The Oxbridge Editing Blog 6th March 2024

AI Tools That Can Help Edit Your Academic Work

6th March 2024
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To get good grades, your academic paper or dissertation needs to communicate your ability to write effectively. That is why your academic work needs to be edited flawlessly before you submit it to the university. This may not always be an easy task, especially if you struggle to get English grammar and sentence structure right. To help you with this process, this blog introduces you to two AI  tools that can help you edit your academic paper or dissertation and ensure its clarity and professionalism. The two tools, called Grammarly and Hemingway Editor, are somewhat similar and you can choose which one suits you better. 

Grammarly

To use Grammarly, you will need to download an app on your computer. The app can be installed on both Windows and Mac operating systems, allowing you to access the full range of its features directly from your desktop. Once installed, Grammarly can help you polish your academic paper or dissertation and make sure it is error-free. You will need to input your text into the Grammarly editor and the tool will automatically detect and highlight grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, and spelling issues. Additionally, Grammarly will offer suggestions for improving sentence structure, word choice, and overall clarity. With just a click, you can apply these suggestions to refine your academic work.

The only disadvantage is that, when using a Grammarly editor, you will need to paste your work into the editor, correct it, and then paste it back into your Word file, which may take some time. To overcome this limitation, you can install Grammarly as a plugin in Word, which will allow you to make corrections to your academic paper or dissertation as you write it.

To get more detailed suggestions on how to improve the grammar and overall clarity, you can always opt for the premium version of the app, which offers advanced features and suggestions. The price for the premium version is €12, which is approximately £8.

Hemingway Editor

Unlike Grammarly, Hemingway Editor is a web-based tool that can be accessed directly through your browser, which eliminates the need for downloading any apps. Once you input your academic work, Hemingway Editor will analyse it for readability, highlighting complex sentences, passive voice usage, and overly dense language. With its intuitive interface, Hemingway Editor will provide suggestions for simplifying your writing, improving clarity, and enhancing overall readability.

However, similar to Grammarly, you’ll need to copy and paste your work into the editor, make adjustments, and then transfer it back to your Word document. For seamless integration, you could consider using the Hemingway Editor desktop app or browser extension, which will allow you to edit your work directly in Word.

As is the case with Grammarly, Hemingway Editor offers a paid version, which can rewrite sentences directly for you. If you opt for it, the Plus Plan will cost you $10 per month, which is some £8.

Takeaway Message

Whether your academic edit will benefit more from Grammarly or Hemingway Editor is up to you and your personal preferences. In either case, the tool will aid your editing process and make sure your academic work is written flawlessly. If you decide to pay for the premium version, Hemingway Editor will be a cheaper choice. Before paying, however, you could try both tools to see which one suits you better.