Detailed Publisher Guidelines for Authors Using AI in Manuscript Preparation and Submission

This page offers authors detailed AI guidelines from publishers, outlining what is expected in various scenarios of using AI tools for research and manuscript preparation. The categories are based on the draft report from The International Association of STM: Draft Report on AI Use in Manuscript Preparation.

Please refer to these guidelines to ensure your work aligns with publisher expectations and to avoid ethical issues that could lead to rejection or retraction.

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Select publishers to compare	Future Medicine	PLOS	Thieme

Using generative AI to write manuscript content Can authors use generative AI tools like ChatGPT or DeepSeek to generate parts or all of the manuscript text? For example: Generating text using AI prompts, developing content based on ideas, creating machine summaries based on other published content.	allowed	not allowed	allowed
Is human review needed in this case?	mandatory	not allowed	mandatory
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	mandatory	not allowed	mandatory
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not allowed	mandatory

Using non-generative automated tools for language improvement Can authors use automated tools like autocorrectors or grammar checkers (e.g. MS Word Text Predictor, Trinka, Grammarly, etc) to improve the language of their manuscript? This includes refining, correcting, editing, or formatting the text to enhance clarity. This does not include generating any content or summaries using generative AI tools (GPT, DeepSeek, etc)	allowed	not defined	allowed
Is human review needed in this case?	mandatory	not defined	mandatory
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	mandatory	not defined	mandatory
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	mandatory	not defined	mandatory

Using generative AI for language editing and improvements Can authors use a generative AI tool like ChatGPT or DeepSeek to edit and improve the language in a manuscript they've written? This includes asking the AI to correct grammar, refine the text for clarity, or rewrite sentences.	allowed	allowed	not allowed
Is human review needed in this case?	mandatory	mandatory	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	mandatory	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	mandatory	mandatory	not allowed
Is human review is required to verify the output for potential bias, inaccurate facts, inaccurate attributions, and tortured phrases, while ensuring that the tone, style, and original meaning are retained?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Using AI for manuscript translation Can authors use an AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Google Translate, or DeepL) to translate their manuscript into another language for publication?	not defined	not defined	not defined
Is human review needed in this case?	not defined	not defined	not defined
Is human review is required to verify the output for potential bias, inaccurate facts, inaccurate attributions, and tortured phrases, while ensuring that the tone, style, and original meaning are retained?	not defined	not defined	not defined
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	not defined	not defined
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Using AI to generate data visualizations Can authors use an AI tool to generate a visualization of their research data or results? This includes using AI to create a graph, chart, or other visual representation from their dataset.	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Is human review needed in this case?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Is human review required to verify that the visualization accurately represents the data and to check for misleading scales, incorrect labeling, or potential bias?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Using AI to edit or refine data visualizations Can authors use an AI tool to correct or refine an existing visualization of their research data or results? This includes using AI to edit a graph, chart, or other visual representation created by the authors.	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Is human review needed in this case?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Using AI to correct or format research data Can authors use an AI tool to correct or format the data in their manuscripts? This includes using AI to fix or format research data, such as a dataset you've included as supplementary material or stored in a data repository.	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Is human review required to verify that the image is scientifically accurate, ethically sound, and does not misrepresent the original research or data it is intended to illustrate?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Generating images from scratch with AI Can authors use an AI tool to create an image, diagram, or figure for their manuscript? This includes using AI to generate an illustration, like a picture of people farming in an ancient society, that would otherwise be created by a human artist.	allowed	not defined	not allowed
Is human review required to verify that the image is scientifically accurate, ethically sound, and does not misrepresent the original research or data it is intended to illustrate?	mandatory	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	mandatory	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Editing or formatting images with AI Can authors use an AI tool to edit or format an existing image, diagram, or figure in their manuscript for illustrative or aesthetic purposes? This includes using AI to refine or edit an image that was not created by AI. For example: Using an AI tool to remove a distracting element from a photo of a lab setup.	allowed	not defined	not allowed
Is human review required to verify that the image is scientifically accurate, ethically sound, and does not misrepresent the original research or data it is intended to illustrate?	mandatory	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	mandatory	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output along with the use of AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Using AI to generate or improve code used for research Can authors use AI to generate new code or improve existing code that was used as part of the research?	not defined	not defined	not defined
Is human review required to verify that the code is functional, logically correct, and well-documented, and to ensure that it improves readability without introducing errors?	not defined	not defined	not defined
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	not defined	not defined
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not defined

Using AI to refine or format code reported in a manuscript Can authors use AI to refine or format the code their manuscripts? This includes using AI to improve the readability or presentation of the code submitted as part of a manuscript. For example: Using an AI to add comments to your code or re-organize the script for better flow.	not defined	not defined	not defined
Is human review required to verify that the code is functional, logically correct, and well-documented, and to ensure that it improves readability without introducing errors?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Using AI to generate a reference list Can authors use an AI tool to create or suggest references for their manuscripts? This includes generating a list of related research for citations.	not defined	not defined	not defined
Is human review required to verify that all suggested references are real, accurate, and relevant to the manuscript, and to check for incorrect citations or non-existent sources?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose human review of AI output, in addition to using AI tools?	not defined	not defined	not allowed

Using AI to format references Can authors use an AI tool to format citations they've found themselves into a specific style (e.g., APA, MLA) based on a DOI or other reference information?	not defined	not defined	allowed
Is human review required to verify that all suggested references are authentic, accurate, relevant, valid, and adhere to the requirements of the research area and the journal?	not defined	not defined	not allowed
Does the author need to disclose AI tool usage in this case?	not defined	not defined	mandatory

Presenting AI content as original research without any basis Can authors present any AI-generated content—such as text, data, graphs, images—as though it were their own original research data or results? For example: Using an AI tool to create a fake dataset and then presenting it in your manuscript as if it were the result of your lab experiments. See a report on fabrication	not defined	not allowed	not defined

Official AI Policy Guide Link	Future Medicine AI Policy	PLOS AI Policy	Thieme AI Policy

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Detailed Publisher Guidelines for Authors Using AI in Manuscript Preparation and Submission

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