Writing compels us to think — not in the chaotic, non-linear way our minds typically wander, but in a structured, intentional manner. By writing it down, we can sort years of research, data and analysis into an actual story, thereby identifying our main message and the influence of our work. This is not merely a philosophical observation; it is backed by scientific evidence. For example, handwriting can lead to widespread brain connectivity and has positive effects on learning and memory.
Importantly, if writing is thinking, are we not then reading the ‘thoughts’ of the LLM rather than those of the researchers behind the paper?
Current LLMs might also be wrong, a phenomenon called hallucination. Therefore, LLM-generated text needs to be thoroughly checked and verified (including every reference as it might be made up). It thus remains questionable how much time current LLMs really save. It might be more difficult and time-consuming to edit an LLM-generated text than to write an article or peer-review report from scratch, partly because one needs to understand the reasoning to be able to edit it.
proceeds to list some ways that LLMs help researchers
Nevertheless, outsourcing the entire writing process to LLMs may deprive us of the opportunity to reflect on our field and engage in the creative, essential task of shaping research findings into a compelling narrative — a skill that is certainly important beyond scholarly writing and publishing.