. Learning-Oriented Support

With ChatGPT, you can learn grammar rules, get relevant writing tips, and improve your work. You can always ask for examples, explanations, etc., and get profound feedback ASAP.

#4. Time-Efficient Feedback

It allows you to polish your drafts more efficiently and get more time to focus on understanding the material and improving your writing skills. With such a helper, you do not have to browse tens of guides; you can get the needed answers in one place.

#5. Non-Substitutive Aid

ChatGPT does not write assignments or essays for you but acts as a tool to elevate the quality of your own papers. Thus, if you want to stay ethical, keep this in mind!

#6. Alignment with Academic Standards

ChatGPT supports ethical academic practices by helping you meet requirements through effort and understanding, not bypassing learning.

Additional Tooks to Have at Your Hand with ChatGPT

Well, as we have already told you, tools like ChatGPT can provide content that can contain plagiarized elements, and some other AI tools can even detect their work as AI-generated. Well, these detection tools often follow a certain pattern to verify if a human or machine wrote a certain text. Thus, we highly recommend acting ahead of the curve.

  • Plagiarism checker. This tool can help you make sure the final draft is 100% original.
  • AI content detector. This tool can assess your writing and let you know if it sounds human-written.
  • Grammar and style editor. Apps like Grammarly can help you detect grammar mistakes as well as polish your writing.

As you can see, tools like ChatGPT are really helpful and assist you with academic writing issues and composing a strong paper that meets all the academic demands. Do not neglect such an opportunity, but always remember to use them wisely!