Utilization of Writing Assistance Tools in Research in Selected Higher Learning Institutions in the Philippines: A Text Mining Analysis

Abstract

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has sparked significant interest. Artificial intelligence offers opportunities for global learning, personalized instruction, and efficient resource management. In research writing, AI tools streamline processes, from a literature review to data analysis, enhancing efficiency and freeing up time for critical thinking. The researchers of this study used text mining techniques to extract patterns and trends of using writing assistance tools in research from the responses of 327 faculty researchers in various higher learning institutions in the Philippines. Unigram tokenization was used to present the 10 most frequently used words in the corpus, while the k-means elbow method was utilized to show the optimal number of clusters. Sentiment analysis was use to show the positive and negative implications of using writing assistance tools in research. The finding is that faculty respondents value writing assistance tools for enhancing research writing by expediting processes and improving clarity. The implementation of these tools in selected higher learning institutions may present difficulties, such as issues related to overreliance, and hinder students’ and researchers’ development of critical thinking and writing skills. Along with technological and resource challenges, these tools could inadvertently encourage plagiarism if not used responsibly. Cultural and language considerations are also relevant because these tools may not always be attuned to the specific linguistic and cultural nuances of Filipino academic writing. The results of this research may serve as a guide for researchers, educators, and software developers, who may use AI to streamline research writing processes in the educational sector.