Bandung, September 4, 2024
A pivotal focus group discussion (FGD) was held on Wednesday, September 4th, between the linguistics research team of the English Language and Literature Study Program at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) and the Bandung Society for Informatics, Electrical Engineering, and Robotics (BSIEER). The gathering aimed to lay the groundwork for a groundbreaking software tool designed to assist researchers and writers in evaluating the quality of their research papers before submission to reputable national or international journals.
The linguistics research team, specializing in rhetorical moves/steps and linguistic features of academic papers, sought insights from BSIEER experienced computer programmers and AI engineers to inform the development of their proposed software. The software would serve as a valuable resource for researchers, providing a comprehensive analysis of their abstracts and articles in terms of the rhetorical moves and steps employed. By identifying strengths and areas for improvement, the software would empower researchers to enhance the quality of their work and increase their chances of publication in prestigious Scopus-indexed journals.
Dr. Dian Dia-an, a leading linguist from UPI and the FGD's moderator, emphasized the importance of conducting a thorough needs analysis to ensure that the software effectively addresses the specific requirements of researchers. Participants engaged in lively discussions, sharing their perspectives and experiences in the field of academic writing.
Husni Mubarok, S.T.P., M.T, a prominent AI engineer of BSIEER, proposed that the software be developed as a user-friendly website. This approach would make the tool accessible to a wider audience and facilitate easy download and use. Aldy Putra Aldya, S.T., M.T., another senior BSIEER representative, suggested a hybrid development strategy combining rule-based methods and supervised machine learning. While this approach could potentially yield more accurate results, it would also require significant computational resources, including supercomputers, GPUs, and servers.
Prof. Eri Kurniawan, Ph.D, a principal investigator of the research team, acknowledged the valuable insights provided by the BSIEER members and expressed his commitment to incorporating their suggestions into the research project. He also announced plans to accelerate the development timeline, aiming to deliver the software within the next year rather than waiting for two years.
In addition, Prof. Eri Kurniawan, Ph.D, the lead researcher, expressed optimism about the potential impact of the software in enhancing the quality of academic research and increasing the number of Scopus publications from UPI. By providing researchers with a powerful tool for analyzing the rhetorical effectiveness of their work, the team hopes to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and scholarship.
The FGD marked a significant milestone in the development of the Move and Step Analysis concordance software. The collaboration between the linguistics research team and BSIEER has laid a strong foundation for the creation of a tool that promises to revolutionize the way researchers approach academic writing. As the project progresses, it is anticipated that the software will become an indispensable resource for scholars worldwide, empowering them to produce high-quality research that meets the rigorous standards of top-tier journals.
By Ruswan Dallyono