How to Write a Thesis with AI (+ Best AI Writing Tools)

• Nov 28, 2024
• 5 min read

• Tags: Academic Writing, Artificial Intelligence, Language

Feeling overwhelmed by the thought of writing your thesis? You’re not alone. Writing a thesis involving in-depth research is like climbing Mount Everest for many. 

This guide provides readers with a superpower to achieve this feat– Useful AI writing tools and prompts. We’ve also explained how to use AI for brainstorming, outlining, structuring, writing a literature review, and generating citations. 

So let’s learn how to make thesis writing easier using AI! 

How to write a thesis with AI 

To write a thesis using AI, firstly, list down any AI tools and prompts that will help. Given below are steps, tools, and strategies that might prove useful! 

1. Brainstorming research topics 

You can brainstorm thesis topics by using tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. Some prompts you can use to brainstorm research topics are: 

• • • List 10 under-researched areas in [Insert your subject name]. 
    • Give me the top 10 emerging trends in [Insert your field name] and potential research questions for each.
    • Identify 3 major problems in [Insert your field name] and suggest research approaches to address them. 
    • Suggest different research methodologies that could be applied to [Mention your area of interest] 
    • Compare the following topics and suggest the top 2 topics that are most suitable for research and why- [Insert a comparison of topics].  

2. Outlining and structuring information 

You can use AI writing assistants like Jasper and Writesonic to create a thesis outline. Alternatively, you can ask Claude and ChatGPT to provide suggestions to improve your thesis outline. You can use sample prompts like: 

• • • • Recommend how should I enhance my thesis outline by analyzing the following information- [Insert your thesis topic and chapter titles]. 
      • Analyze if the following outline is consistent and identify any problems and inconsistencies- [Insert all chapter titles and information about the thesis outline]. 

3. Creating a thesis statement 

You can use the best thesis statement generators like the Empire State University Thesis Statement Generator, EditPad, Custom-Writing.org, and more to generate a thesis statement. 

Also, you can give prompts to writing assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini to enhance your thesis statement. For example: 

• • • • Simplify the following thesis statement without changing the meaning- [Insert the thesis statement]. 
      • Give me 3 variations of the following thesis statement without changing the meaning- [Insert thesis statement]. 

4. Craft an attractive introduction 

You can give prompts to AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude Opus, and Gemini to create an engaging introduction. Furthermore, you can also use these tools to reduce the introduction’s word count if required. 

Some sample prompts you can give these tools are: 

• • • • Refine the following introduction without expanding on the content or changing the meaning- [Insert information about the introduction]. 
      • Shorten the following introduction and ensure it’s not more than 300 words without changing the meaning- [Insert information about the introduction].  

5. Literature review 

You can use AI tools for research like Semantic Scholar, Research Rabbit, Dimensions.AI, and Scite.ai. These tools can help you to: 

• • • • Find papers related to your topic
      • Understand emerging trends in your field
      • View full texts and abstract summaries of related papers
      • Cite your sources 

6. Data analysis

You can use AI to show the relation between different variables and identify patterns in data. Furthermore, you can use AI tools like Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT to analyze data by giving it prompts. This can help you write the “Results” and “Discussion” sections of your thesis. 

For example: 

• • • • Analyze the difference between variable [Write the variable’s name.] and variable [Write the variable’s name] based on the following data – [Insert data]. 
      • Identify and explain any patterns in the following data- [Insert research data, including relevant statistics. 
      • Expand and interpret the following results and their broader significance- [Insert data about the results]. 

7. Data visualization

You can use AI to create tables, graphs, and pie charts for your paper. Plotly and Tableau are some useful AI tools that help in visualizing data for your paper. 

Plotly offers more than 40 chart types, including line charts, scatter plots, heat maps, 3D plots, and statistical charts. Tableau also offers visualization through charts along with tables, tree diagrams, cycle plots, step plots, etc. 

Alternatively, you can give ChatGPT and Gemini prompts to create tables for your paper. For example: 

Create a multi-line chart visualizing the global smartphone market share of the top 5 manufacturers from 2016 to 2023. Use the following data for creating the table: [Insert data]. 

8. Create a conclusion 

If you’re finding it challenging to create a conclusion, you can use the conclusion generators provided by PapersOwl and LogicBalls. These tools give an option to add the text you require in the conclusion. They then generate engaging conclusions that you can refine and use for your thesis. 

9. Generating citations 

You can use the best citation generators such as Citation Machine, Zotero, SciSpace APA Citation Generator, and BibMe to cite your source. Alternatively, you can also use citation features of AI research tools like Scite.ai to add citations of all sources. 

10. Performing a plagiarism check 

You can use plagiarism checkers provided by Grammarly, QuillBot, PlagiarismDetector.net, and Small SEO tools to check your text for plagiarism. Alternatively, you can use features provided by Scite.ai and Consensus to check plagiarism. 

Bonus tip: If plagiarism is detected by plagiarism checkers, you can use paraphrasing tools provided by QuillBot, Paraphraser.io, WordAI, etc. However, ensure that you’ve accurately cited the source. 

11. Editing and proofreading 

Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Hemingway Editor, and QuillBot are some useful tools to check your text’s spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Furthermore, for modifying your text’s word count, you can use character and word counters provided by Semrush, Capitalize My Title, etc. 

Alternatively, you can also use AI tools like Clause Opus, ChatGPT, and Gemini to enhance your content. By giving these tools prompts, you can simplify your paper’s language, reduce word count if required, and enhance word choice. 

12. Formatting 

You can use tools like Google Docs, MS Word, and LibreOffice Writer for formatting your thesis. If you don’t know how to format your thesis using these tools, you can give prompts to AI tools and get help. Some examples of such prompts are: 

• • • • Give steps for formatting a thesis using MS Word in APA style. 
      • Provide shortcuts to format a thesis using Google Docs in MLA style.  

13. Creating a thesis title page

You can use title page generators offered by IvyPanda, Writing-Services.org, Citefast, and PapersOwl to create a thesis title page. These tools provide options to generate a thesis title page in various styles like APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. 

If you’re using ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude Opus,  you can also use prompts like: 

• • • • Create a title page in APA 7 format using the following information- [Insert information that you want in the title page]. 
      • Provide the formatting guidelines for a thesis title page in Chicago Style. 

Five quick tips for thesis writing 

While writing a thesis, it’s important to set realistic goals and deadlines to complete every section on time. This can help you to reduce stress and stay motivated while writing your thesis. The following are five quick tips for thesis writing: 

1. Write your introduction and abstract after completing the entire thesis. It’s easier once you know exactly what your thesis contains.

2. Back up your work daily using cloud storage or an external hard drive.

3. Use the Pomodoro technique and work in 25-minute focused sessions with 5-minute breaks to increase productivity. 

4. Use reference management software like Zotero or Mendeley to organize your sources.

5. Set word count goals to maintain steady progress in writing your thesis. 

Best practices for using AI in thesis writing 

A good practice is to keep notes about how and where you use AI while writing your thesis. Further, you can also cross-check AI-generated information from reliable sources for accuracy.  Here are six best practices for thesis writing with AI: 

1. Always cite AI-generated content appropriately.

2. Understand the limitations of AI tools and avoid relying completely on AI. 

3. Be careful about inputting sensitive or unpublished research data into AI tools. (To be sure, check the privacy policies of the AI tools you use.) 

4. Learn about your institution’s policies on AI use in academic writing.

5. Use AI alongside feedback from advisors, peers, and human editors.

6. Avoid directly copy-pasting AI-generated text. Rephrase the text in your own words, and give your own unique examples and perspectives instead of solely relying on AI. 

These best practices demonstrate how AI must be used carefully while writing a thesis. You can explore these best AI tools for thesis writing and enhance your text. 

After completing writing a thesis, AI can also be used for editing (as we saw). However, for best results, we recommend you adopt AI + human editing. 

At PaperTrue, we provide high-quality AI + human editing and proofreading services. Once the text is edited and proofread by AI, an editor carefully reviews it. This ensures that your text is free from errors. 

Furthermore, we also check plagiarism, citations, and formatting of the text. If you’re interested in our services, get a free sample or view pricing on our website to place an order! 

Want to understand more about what is thesis writing? Here are some useful resources for you: 

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Priya

Priya has a talent for academic research and enjoys simplifying complex topics. When she's not helping students improve their writing, she can be seen reading poetry, playing the harmonium, or learning classical dance.