The 10-minute AI reference check
A step-by-step checklist for catching invented or misquoted sources before you submit. Built for South African university referencing styles.
- Undergraduate
- Postgraduate
For students and professionals in South Africa
Using AI for academic work doesn’t have to be sloppy.
We’ll show you how. One-on-one help with essays, theses and research papers, from first year to PhD.
Book your free 15-min call
free, no card, no pressure
- mentoring, lecturing and tutoring
- About 10 years
- Best PhD Student
- Twice
- Master’s degree
- Distinction
- students mentored
- 400+
Your fix list
- Reference Mokoena (2021) does not exist. Replace it or cut the claim.
- Disclosure Add two sentences on how you used AI for your outline.
- Voice Paragraph 3 reads like the AI. Rewrite it in your words.
You used AI. Now you’re not sure what’s allowed.
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A reference you can’t find anywhere
The AI gave you a neat citation. You have searched Google Scholar and the library. It isn’t there. Most students fix their reference list in one evening.
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No idea what to write in the disclosure
Your module wants you to declare AI use. Too little looks like hiding. Too much undersells your own work.
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Deadline in three days
There is no time to start again. You need to know what to fix first.
The free call · 15 minutes on Google Meet
What happens in 15 minutes
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Step 1: You tell us about the assignment and deadline.
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Step 2: Dr Kalonji looks at your draft with you.
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Step 3: You leave with a clear fix list.
the plan is yours to keep, even if you never hire us
After the call
Need more help? Pick one.
Each option works the same way. You do the writing. We help you get it right.
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The Draft Session
For one assignment, proposal, thesis or dissertation you are working on now.
- What you get
- A 60-minute online session, recorded if you ask
- How fast
- 60 minutes online. First session within 3 working days.
- The result
- You leave knowing which references to replace, what to write in your AI-use disclosure and what to fix first.
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The AI Writing Course
For anyone who wants to handle the next assignment, and the one after, on their own.
- What you get
- Self-paced and live cohort options
- How fast
- Self-paced or live cohort. 6 weeks.
- The result
- You can check any reference and write your own disclosure, for every assignment after this one.
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The Team Workshop
For schools, university departments, writing centres and professional teams.
- What you get
- A workshop built for your department, writing centre or team
- How fast
- Planned with you. Runs within 3 weeks of booking.
- The result
- Your students or staff work from one clear, shared approach to AI use.
Results
What changed for them
Every story here is shared with the person’s written permission.
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38 references checked in one evening
- Before
- “Two of my references came from ChatGPT and I couldn’t find them anywhere. My supervisor had already flagged one.”
- After
- “We traced every source in one session. I resubmitted with a clean reference list and a proper disclosure.”
Thandi M. BSc Honours, Biochemistry
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Passed with minor corrections
- Before
- “I’d used AI to help structure my literature review and had no idea how to declare it.”
- After
- “Dr Kalonji showed me exactly what my faculty expects. My examiner didn’t raise it once.”
Pieter van der Merwe MSc, Computational Biology
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58% to 74%
- Before
- “Average marks, every essay. I didn’t know what I was doing wrong.”
- After
- “He showed me how an argument is actually built. My next essay was my best mark that year.”
Lerato K. Second-year BA, Psychology
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Accepted after one revision
- Before
- “My first paper had been rejected and I’d lost confidence in my writing.”
- After
- “We rebuilt the discussion together. It was accepted at the second journal I tried.”
Ayesha P. PhD candidate, Molecular Biology
Who’s behind this
I was an average student. That’s why this works.
Hi, I’m Dr Kalonji. I’m a molecular and computational biologist, and for close to ten years I’ve mentored, lectured and tutored students at every stage, from first-year essays to PhD theses.
Here’s the part people don’t expect. I was an average undergraduate. Nothing about my marks said I’d end up doing research.
Then something clicked. I finished my Master’s with distinction, published my first papers and made discoveries I’m still proud of. During my PhD I was named Best PhD Student twice in three years, and I’ve since presented at international conferences, including plenary talks. One of my favourite moments was presenting my research in Singapore, to an audience that included Nobel Prize laureates. I was nervous. It went well.
None of that came from talent. It came from learning how good academic work is actually built, and then doing it again and again. That’s what I teach.
I still publish in international peer-reviewed journals, so I know what reviewers and examiners look for because I’m reviewed too.
I’m also part of the generation that grew up with this technology. I’m not here to tell you to avoid AI. I’m here to help you use it properly, honestly and in a way you can defend.
When I’m not reading drafts, I’m usually out with a film camera.
- Undergrad average marks
where most of my students start
- Master’s distinction + first papers
- PhD Best PhD Student twice, presented to Nobel laureates in Singapore
- Today researcher, lecturer, international speaker
If the call doesn’t help, you’ve lost 15 minutes. That’s it.
If a paid session doesn’t leave you with a clear plan, tell us within 7 days and your next session is free.
Fair questions
Is this cheating?
No. We don’t write your work. We help you check it, reference it properly and declare your AI use honestly. We work inside your institution’s AI policy, not around it.
Who will I actually speak to?
Me, Dr Kalonji. Not an assistant and not a chatbot.
Can I just email you?
Of course. Write to help [at] draftclinic [dot] com and Dr Kalonji will reply within one working day.
Do I need to have my draft ready?
No. Bring what you have: the brief, the rubric, an outline or a full draft. If you do have a draft, keep it open on the call so we can look at it together.
My deadline is tomorrow. Can you help?
Book the earliest slot you can see. Next-day slots usually available. In 15 minutes we can help you decide what to fix first, so the hours you have left go to the right things.
What happens after the call?
You leave with a fix list. If you’d like help working through it, we’ll talk about options then. No obligation.
Is my work kept private?
Yes. We handle your personal information under POPIA, South Africa’s privacy law, and use it only for the reasons in our privacy policy. Drafts you show on a call stay on your screen. We don’t keep a copy unless you email one to us, and we delete emailed drafts within 30 days of your last session. Read our privacy policy.
Still unsure? Ask on a free call
Your draft is one call away from ready.
Book your free 15-min call
15 minutes with an actual scientist
Free guides
Not ready to talk? Start here.
Short PDFs you can use tonight, straight to your inbox. Tick the box if you’d also like occasional tips from Dr Kalonji.
How to write an AI-use disclosure statement
What South African universities typically ask for when you declare AI use, with annotated examples you can adapt for essays, reports and theses.
- Undergraduate
- Postgraduate
- Professional