Blog
Practical writing for academic researchers: finding out whether an idea is new, making sense of a literature, and using AI without ending up with something you cannot defend.
Originality
Is my research topic original? How to check before you commit
Originality is not an empty space in the literature. It is a defensible claim that your specific contribution has not been made. Here is how to test for one in an afternoon.
Literature reviewHow to build a literature review matrix
Forty papers you have read and cannot compare is not a literature review. Which six columns to use, how to fill them honestly, and how to read the finished table.
AI and integrityHow to check whether an AI made up a citation
There are three ways a citation can be wrong, and the most dangerous one is not the one everybody checks for.
AI and integrityDoes using AI for your literature review count as cheating?
The line is clearer than most people think. It is not about how much you used, and it is not about whether anyone can tell.