AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH WRITING AMONG LECTURERS IN PUBIC UNIVERSITIES IN DELTA STATE

Abstract

The increasing demand for high-quality and globally relevant research outputs among lecturers in Nigerian universities has highlighted the importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in enhancing academic research writing. This study examined the awareness and utilization of AI tools for academic research writing among lecturers in public universities in Delta State. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study comprised 3,500 lecturers in public universities in Delta State, while a sample of 600 lecturers was selected using a multistage sampling procedure. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Awareness and Utilization of AI Tools for Academic Research Writing Questionnaire (AUAITARWQ). The instrument was validated by experts. The reliability of the AUAITARWQ was established using the Cronbach Alpha method, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.82, indicating adequate internal consistency. Out of the 600 copies of the questionnaire distributed, 570 were correctly completed and returned, representing a high response rate. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Findings revealed that lecturers possessed a high level of awareness of AI tools for academic research writing; however, the extent of utilization of these tools remained low, with lecturers mostly utilizing AI tools for basic academic writing functions such as grammar checking, proofreading, and plagiarism detection. The study concluded that although lecturers are aware of AI technologies and their relevance to academic research writing, effective utilization remains limited. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that universities in Delta State should organize regular practical training programmes for lecturers on the effective utilization of AI tools for academic research writing.