Ritsumeikan University Introduces AI English Paper Writing Support Tool "Paperpal" for 300 Researchers

The AI English paper writing support tool "Paperpal," provided by Editage, a comprehensive support service for researchers, was introduced to 300 researchers and doctoral students at Ritsumeikan University starting May 2026. This introduction is part of Ritsumeikan University's initiative to strengthen its research capabilities.

While publishing research in English is crucial for researchers and doctoral students to disseminate their findings and advance their research, many face challenges with the writing process itself and securing the necessary time. By utilizing Paperpal, the burden of writing English papers will be reduced, allowing researchers and doctoral students to allocate more time to their research activities and improving the quality of their English papers.

Ritsumeikan University Introduces Paperpal to Enhance Research Capabilities

Paperpal is an AI tool that provides real-time support for English paper writing, offering suggestions for context-appropriate expressions, sentence rewriting, word count reduction, and citation searching. It is developed based on published research data and the insights accumulated by Editage, a comprehensive researcher support brand, over more than 20 years.

Introduction Overview

Target Institution: Ritsumeikan Trust, Ritsumeikan University Initial User Count: 300 Service Plan: Paperpal Prime Plan

Initial Implementation Period: May 2026 - April 2027 (1 year)

Background of Introduction

In considering the introduction of an AI English paper writing support tool, Ritsumeikan University evaluated Paperpal not only for its proofreading capabilities but also for its flexible use of rewriting and AI generation features. They also noted the separate offering of "Post-AI English Editing," a service that provides a check by professional editors after using Paperpal. The decision to implement Paperpal was driven by its ability to effectively combine AI-driven writing efficiency with quality assurance through human expertise.

Expected Effects

This introduction is expected to yield the following effects:

- Securing more time for researchers to dedicate to research activities - Promotion of submissions to foreign language journals - Improvement in the quality of English papers

Through these efforts, Ritsumeikan University aims to strengthen its research dissemination capabilities, leading to an increase in internationally co-authored papers and Top 10% papers.

Future Operations

Initially, a one-year trial will be conducted with 300 users, during which their usage patterns and the tool's effectiveness will be evaluated. Based on usage, user feedback, and its contribution to promoting English paper submissions, the continuation of its use beyond the first year will be considered.

About Paperpal (https://paperpal.com/ja)

Paperpal, an AI English paper writing support tool, is a service brand provided by Cactus Communications (https://cactusglobal.com/jp/), a science communication and technology company. The AI technology used in Paperpal is developed by learning from published papers and the editing know-how accumulated by Editage's skilled academic editors over more than 20 years. By using Paperpal, users can receive real-time support, including accurate and contextually appropriate English expression suggestions, AI-driven word reduction, and rewriting, which are highly comparable to checks by professional editors.

About Editage (https://www.editage.jp/)

Editage is a brand of Cactus Communications, a science communication & technology company. Founded in 2002, Editage has supported over 3 million researchers in publishing their research papers in academic journals across more than 2,000 fields, with approximately 2 million published papers, through its services in English editing, translation, transcription, publication support, and AI products.

About Cactus Communications, Inc. (https://cactusglobal.com/jp/)

Cactus Communications is a science communication and technology company established in 2002. It specializes in funding research, paper publication, scientific communication, and AI products and solutions that improve discovery. The company's flagship brand, Editage, offers comprehensive researcher solutions, including expert services and cutting-edge AI products such as Mind the Graph, Paperpal, and R Discovery. Cactus also engages in medical communications under its Cactus Life Sciences brand. It is a global company with over 3,000 professionals and offices in Tokyo, Princeton, London, Aarhus, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, and Mumbai. It has also been consistently ranked as a "Great Place to Work" in recent years as a pioneer in workplace best practices.

Cactus Communications: https://cactusglobal.com/jp

Editage: https://www.editage.jp

Paperpal: https://paperpal.com/ja

Mind the Graph: https://mindthegraph.com/science-figures/jp

R Discovery: https://www.editage.jp/r-discovery

CACTUS Labs: https://www.cactuslabs.io