Is writing your thesis with ChatGPT wise?

Quickly: what is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a chatbot that can write comprehensive texts for you, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). These texts are detailed and almost indistinguishable from those written by a human. The chatbot retrieves information from the vast amount of data available on the internet. Everyone can still use it for free. Additionally, the bot not only offers search results similar to Google, but it can also perform specific tasks based on smart prompts.

Is using ChatGPT plagiarism?

Many colleges and universities are still in doubt when it comes to ChatGPT. There is often a lack of clear policies and guidelines in place. Typically, academic institutions consider the use of ChatGPT for thesis writing as plagiarism or even fraud. Currently, texts produced with ChatGPT can be identified through certain limitations:

• In most cases, texts generated with artificial intelligence do not include proper source references. This poses a challenge as source references are necessary to support every thesis. Without knowledge of the sources used to generate the text, it becomes challenging to refer to them accurately.
• The chatbot also does not write error-free. For example, it commonly produces sentences with incorrect structure and strange punctuation. Repetition of certain phrases or portions of text is also common. Therefore, it is always advisable to carefully check your texts for language errors, unorganized sentences, and unnecessary repetition. Additionally, it’s important to be cautious with quotes generated by this tool, as they may not accurately match their original source.
• The older version pf ChatGPT (version 3.5) relies on older sources to generate text. The tool utilizes information from the internet up until 2021. Therefore, the information provided may be outdated, and many academic courses require the use of current sources, unless no current sources are available.
• The chatbot can only generate text based on existing information. It cannot think or generate new information by itself. However, many educational institutions require the ability to generate new knowledge, which is not possible with this tool.
• ChatGPT utilizes information from the entire internet, encompassing a vast range of knowledge. However, it does carry a limitation: the chatbot lacks the ability to verify the accuracy of the information it provides. This becomes particularly challenging if a supervisor, who happens to be an expert in the subject matter, oversees your training and encounters inconsistencies.
• Moreover, your instructor must have already reviewed previous assignments. If your writing style suddenly changes, your instructor may become suspicious that you did not write the text yourself.

What can you do as a student with ChatGPT?

As you have read above, using ChatGPT for your thesis is not without risks. It is important to note that you bear full responsibility for your results. Each college and university has specific requirements for theses, and if you rely on AI, there is a risk of using outdated or unreliable sources. Furthermore, it is not possible to ask the chatbot to conduct your research; at most, you can provide intelligent prompts. Tasks such as literature research, desk research, qualitative and quantitative research, and interpreting your results still need to be done by you. These activities enable you to generate new knowledge and insights, which are essential for your education.

Can’t you completely rely on the chatbot? Many institutions are content with the utilization of the tool for assignment completion, albeit solely for inspiration. Occasionally, commencing an assignment or thesis can be challenging, and in such cases, the chatbot can undoubtedly assist you in getting started. For instance, you can employ ChatGPT as a tool to outline your research, drawing inspiration from it. However, it is crucial to subsequently rephrase the content in your own words and include proper citations to ensure accurate sourcing.

Will my thesis pass the plagiarism scanner if I use ChatGPT?

A thesis or document generated using ChatGPT is not considered your own original work. Therefore, utilizing it would be considered fraudulent since you are required to write your document yourself.

Will a thesis pass the plagiarism checker? The current plagiarism software will not flag a text generated with ChatGPT. Commonly used plagiarism detection systems include Ephorus and Turnitin. These tools compare the content of your thesis to other theses, scientific publications, and various internet sources to detect plagiarism.

The text produced by ChatGPT is essentially unique. As a result, it is not yet recognized as plagiarism. However, it is important to acknowledge your sources, which can be challenging since you may not know which sources ChatGPT utilized.

If you have used AI for your texts, please indicate it as the source; otherwise, it will be considered plagiarism.

Should I use ChatGPT for my thesis or not?

Of course, using ChatGPT is always your own choice. However, we recommend that you primarily use the tool as a handy aid. Never submit a fully generated text indiscriminately. Although it is difficult to recognize the text as generated by artificial intelligence, there are still too many issues for an experienced examiner to see through. Even ChatGPT acknowledges that your thesis must be written by you and that the tool can assist you. That pretty much sums it up! 😊

Finally, what about my privacy?

Privacy is also an important issue because the tool is currently free. Similar to Spotify, the chatbot likely needs a sufficient user base to eventually gain commercial benefits. Therefore, please be aware that any information you share with ChatGPT is stored. Consequently, it is advisable to never disclose sensitive or confidential business information.

And if I want help with my thesis?

Of course, this is also possible! Our thesis coaches:

• Can offer you support in writing your thesis.
• Can give you tools to write a good problem analysis (often the basis of every thesis).
• Can help you formulate a clear design question for your design-oriented research.
• Can help you find literature and sources for your theoretical framework.
• Can help you with your research method (and justification).
• Can help you with the analysis of the results (transcribing, coding or statistical analysis in Stata or SPSS).
• Can help you with the conclusions, advice, and discussion.
• Can help you set up your design-oriented research and how to go through the Design Thinking steps (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype & Test) or Double Diamond phases. 
• Can help you with the reflection.
• Can review your document on source references (APA and Legal Guidelines);
• Can check language, crooked sentences and structure.
• Can help you with the defense of your thesis.

You can request a free consultation and hear immediately how we can assist you!