Lesson №3 "Writing a Term Paper with ChatGPT: From Initial Research to Defense"
Writing Term Papers: Learn the basics of writing term papers, from research and planning to execution with the help of ChatGPT, ensuring academic integrity.
Welcome to the third lesson of our course! Today, we will dive into the process of writing a term paper, examining each stage in detail and discussing how ChatGPT can assist you in writing this important academic text. We will take a step-by-step approach: from formulating a research question and planning to execution, emphasizing the importance of academic honesty and the uniqueness of your work.
So, let's begin with the step-by-step writing!
Assignment and Research Question
Choosing a research question is arguably one of the most crucial steps in writing a term paper. Your question determines your research process, what literature you will use, and what your conclusions will be.
So, how do you choose a good research question? It should meet several criteria:
Relevance: your question should reflect current trends and issues in your field.
Clarity: it should be clear what exactly you are going to investigate. Avoid questions that are too general or too specific.
Feasibility: ensure that you have the resources and time to respond to the question. If your question is too broad or complex, you may struggle to complete the work.
Significance: your question should be important and interesting both for you and your scientific community.
ChatGPT can be an invaluable assistant in this process. You can ask the bot questions that include various keywords or topics you intend to research and receive different formulations of questions in response. Additionally, you can ask ChatGPT to help you check whether your question meets the above criteria.
Here are a few examples of questions you can ask the bot:
"ChatGPT, help me formulate a question for my term paper on the topic of 'the impact of climate change on the global economy.'"
"ChatGPT, my research question is: 'How does the influence of social media on political discourse vary across different countries?' Is it narrow and clear enough?"
"ChatGPT, what literature can you recommend for my research question on the impact of blockchain on the financial industry?"
And here's an example of what ChatGPT might respond to the third request:
In addition to that, ChatGPT can help you develop a detailed research plan based on your question, which will significantly ease the process of writing your paper.
Creating a Plan
Planning is a key element of a successful term paper. Without a clear plan, your thoughts and ideas can become disorganized, and your arguments scattered. That's why creating a structured outline is one of the first steps you should take after defining your research question.
The main function of a plan is to ensure consistency and structure in your work. Besides, a plan will help you organize your thoughts, ideas, and sources, as well as focus on your goals and objectives.
To create a good, workable plan, you need to consider the following points:
Logic: Your plan should follow a logical order. Typically, this means starting with an introduction, then moving on to the main body of the paper, which includes analysis and discussion, and concluding with the findings.
Detail: Each section and subsection of your plan should be clearly defined and described. This will help you better understand what exactly you need to do at each stage of the work.
Flexibility: Your plan should be flexible enough to allow for changes if required.
ChatGPT can be an excellent assistant in drafting a plan. You can ask the bot questions related to planning your work and get feedback. For example, you can ask the bot to suggest a general structure for the paper, the main sections and subsections, as well as ideas about what exactly you can discuss in each of them.
For instance, you could make the following request to ChatGPT:
"ChatGPT, help me create a plan for my term paper on the topic 'the impact of climate change on the global economy'."
ChatGPT's response:
The more time you spend on planning, the less time you will need for the actual writing process.
4. In-depth research
The research phase is one of the most important and labor-intensive in the writing of a term paper. At this stage, you gather information and knowledge that you will later use in writing your research project. This is not just reading and annotating sources, but also a detailed analysis of their content, including their context, history, authors, etc.
During in-depth research, there are several key points to pay attention to:
Information collection: This is the beginning of your research process. With the help of ChatGPT, you can form a list of potential sources that you want to explore. These can be scientific literature, articles, reports, theses, books, and other resources related to your topic.
Source analysis: After you have gathered all the necessary sources, you need to analyze them. This includes reading, understanding, and critically evaluating the information. It is important not just to read the sources, but to critically analyze them, asking questions about their reliability, objectivity, and relevance.
For example, let's ask ChatGPT to analyze the sources it provided at the beginning of our lesson. Of course, it cannot physically read them, but it can make a brief analysis based on the data from its knowledge base.
Request: “Analyze these sources, provide a critical assessment and draw conclusions about their reliability, objectivity, and relevance."
Response from ChatGPT:
Notes and Annotations: During the reading and analysis of sources, it is important to make notes and annotations. This will help you better understand the information and simplify the process of writing your paper. ChatGPT can assist you in formulating and organizing your notes and annotations. I
nformation Synthesis: After you have gathered all the necessary information and analyzed it, you need to integrate all your knowledge and ideas into a cohesive whole. This may include creating summaries, outlines, or even conceptual maps. It can be said that ChatGPT is an excellent partner for brainstorming!
ChatGPT can be a great helper at each of these stages. The bot can help you formulate questions for source analysis, suggest ideas for notes and annotations, as well as help you organize and structure your information and ideas.
However, it is important to remember that ChatGPT is a tool, and all critical thinking and analysis should be performed by the student themselves. Use the bot as an assistant, but always check and evaluate the information it provides.
Drafting: Creating a draft is the step where you begin to transform your research into text. Here you start to formulate your thoughts and ideas into a coherent and consistent narrative. It is important to remember that the draft is just an initial version of your work; it doesn't have to be perfect. The main thing is to transfer your ideas onto paper and then you can edit and improve them later.
ChatGPT can be your assistant in drafting by helping with the following tasks:
Idea Formulation: Based on your research and notes, ChatGPT can help you formulate ideas for each section of your coursework. Use the bot as an interactive tool for expressing and developing your thoughts.
Query: "ChatGPT, I have information about the impact of technology on education. How should I best structure this information in my coursework?"
Response:
Text Structuring: ChatGPT can offer you the optimal structure for your text, as well as help craft an introduction, main body, and conclusion. The bot can also provide you with tips for creating effective transitions between sections and ideas.
Request: "What subsections should I include in the chapter about the impact of global warming on marine life?"
Answer:
Assistance with Sentence and Paragraph Formulation: If you're having difficulties articulating your thoughts in writing, ChatGPT can help you formulate sentences and paragraphs that clearly and effectively express your ideas.
Request: "How can I write an introductory paragraph for a section on the impact of AI on marketing?"
Response:
Writing Feedback: ChatGPT can provide you with feedback on your writing style using text analysis functions. It can help identify potential issues in your text and offer recommendations for correction.
Here, requests might look like: "ChatGPT, how do you evaluate this paragraph on the impact of artificial intelligence on the automotive industry?" or "Can you check this section for grammatical errors or stylistic issues?"
Please note that the wording of your requests may depend on the specific topic of research and the objectives of your coursework. Feel free to experiment with different types of queries to find out which ones are most effective for you.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
Respect for academic integrity is a fundamental principle that underpins all aspects of academic life. Your work should be original, supported by thorough research, and correctly formatted with references to the sources used.
The specifics of writing coursework require not only the ability to conduct in-depth research but also the skill to properly and accurately handle the sources used.
We have developed several tips using ChatGPT to ensure academic honesty and avoid plagiarism:
Understand what plagiarism is
Plagiarism is the appropriation of someone else's intellectual work without proper acknowledgment of authorship. This includes copying and pasting text without citation, paraphrasing or summarizing ideas without mentioning the source, and presenting someone else's ideas or research as your own.
If you're unclear about this, ChatGPT can provide you with a definition. Ask it: "ChatGPT, what is the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing?". The response will be something like:
Proper citation
We have already talked about this in previous lessons, but we will remind you once again. Every time you use ideas, data, or words from a source, you must correctly cite that source. Ask ChatGPT about the rules for formatting citations in APA, MLA, Chicago, or any other style you are using. F
or example, you can ask it: "ChatGPT, how do I correctly format a citation in Chicago style?"
Response:
Check your work
After you finish writing your term paper, or even at different stages throughout, always check it for plagiarism. There are various online services that can help you do this, including the official verification website.
Use ChatGPT to enhance originality
ChatGPT can assist you in making your work more original and unique. If you've found an idea that you want to incorporate into your paper, or if after a plagiarism check the originality percentage is too low, ChatGPT can help you improve your own text.
Request: "ChatGPT, help me rephrase the following text: 'An aspect such as the linguistic-pragmatic potential of translation is a very important component in conveying a specific context that is embedded in the content. The text is communicative, contains a message, which is information that should be understandable to the recipient. By perceiving the received information, the recipient thereby enters into certain personal relations with the text, so-called pragmatic relations. Such relations can have various characters; they can predominantly be intellectual in nature, when the text serves as a source of information about certain facts for the recipient. At the same time, the information received can have a deeper impact on the recipient. It can touch their feelings, evoke a certain emotional reaction. The ability of a text to create such a communicative effect, to provoke pragmatic relations in the recipient towards what is communicated, in other words, to exert a pragmatic influence on the information receiver, is called the pragmatic aspect or pragmatic potential (pragmatics) of the text.', so that it sounds unique, I need to increase the originality percentage."
Answer:
Remember that plagiarism is not just a matter of academic ethics, but also an important skill necessary for maintaining your reputation as a scholar and a professional. Always respect the work of others and give them proper credit in your research.
Revision and Finalization
When the draft of your term paper is ready, it's time for detailed revision and finalization. This stage requires careful consideration of every aspect of your work: structure, language, style, argumentation, and overall content. It's important to pay attention to both large elements (such as the research objective, main arguments) and the smallest details (correct citation, grammar, punctuation).
ChatGPT can be a helpful tool in this process:
Checking for consistency and logic: With its ability to analyze and evaluate texts, ChatGPT can help you ensure that your work follows a logical and coherent structure. You can use it to double-check the structure of your arguments and make sure they are closely related to your research question.
An example request might be: "ChatGPT, I've written this paragraph for my term paper. Can you check it for logic and consistency?"
Improving language and style: ChatGPT can suggest ways to improve and refine your text. This might include changing word choice, enhancing syntax, or helping to create clearer and more persuasive arguments.
For this, you might ask: "ChatGPT, here is this paragraph. How would you suggest improving it for greater clarity and persuasiveness?"
Grammar checking and proofreading: ChatGPT can also serve as a useful tool for checking grammar and spelling in your work. It can help you identify and correct mistakes, which is particularly important for the finalization of your term paper.
Here's a very simple example: "ChatGPT, please check this paragraph for grammatical errors."
Ultimately, your goal at the revision and finalization stage is to present the strongest and most convincing version of your term paper. And with the help of ChatGPT, you can transform your initial draft into a polished and professional document.
Preparation for Defense
Preparing for the defense of your term paper is an important stage in concluding the writing process. This is the time when you will present your work to an audience, usually including your academic advisor and other experts in the field. This process may involve preparing a presentation, formulating and rehearsing a speech, and discussing potential questions and answers. All this can be quite stressful, but with the help of ChatGPT, you can prepare for this important event:
Preparing a presentation
Organizing information in the form of a presentation can be a challenging task, especially if you are doing it for the first time. ChatGPT can help you organize your presentation by offering ideas on which slides to include, how to structure the information, and what visual elements might be useful.
Example
Request: "ChatGPT, how can I organize a presentation for my term paper on the topic 'the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems'?"
Answer:
Speech Rehearsal
Defending a thesis often requires you to make an oral presentation of your work. ChatGPT can help you prepare for this by offering feedback on your speech and helping you refine it.
For example, present the text of your speech to the chatbot and ask for feedback, inquire what can be improved.
Question Preparation
After your presentation, the committee members may ask you questions about your work. ChatGPT can help you prepare for this by suggesting possible questions that might be asked and assisting you in formulating thoughtful and substantiated responses.
Example
Request: "ChatGPT, what questions might I be asked during the defense of my thesis on the topic 'the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems'?"
Answer:
Remember that your goal during the defense is to demonstrate your understanding of the topic and confidently present your work. Use this opportunity to highlight the key points of your research and exhibit your critical thinking and analytical skills. With the help of ChatGPT, you can prepare for this important event and conduct a successful defense of your coursework.
Lesson №3 "Writing Coursework with ChatGPT: From Initial Research to Defense"
Coursework Composition: Learn the fundamentals of writing coursework, from research and planning to execution with ChatGPT, ensuring academic integrity.
Welcome to the third lesson of our course! Today, we will dive into the process of writing coursework, closely examining each stage and discussing how ChatGPT can assist you in writing this important academic text. We will look at everything step by step: from formulating a research question and planning to executing, emphasizing the importance of academic honesty and the uniqueness of your work.
So, let's get started with the step-by-step writing!
Assignment and Research Question
Choosing a research question is, perhaps, one of the most critical stages in writing coursework. Your question determines the direction of your research, which literature you will use, and what your conclusions will be.
So, how do you choose a good research question? It should meet several criteria:
Relevance: Your question should reflect current trends and issues in your field.
Clarity: Your question should clearly state what you are going to investigate. Avoid questions that are too general or too specific.
Feasibility: Ensure you have the resources and time to answer the question. If your question is too broad or complex, you may find it difficult to manage the work.
Significance: Your question should be important and interesting both to you and your academic community.
ChatGPT can be an invaluable assistant in this process. You can ask the bot questions that include various keywords or themes you plan to explore and receive different formulations of questions in response. Additionally, you can ask ChatGPT to help you check if your question meets the above criteria.
Here are some examples of questions you could ask the bot:
"ChatGPT, help me formulate a question for my coursework on the topic 'the impact of climate change on the global economy'."
"ChatGPT, my research question is: 'How does the impact of social media on political discourse vary across different countries?' Is it sufficiently narrow and clear?"
"ChatGPT, what literature can you recommend for my research question on the impact of blockchain on the financial industry?"
And here's how ChatGPT might respond, for example, to the third query:
In addition to that, ChatGPT can assist you in developing a detailed research plan based on your question, which will significantly ease the process of writing your paper.
Creating a Plan
Planning is a key element of a successful term paper. Without a clear plan, your thoughts and ideas can become disorganized, and your arguments scattered. This is why creating a structured plan is one of the first steps you should take after defining your research question.
The main function of the plan is to provide consistency and structure to your work. Additionally, the plan will help you organize your thoughts, ideas, and sources, as well as focus on your goals and objectives.
To compile a good, working plan, the following points should be taken into account:
Logic: Your plan should follow a logical order. Usually, this means that you start with the introduction, then move on to the main part of the paper, which includes analysis and discussion, and finish with conclusions.
Detail: Each section and subsection of your plan should be clearly defined and described. This will help you better understand what exactly you need to do at each stage of your work.
Flexibility: Your plan should be flexible enough to allow for changes if required.
ChatGPT can become an excellent assistant in creating a plan. You can ask the bot questions related to planning your work and receive feedback. For example, you can ask the bot to suggest a general structure for your paper, main sections and subsections, as well as ideas about what exactly you might discuss in each of them.
For example, you could make the following request to ChatGPT: "ChatGPT, help me create a plan for my term paper on the topic 'impact of climate change on the global economy'."
ChatGPT's response:
The more time you devote to planning, the less time you will need for the actual writing process.
In-depth research
Stage of research is one of the most important and labor-intensive stages in writing a term paper. At this stage, you gather information and knowledge that you will later use in writing your research project. It's not just about reading and annotating sources, but also about a detailed analysis of their content, including context, history, authors, and so on.
During in-depth research, there are several key points to consider:
Information Collection: This is the beginning of your research process. With the help of ChatGPT, you can form a list of potential sources that you want to explore. This could include scientific literature, articles, reports, dissertations, books, and other resources related to your topic.
Source Analysis: After you have collected all the necessary sources, you need to analyze them. This involves reading, understanding, and critically evaluating the information. It is important not just to read the sources, but also to critically analyze them, asking questions about their credibility, objectivity, and relevance.
For example, let's ask ChatGPT to analyze the sources it provided at the beginning of our lesson. Of course, it cannot physically read them, but it can make a brief analysis based on the data from its knowledge base.
Request: "Analyze these sources, give a critical assessment, and draw conclusions about their credibility, objectivity, and relevance."
ChatGPT's response:
Notes and Annotations: While reading and analyzing sources, it is important to make notes and annotations. This will help you better understand the information and simplify the process of writing your paper. ChatGPT can assist you in formulating and organizing notes and annotations. Information
Synthesis: After collecting all the necessary information and analyzing it, you need to combine all your knowledge and ideas into one whole. This may include creating summaries, outlines, or even conceptual maps. It can be said that ChatGPT is an excellent brainstorming partner!
ChatGPT can be a great helper at each of these stages. The bot can help you formulate questions for source analysis, suggest ideas for notes and annotations, as well as help you organize and structure your information and ideas.
However, do not forget that ChatGPT is a tool, and all critical thinking and analysis must be performed by the student themselves. Use the bot as an assistant, but always check and evaluate the information provided by it.
Draft Writing
Creating a draft is the step where you begin to translate your research into text. Here you start to formulate your thoughts and ideas into a coherent and consistent text. It is important to remember that the draft is just the initial version of your work; it does not have to be perfect. The main thing is to transfer your ideas to paper, and then they can be edited and improved.
ChatGPT can be your assistant in the following tasks during the draft writing stage:
Idea Formulation: Based on your research and notes, ChatGPT can help you formulate ideas for each section of your coursework. Use the bot as an interactive tool for expressing and developing your thoughts.
Request: "ChatGPT, I have information about the impact of technology on education. How can I best structure this information in my coursework?"
Response:
Text Structuring: ChatGPT can propose an optimal structure for your text, and also help to formulate an introduction, main body, and conclusion. The bot can also provide you with tips on creating effective transitions between sections and ideas.
Query: "What subsections should I include in a chapter on the impact of global warming on marine creatures?"
Response:
Assistance with Sentence and Paragraph Formulation: If you are having difficulty articulating your thoughts in written form, ChatGPT can help you formulate sentences and paragraphs that clearly and effectively express your ideas.
Request: "How can I write an introductory paragraph for a section on the impact of AI on marketing?"
Response:
Writing Feedback: Using text analysis features, ChatGPT can offer you feedback on your writing style, help identify potential issues in your text, and provide suggestions for corrections.
Here, requests might look like this: "ChatGPT, how do you rate this paragraph about the impact of artificial intelligence on the automotive industry?" or "Can you check this section for grammatical errors or stylistic issues?"
Please note that the phrasing of your requests may depend on the specific topic of your study and the goals of your coursework. Don't hesitate to experiment with different types of requests to find out which ones are most effective for you.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity
Respect for academic integrity is a fundamental principle that underpins all aspects of academic life. Your work should be original, supported by thorough research, and correctly cite the sources used.
The specifics of writing term papers require not only the ability to conduct in-depth research but also the skill to accurately and neatly handle the sources used.
We have developed some tips using ChatGPT to ensure academic honesty and avoid plagiarism:
Understand what plagiarism is
Plagiarism is the appropriation of someone else's intellectual work without proper acknowledgment of authorship. This includes copying and pasting text without citation, paraphrasing or summarizing ideas without mentioning the source, presenting someone else's ideas or research as your own.
If you do not have a clear understanding, ChatGPT can provide it to you. Ask it: "ChatGPT, what is the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing?". The answer would be approximately as follows:
Proper Citation
We have already talked about this in previous lessons, but we will remind you once again. Every time you use ideas, data, or words from a source, you must correctly cite that source. Ask ChatGPT about the citation formatting rules for APA, MLA, Chicago, or any other style you are using.
For example, you can ask: "ChatGPT, how do I properly format a citation in Chicago style?"
Response:
Check Your Work
After completing a term paper or even periodically throughout the writing process, always check it for plagiarism. There are various online services that will help you do this, including official websites for verification.
Use ChatGPT to Enhance Originality
ChatGPT can help make your work more original and unique. If you find an idea you want to use in your work, or if after checking for plagiarism the originality percentage is too low, ChatGPT can help you improve your own text.
Request: "ChatGPT, help me rephrase the following text: 'An aspect such as the linguo-pragmatic potential of translation is a very important component in conveying the specific context that is embedded in the content. A text is communicative, contains a message, what information (data) that should be understandable to the recipient. By perceiving the received information, the recipient thus enters into certain personal relations with the text, so-called pragmatic relations. Such relations can be of various natures. They can be predominantly intellectual in nature, when the text serves for the recipient only as a source of information about certain facts. At the same time, the received information can have a deeper impact on the recipient. It can touch his feelings, provoke a certain emotional reaction. The ability of the text to create such a communicative effect, to evoke in the recipient pragmatic relations to what is being communicated, in other words, to exert a pragmatic influence on the information receiver, is called the pragmatic aspect or pragmatic potential (pragmatics) of the text.', so that it sounds unique, I need to increase the originality percentage."
Response:
Remember that anti-plagiarism is not only a matter of academic ethics but also an essential skill needed to maintain your reputation as a scholar and professional. Always respect the work of others and give them proper credit in your research.
Revision and Finalization
When the draft of your term paper is ready, it's time for detailed revision and finalization. This stage requires careful consideration of every aspect of your work: structure, language, style, arguments, and overall content. It's important to pay attention to both major elements (such as the research objective, main arguments) and the smallest details (correct citation, grammar, punctuation).
ChatGPT can be a useful tool in this process:
Checking for consistency and logic: With its ability to analyze and evaluate texts, ChatGPT can help you check if your work follows a logical and coherent structure. You can use it to double-check the structure of your arguments and ensure they are closely related to your research question.
A sample request might be: "ChatGPT, I wrote this paragraph for my term paper. Can you check it for logic and consistency?"
Improving language and style: ChatGPT can suggest ways to improve and refine your text. This could include changing word choices, enhancing syntax, or assisting in creating clearer and more persuasive arguments.
For this, you might ask: "ChatGPT, here is this paragraph. How would you suggest improving it for greater clarity and persuasiveness?"
Grammar check and proofreading: ChatGPT can also serve as a useful tool for checking grammar and spelling in your work. It can help you identify and correct mistakes, which is especially important for finalizing your term paper.
Here is a very simple example: "ChatGPT, please check this paragraph for grammatical errors."
Ultimately, your goal at the revision and finalization stage is to present the strongest and most persuasive version of your term paper. With the help of ChatGPT, you can transform your initial draft into a polished and professional document.
Preparation for Defense
Preparing for the defense of your term paper is an important step in concluding the writing process. This is when you will present your work to an audience, usually including your academic supervisor and other experts in the field. This process may involve preparing a presentation, formulating and rehearsing a speech, and discussing potential questions and answers. All of this can be quite stressful, but with the help of ChatGPT, you can prepare for this important event:
Presentation Preparation
Organizing information into a presentation can be a challenging task, especially if you are doing it for the first time. ChatGPT can help you organize your presentation by suggesting ideas about what slides to include, how to structure information, and which visual elements could be helpful.
Example
Request: "ChatGPT, how can I organize a presentation for my term paper on the topic 'the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems'?"
Response:
Speech Rehearsal
Defending your term paper often requires you to make an oral presentation of your work. ChatGPT can help you prepare for this by providing feedback on your speech and helping you refine it.
For example, present the text of your speech to the chatbot and ask for feedback, inquire about what can be improved.
Preparation for Questions
After your presentation, committee members may ask you questions about your work. ChatGPT can help you prepare for this by suggesting possible questions that might be asked and helping you to formulate thoughtful and well-founded answers.
Example
Request: "ChatGPT, what questions might I be asked during the defense of my term paper on the topic 'the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems'?"
Response:
Remember, your goal during the defense is to demonstrate your understanding of the topic and confidently present your work. Use this opportunity to highlight the key points of your research and to showcase your critical thinking and analytical skills. With the help of ChatGPT, you can prepare for this important moment and conduct a successful defense of your term paper.
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