What Must Authors Disclose About Generative AI Use in Journal Submissions?

Why Journals Now Require AI Disclosure

Authors must disclose when generative AI contributes to a manuscript beyond routine grammar or formatting help. This includes drafting text, summarizing literature, generating code, analyzing data, creating images, or designing figures. Disclosures should identify the tool and version, describe its role, and explain how humans verified, edited, and took responsibility for the final content. Many journals also ask authors to state whether AI influenced study design, methods, or conclusions, and to confirm that no AI system is listed as an author.

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Because policies differ across publishers, authors should follow the specific journal’s instructions and place the disclosure in the methods, acknowledgments, or a dedicated statement. Transparency helps editors and reviewers assess reliability, detect errors or fabricated references, and protect research integrity. It also clarifies accountability: humans remain responsible for accuracy, ethics, and originality, even when AI assists with language, visuals, or technical tasks.

What Elsevier SAGE and Frontiers Expect

Authors submitting to journals published by Elsevier, SAGE, and Frontiers must disclose any use of generative artificial intelligence tools in preparing their manuscripts. This includes stating which tools were used, the specific tasks they assisted with, and where in the work they were applied. Disclosure typically belongs in the methods section, acknowledgments, or a dedicated statement, depending on the publisher's template. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content, including any text, images, or data produced with AI assistance. They must verify facts, citations, and interpretations, and ensure the final submission reflects their own scholarly judgment.

These policies aim to support responsible innovation while protecting trust in scientific literature. Publishers emphasize that generative AI should not be listed as an author, since it cannot take accountability for the work. Transparency allows editors and reviewers to assess potential risks, such as fabricated references or biased outputs. By clearly documenting AI involvement, researchers help maintain reproducibility and public confidence. Ultimately, disclosure is not merely a formality but an ethical obligation aligning with broader research integrity standards.

How to Write an Effective AI Disclosure Statement

Authors must disclose which generative AI tools they used, including the name and version of each system, and explain exactly how those tools shaped the manuscript. Whether AI assisted with drafting text, refining language, summarizing literature, generating figures, or analyzing data, each use should be described plainly, typically in the methods section or a dedicated AI disclosure statement. Vague references such as "AI was used" are insufficient; journals increasingly expect specificity so editors and reviewers can evaluate the work's integrity and the authors' intellectual contribution.

Disclosure must also clarify that no AI tool is listed as an author, since AI cannot be accountable for research, and that the authors accept full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and ethical soundness of everything submitted, including any AI-generated content. Some journals require disclosure of AI-generated images or data, while others restrict AI's role altogether, so authors should check each journal's policy before submitting. Honest, detailed disclosure protects trust in the scholarly record and helps readers distinguish human from machine contribution.

Generative AI Images and Advertising: Disclosure Pitfalls

Authors submitting to scientific journals must disclose any use of generative AI in preparing their work, including tools used for drafting text, refining language, generating or modifying images, and analyzing data. Leading publishers such as Elsevier, SAGE, and Frontiers now require a formal disclosure statement naming the AI system, its version, and precisely how it was applied. Generative tools cannot be listed as co-authors because they cannot be accountable for the work, and their contributions must remain transparent to editors, reviewers, and readers alike.

The pitfalls are significant. Undisclosed or incomplete disclosure risks rejection, retraction, and lasting damage to an author's credibility, particularly when AI-generated images or advertising-style content appear in figures without explanation. The CDC's guidance emphasizes protecting public trust through responsible use, and research on AI-generated advertisements shows consumers respond negatively to hidden synthetic content. Authors should save prompts and outputs, verify every AI-produced statement and image for accuracy, and disclose even minor assistance, since trust depends on full transparency rather than after-the-fact discovery.

Penalties for Undisclosed AI-Assisted Academic Writing

Authors should disclose any generative AI tool used in manuscript preparation, including drafting, editing, summarizing, translating, or generating images, code, or data analysis. Disclosure should identify the tool, version, provider, and specific tasks performed, plus whether outputs were reviewed and verified by humans. It should also state if AI contributed to ideas, references, or conclusions, and confirm that authors remain accountable for accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance. Vague statements are insufficient; journals increasingly require detailed declarations in cover letters, acknowledgments, or dedicated sections.

Requirements vary by publisher, but common expectations include describing prompts or workflows when they shaped content, noting human oversight, and reporting AI use in peer review or data processing. Authors must not list AI as an author, must ensure no confidential or proprietary material was entered into tools, and must comply with copyright, privacy, and research integrity rules. If no AI was used, some journals still expect an explicit statement. Clear disclosure protects trust, supports reproducibility, and helps editors assess potential bias, plagiarism, or fabrication risks.

Journal Disclosure Requirements Compared

Transparency about generative AI is now standard practice across scientific publishing. By disclosing exactly how these tools were used, authors help editors assess originality, protect readers from flawed content, and preserve confidence in research. Clear, honest disclosure also positions early-career researchers as responsible innovators, ensuring AI serves science as a tool for assistance rather than a shortcut that undermines trust.