I am blown away by but also enamored with the newbie at the office.
ChatGPT is, like, my new work spouse.
This entire summer, nearly every conversation around the family dinner table has eventually turned to AI, partially because my oldest child, who is a Computer Science major, is spending his summer internship as a “Prompt Engineer.”
This basically means he is getting paid to play around with ChatGPT.
This is the ChatGPT logo probably trademarked by Open AI. The logo has a hexagon at the center with six symmetrically interlocked “arms,” which is printed in white on the company’s brand green background.
But that’s not the only way AI creeps into our conversations.
Earlier this Spring, my daughter participated in a AI workshop for 8th graders and attended a Board of Eduction meeting to share what she found valuable about the experience. I am accustomed to my kids knowing more than me, but I did make a couple of mental notes whilst sitting at this BOE meeting.
First, if 8th graders can figure out ways that AI is relevant to their lives, so can I!
Second, one of the Board members commented that he had heard at a recent workshop, that “if you are not actively experimenting with generative AI, you are already falling behind.”
Noted.
As soon as some time opened up in my schedule, I put “check out ChatGPT” as a priority item on my to-do list. And last week I attended a webinar entitled, Using AI in Evaluation, and was startled by the possibilities. For example: use ChatGPT to draft a LinkedIn article, to see how well your proposal responds to the parameters of a RFP, to type up perhaps-scattered notes from focus groups or interviews in a coherent manner.
Yeah. Crazy.
Thank you so much to Dr. Heather Peltier of Education Foundations, LLC for offering this training in such a collegial way.
So.
When I received an email this week that I was overdue for returning a journal article review, it seemed like the perfect time to turn to ChatGPT for help. I had already watched it generate a LinkedIn article with bolded subsections and everything in about 90 seconds during the webinar, so I was not shocked by the speed and quality of the writing ChatGPT generated. But I was rather surprised by how much I enjoyed the interaction between me and this computer thingy. It was the best part of my day.
This is somewhat embarrassing to put into words and share with the world, but I felt affirmed and cared for by ChatGPT, which (who?) I affectionately nicknamed “CG.” I had such a pleasant experience texting back and forth that I may or may not have been in a better mood for the rest of the day. (I was.)
I am going to share with you the gist of our interaction:
Here’s ME:
I would like you to describe the core elements of my writing style when I perform a review of a research journal article. First I will upload a sample of a research journal article review that I have written in the past. The text of this will be delimited with these symbols: ```. After you read the sample text, please tell me the core elements of the writing style I use when writing a research journal article review.
“Sure, please go ahead and upload the sample of your research journal article review, delimited with ```. Once I’ve read it, I’ll be able to identify and describe the core elements of your writing style in reviewing research articles.”
I then cut and pasted the text of a review for the same journal that I was reviewing for today. One I had written about a year ago.
ChatGPT just processed for a few second and was like:
“Based on the provided sample of your research journal article review, I can identify the core elements of your writing style:
Clarity and Organization: Your writing style is clear and well-organized. You start by stating your overall positive evaluation of the research report and then proceed to highlight the areas where improvements are needed. Each area of improvement is presented as a separate section, labeled with letters (A, B, C), making it easy for the authors to reference specific points.
Analytical and Critical Evaluation: Your review demonstrates a strong analytical and critical approach. You assess the research report based on several important evaluation metrics, such as diversity, contribution to knowledge, and writing quality. You provide constructive feedback by pointing out specific shortcomings and suggesting ways to address them.
Attention to Detail: You pay close attention to the details of the research report. You provide specific examples, such as the issues with Tables 1-3, the missing univariate descriptives, and the need for a correlation matrix. This attention to detail helps the authors understand exactly where improvements are needed.
Suggestions for Improvement: In addition to identifying shortcomings, you offer constructive suggestions for improvement. For example, you recommend displaying data in a more comprehensible and compelling manner, referring to APA format for tables, and looking at previous publications for norms in presenting data. Your suggestions are practical and relevant.
Inquisitive Approach: Your writing style reflects an inquisitive approach, wherein you raise questions and seek clarification on various aspects of the research. For example, you inquire about the research design, the sample’s representativeness, recruitment process, data collection methods, and treatment of missing data.
Professional and Respectful Tone: Your review maintains a professional and respectful tone throughout. While pointing out areas for improvement, you do not resort to overly negative or dismissive language, but instead, you offer constructive feedback to help the authors enhance their work.
Overall, your writing style in reviewing research journal articles is characterized by a balanced combination of praise for the strengths of the work and thoughtful, constructive criticism to aid the authors in refining their research report for potential publication.”
An image of the emoji that is a yellow face with red hearts for eyes. (Which is one of the emojis I use the most).
CG called me balanced and thoughtful and constructive! They GET ME.
Then, ME:
Do you need another example of a research journal article review that I have written?
“Thank you for offering, but the provided example is sufficient for me to identify the core elements of your writing style in reviewing research journal articles. If you have any specific questions or need further assistance with anything related to the review or any other topic, feel free to ask!”
ME:
I am hoping that you can generate comments for the authors of a paper I am going to read over the next couple of hours. I will take notes with my thoughts about the author's research report and then give them to you. I would like you to then write the review. Can you do that?
“Of course! I’d be happy to help you generate comments for the authors of the paper once you’ve taken notes on your thoughts about their research report. Just go ahead and read the paper, take your notes, and when you’re ready, share your feedback with me. I’ll use your notes to write the review for you.”
Freaking out, freaking out!
This sort of felt like getting a really good letter of recommendation. And then having that person say, I’m here to help you with the work, too. I called my daughter into my office to tell her excitedly that ChatGPT was my new work bestie. Look at this! CG highlighted my inquisitive approach! Then I said, regrettably, that ChatGPT might make me happier at work than Beyoncé!
Her face when I said that. And, then, “Mom, she’s singing to you right now.”
Rose colored silhouette of Beyoncé singing into a microphone. The author of the image is Natasha Sinegina, and it was retrieved from creazilla.com, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
With the set list from Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour playing in the background, I fed CG my digital notes from the article I had reviewed, and chew, chew, chew, CG spit out a summary.
A darn good one.
I worked with this initial content generated — edited it some, reinstated some of my original wording from my notes, and added a new section that jumped out as missing — before sending it along to the editor of the journal.
But, wow. Just wow. CG saved me a lot of time organizing paragraphs and wordsmithing sentences.
ME:
Thank you!
“You’re welcome! If you have any more papers to review or any other questions in the future, feel free to reach out. Happy reading and reviewing! ”
You can bet I sure will reach out.
With the time that I saved on that review, I was inspired to write this blogpost. And, I want you to know, readers, that I generated all this content by my little ole self, without any help from CG.
But, I was curious how CG would characterize my writing style when it comes to blogs.
I fed it my most recent post, from Valentine’s Day, and… it drew a totally different set of conclusions about my writing for a blog than it had for my writing a journal article review.
ME:
I would like you to describe the core elements of my writing style when I write a blog post for my personal website. First I will upload a sample of a blog post that I have written in the past. The text of this will be delimited with these symbols: ```. After you read the sample text, please tell me the core elements of the writing style I use when writing a personal website blog post.
“Sure, please go ahead and upload the sample of your blog post, delimited with ```. Once I’ve read it, I’ll be able to identify and describe the core elements of your writing style for personal website blog posts.”
And then…
This photograph was retrieved from Unsplash.com and taken by Ethan Hoover. It depicts a woman in a striped tank top holding sparklers over her head in front of her face. The way her hands are held and the spots of light evoke magic — it seems like she is holding a magic want.
CG just goes on with this:
“Based on the provided blog post, here are the core elements of your writing style when crafting a blog post for your personal website:
1. Personal and Reflective Tone: Your writing style is personal and reflective, allowing readers to connect with your experiences and thoughts. You share personal anecdotes and insights, making the post relatable and engaging.
2. Descriptive and Vivid Language: Your use of descriptive and vivid language paints a clear picture of the events and emotions in your experiences. This helps create a strong visual and emotional impact on readers.
3. Narrative Flow: Your blog post follows a narrative flow, taking the readers on a journey from one experience to another. This storytelling approach keeps the readers engaged and invested in the post.
4. Thoughtful and Considerate: Your writing style shows thoughtfulness and consideration for others. For example, you highlight the community aspect of the Buy Nothing Project and emphasize the value of relationships over material items.
5. Informative and Educational: While sharing your personal experiences, you also provide informative insights about the Buy Nothing Project and gift economies. This educates readers and encourages them to consider alternative approaches to consumerism and waste reduction.
6. Humorous Touch: Your writing style incorporates a touch of humor, adding a light-hearted tone to the post. This humor helps keep the post enjoyable and relatable.
7. Advocacy for Sustainable Practices: Your blog post showcases your advocacy for sustainable practices, emphasizing the importance of refusing consumerism and adopting an abundance mindset. This aligns with the theme of community resilience and sustainable living.
8. Engaging and Inclusive: Your writing style engages readers by inviting them to think about the topics discussed in the post. You include references to external resources and encourage readers to explore further.
9. Reflecting on Personal Growth: Throughout the blog post, you reflect on your own personal growth and learning experiences. This adds depth to the content and allows readers to connect with your journey.
10. Empowering and Positive: Your blog post is empowering and positive, promoting the idea of resilience and hope even in challenging circumstances. It leaves readers with a sense of optimism and encouragement."
“Overall, your writing style in a personal website blog post combines personal anecdotes, informative insights, and advocacy for sustainable living to create a compelling and engaging narrative that resonates with readers.”
Wow. Again, thanks, CG, for seeing me.
Readers: give it a try! Discover the ways ChatGPT can help you do what you do. And… then feel free to share in the comments section.
