Get instant feedback on your academic writing

Expressing your ideas clearly and in formal academic language can be tough. And it’s something many students struggle with.

The UTS Library has a load of resources and tools to help you tune up your academic English, and you can book sessions with the HELPS team to get writing support.

But who’s going to give you quick, detailed feedback in the middle of the night? (Not that anyone would be finishing assignments at 2am, right?). And will they be up for reading your next draft, and the next?

We’ve got a tool to help!

Say hello to AcaWriter

AcaWriter (aca like academic – get it?) is an artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed right here at UTS, and it’s the latest recruit to the UTS writing support team. 

Unlike your spelling and grammar checkers, AcaWriter gives you detailed feedback on whether your draft includes key features of academic writing, and helps you enhance your drafts before submitting assignments or research papers.

It’s like having your own personal tutor giving you advice on your work as you go!

Why AI?

Because AcaWriter is powered by AI and is available online, you can get feedback instantly – where ever you are, day or night – and it won’t get tired or frustrated.

What can it do?

AcaWriter isn’t like any tool you’ve used before, so we really recommend you jump on this website so you understand the feedback it gives. 

AcaWriter works with two main writing ‘genres’: analytical writing and reflective writing. Tell AcaWriter which one you’re using at the start so it knows what to expect, and gives you better feedback.

• Analytical writing is used across all disciplines at university and can include anything from an essay, to a research paper or a business analysis. In this type of writing, you’re typically reviewing literature, introducing and contrasting important concepts, claiming a new finding or insight, and crafting arguments.  
• Reflective writing is your response to challenging experiences or events. It includes your thoughts and feelings as well as critical reflections (e.g. about a work placement, or of a challenging aspect of your course). This kind of writing is used to explore your learning on a deeper level. 

After browsing the information website, you’re all set to give AcaWriter a try!

One more thing

AcaWriter is an advanced research prototype developed here at UTS, which means firstly, it’s backed by solid research, and secondly, it’s not perfect. We’re making improvements all the time, and we could use your help!  That's why we encourage you to get feedback as many times as you want, to disagree if you think AcaWriter got it wrong, and to send in your feedback. 

If you want to write a better abstract for your research report/publication, enrol in this new free short course (takes just an hour) from UTS Open. You don’t have to use AcaWriter, but doing it sets you up perfectly to use AcaWriter’s Research Abstract tool.