LibGuides: Medicine: Manuscript Writing

Manuscript Writing

As AI use in publication becomes more ubiquitous, publishers and societies are developing standards and rules for the allowable use of AI and the reporting of AI within manuscripts.

Most publishers have developed requirements and restrictions for use of AI by authors. For example:
- Nature has developed policies regarding AI authorship, generative AI images, and AI use by peer reviewers.
- Flanagin A et al. Reporting Use of AI in Research and Scholarly Publication - JAMA Network Guidance. JAMA. 2024;331(13):1096-1098.
- Most journals will include their AI policies within their "instructions for authors."
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors: Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Assisted Technology. 2025.
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authorship and AI Tools. 2023.
World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Recommendations on Chatbots and Generative Artificial Intelligence in Relation to Scholarly Publications. 2023.
For specific methodologies, guidelines are being developed. For example:
- Cochrane, publisher of systematic reviews, developed new policies regarding AI generated content and its use and reporting for review articles.

General similarities in policies:

AI tools cannot be credited as authors
Authors are responsble for the accuracy of all content, thus it is important to check the veracity of all outputs generated by AI tools
Transparency is vital; detailed descriptions of the AI tools used and the content generated by the tool should be reported.

Articles about AI in Publishing

Academic publisher guidelines on AI usage: A ChatGPT supported thematic analysis | F1000Res, 2024 Background: As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Generative AI (GenAI) have become more common in academic settings, it is necessary to examine how these tools interact with issues of authorship, academic integrity, and research methodologies. The current landscape lacks cohesive policies and guidelines for regulating AI's role in academic research which has prompted discussions among publishers, authors, and institutions. Methods: This study employs inductive thematic analysis to explore publisher policies regarding AI-assisted authorship and academic work. Our methods involved a two-fold analysis using both AI-assisted and traditional unassisted techniques to examine the available policies from leading academic publishers and other publishing or academic entities. The framework was designed to offer multiple perspectives, harnessing the strengths of AI for pattern recognition while leveraging human expertise for nuanced interpretation. The results of these two analyses are combined to form the final themes.
Disclosing artificial intelligence use in scientific research and publication: When should disclosure be mandatory, optional, or unnecessary? | Account Res, 2025 Currently there is a broad consensus among scholars that artificial intelligence (AI) tools can be used in research and publication, and that their use should be disclosed. Publishers and influential organizations, like the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, have developed different and sometimes contradictory disclosure policies. We review some of these policies, examine the ethical reasons for disclosing AI use in research, and develop a framework for disclosure. We distinguish between mandatory, optional, and unnecessary disclosure of AI use, arguing that disclosure should be mandatory only when AI use is intentional and substantial. AI use is intentional when it is directly employed with a specific goal or purpose in mind. AI use is substantial when it 1) produces evidence, analysis, or discussion that supports or elaborates on the conclusions/findings of a study; or 2) directly affects the content of the research/publication. To support the application of our framework, we state three criteria for identifying substantial AI uses in research: a) using AI to make decisions that directly affect research results; b) using AI to generate content, data or images; and c) using AI to analyze content, data or images. Disclosure should be mandatory when AI use meets one of these criteria.
Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence for Scientific Writing: Current Trends | J Hum Lact. 2024