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1.3 Guidelines from Publishers and Educational Institutions

What you will learn on this page

  • Policies on AI use from major publishers and academic societies
  • Trends in university guidelines
  • How to cite and disclose AI use, with examples

Policies of major publishers and academic societies

Policies on AI use are being developed rapidly. Here, we outline examples of publisher and society policies as of February 2026.

  • Elsevier: Does not recognize AI as a co-author. AI use must be disclosed in the Methods or Acknowledgements
  • Springer Nature: Does not recognize AI (such as ChatGPT) as a co-author. If used, disclose in the Methods or Acknowledgements
  • Wiley: Authors must disclose AI use and are responsible for the accuracy of all generated content
  • Taylor & Francis: Does not recognize AI as a co-author. If used, disclose the scope of use
  • IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers): Allows use only as an assistant. Use must be explicitly stated
  • ACL (Association for Computational Linguistics): Requires disclosure when using AI-generated text

Policies change

These policies are updated frequently. Always check the latest version before submission.

For example, as of March 2023, Science stated that text created by AI could not be used. However, the current policy says: “Authors who use AI-assisted technologies as components of their research study or as aids in the writing or presentation of the manuscript should note this in the cover letter and in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript.” This means it allows use for language editing purposes.

University guidelines

In Japan, universities are also increasingly establishing guidelines for generative AI use. Many universities share the following basic principles.

  • Submitting AI-generated work as your own deliverable is academic misconduct
  • If you used AI, disclose that fact
  • The user bears final responsibility
  • Do not input personal information or confidential information into AI tools

Concrete operational rules vary by university, faculty, and course, so be sure to check your institution’s guidelines.

Citation rules

APA 7th style

The APA Style official blog summarizes how to cite generative AI and how to format references.

A general example

Many journals request disclosure in the Acknowledgements or Methods rather than a citation.

Elsevier: The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in writing
Elsevier: Generative AI policies for journals

Elsevier provides wording such as the following (a template is available), placed immediately before the References section. In that case, you clearly state both the limited purpose and that the authors bear responsibility.

Declaration of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process
During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.

Another example:
Acknowledgements
During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used ChatGPT (OpenAI; model: [MODEL NAME], accessed [DATE]) to assist with language editing (grammar and clarity). The author(s) reviewed and revised all suggested changes and take full responsibility for the final content.

Above all, follow the submission rules of your target venue. If there is no specific guidance, it is reasonable to add a statement like the above in the Acknowledgements.

Practical points for academic writing

  • Avoid quoting AI output directly: In most cases you rewrite in your own words, so disclosure is more appropriate than citation
  • Match the level of detail to the venue: Requirements range from “used for grammar checking” to “used for drafting support”
  • Keep records: Brief notes on when and how you used AI help later when drafting a disclosure statement (see 1.2 Academic integrity and plagiarism prevention and 4.3 AI-use disclosure and work logs).