Generative AI policies for journals
Generative AI* and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.
These policies aim to provide transparency and guidance to journal authors, reviewers and editors. Elsevier will continue to monitor developments in this area and will update these policies as practices, technologies and standards evolve.
For authors
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation - an overview
Elsevier recognizes the potential of AI tools, when used responsibly, to help researchers work efficiently, gain critical insights fast and achieve better outcomes.
Increasingly, these tools, including AI agents and deep research tools, are helping researchers to synthesize complex literature, provide an overview of a field or research question, identify research gaps, generate ideas and provide tailored support for tasks such as content organization and improving language and readability. Authors preparing a manuscript for an Elsevier journal can use AI tools to support them in these tasks. However, these tools must never be used as a substitute for human critical thinking, expertise and evaluation.
AI tools should always be applied with human oversight and control. Ultimately, authors are responsible and accountable for the contents of their work. This includes accountability for:
Carefully reviewing and verifying the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and impartiality of all AI-generated output (including checking the sources, as AI-generated references can be incorrect or fabricated).
Editing and adapting all material thoroughly to ensure the manuscript represents the author’s authentic and original contribution and reflects their own analysis, interpretation, insights and ideas.
Ensuring the use of any tools or sources, AI-based or otherwise, is made clear and transparent to readers — for the use of AI tools we require a disclosure statement upon submission.
Ensuring the manuscript is developed in a way that safeguards data privacy, intellectual property and other rights, by checking the terms and conditions of any AI tool that is used.
Responsible use of AI tools
Authors must check the terms and conditions of any AI tool that they use to ensure that the privacy and confidentiality of their data and input, including their unpublished manuscripts, is maintained. Particular care should be taken with any personally identifiable data Authors should check for factual errors and for any potential bias.
Authors should also check the terms and conditions of any AI tool they wish to use to ensure that, they only grant to the AI tool the right to use their materials to provide the service to them and that they do not grant to the AI tool any other rights to the materials that they input into the AI tool (including without limitation the right to train the AI tool on those materials). They must also ensure that the AI tool does not impose constraints on the use of outputs from the AI tool in a way that could restrict the subsequent publication of the relevant article.
Disclosure
Authors should disclose the use of AI tools for manuscript preparation in a separate AI declaration statement included in their manuscript upon submission. This statement will appear in the published article to ensure transparency. Authors should document their use of AI, including the name of the AI tool used, the purpose of its use, and the extent of their oversight. Declaring the use of AI tools supports transparency and trust between authors, readers, reviewers, editors and contributors and facilitates compliance with the terms of use of the relevant AI tool. Please note: Basic checks of grammar, spelling and punctuation do not need a declaration statement. However, when an AI tool makes substantive changes to sentence structure or organization of a part of the text, this should be disclosed.
In addition, authors are not required to disclose the use of AI tools or features within specialist disability-related assistive technology, provided these are used solely for accessibility purposes.
Where AI tools are used as part of the research process rather than manuscript preparation, this use should be described in detail in the Methods section.
Authors are recommended to use the following format for their declaration:
Title of section: Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the manuscript preparation process
Statement: During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.
Authorship: Authors should not list AI tools as an author or co-author, nor cite AI tools as an author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans. Each (co-) author is accountable for ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved and authorship requires the ability to approve the final version of the work and agree to its submission. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that the work is original and has not been previously published, that the stated authors qualify for authorship, and the work does not infringe third party rights, and should familiarize themselves with Elsevier’s Ethics in Publishing policy before they submit.
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in figures, images and artwork
The use of AI tools for the creation of figures, images and artwork is only permitted in specific circumstances.
Images generally fall into three categories, and the permitted use of AI tools differs for each of these categories, as described below.
(1) Explanatory images
Explanatory images illustrate concepts, processes or relationships (such as flow charts, decision trees, timelines or schematic conceptual illustrations).
Authors may use AI tools to support the creation of certain types of explanatory images for publication, such as flow charts, decision trees, timelines, schematic conceptual illustrations, or experimental workflow diagrams.
Where AI tools are used for this purpose, the principles of responsible use, human oversight, transparency, disclosure and authorship, as described in the section on “Authorship” apply.
The use of AI tools should be disclosed in the caption of each image (including the specific tool, version, and how the tool was used) and in the general AI disclosure statement in the article.
(2) Research and data images
Research and data images present research data or results. These include (a) data visualizations, which are generated from underlying datasets through analytical, computational, or statistical workflows (such as plots, charts, graphs, or heatmaps) and (b) primary research images, which represent primary observed or experimental data (such as microscopy, histology, western blots, radiology scans, or patient images).
2a) Data visualizations
Data visualizations present results derived from underlying datasets through analytical, computational, or statistical workflows (such as plots, charts, graphs, or heatmaps).
AI tools must not be used to fabricate results, invent or alter underlying data, or generate figures that are not faithfully derived from the underlying data and methods used in the research.
AI tools may be used to support the creation of data visualizations only when the visual output is directly derived from underlying data. Such visualizations must be created via reproducible analytical, computational, or statistical methods that are clearly reported within the Methods section. Where AI tools are used in the generation of data visualizations, authors should disclose the name of the model or tool, the version used, and the developer or manufacturer, in the Methods section. Authors should adhere to the AI tools’ usage policies and ensure proper attribution where required. Authors may be asked to provide documentation of their AI use and the original, unprocessed images for editorial assessment.
2b) Primary research images
Primary research images represent primary observed or experimental data (such as microscopy, histology, western blots, radiology scans, or patient images).
AI tools must not be used to create or alter images that represent primary observed or experimental data that were not directly obtained in the research. This includes adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance, which should only be done using established image processing software. Please refer to our artwork instructions for more information.
Use of AI tools in research methods
This policy does not prevent the use of AI tools in formal research design or research methods (such as in AI-assisted imaging approaches used for collection and/or interpretation of the underlying research data or predictive modelling of clinical outcomes based on patient data). Where the use of AI tools forms part of the research design or research methods, the use of the tools must be described in a reproducible manner in the Methods section. This should include the name of the model or tool, the version used, and the developer or manufacturer, where applicable. Authors should adhere to the tools’ usage policies and ensure proper attribution where required.
(3) Graphical abstracts and cover art
Graphical abstracts and cover art are created to visually summarize or represent the article rather than form part of the scientific content of the manuscript.
General-purpose generative AI image tools must not be used to create graphical abstracts. Graphical abstracts are often complex visual summaries that combine multiple graphical elements, icons, and design components.
Authors are encouraged to use dedicated scientific illustration tools when preparing graphical abstracts. Dedicated illustration tools offer well-defined licensing terms which support responsible use of copyrighted and intellectual property.
The use of AI tools in the creation of journal cover art may in some cases be permitted. Authors must obtain prior permission from the journal editor and publisher before submitting AI-generated cover art. Authors must also demonstrate that all necessary permissions have been obtained for any third-party material used and ensure that appropriate content attribution is provided.
Author responsibilities
Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and originality of all images submitted for publication. This includes verifying that the concepts presented are accurate and that all images reflect the author’s own work and ideas. Where images are based on existing artwork or graphics, appropriate attribution must be provided and permission from any relevant rights holder must be obtained before submission. Images that duplicate or refer to existing copyrighted images, real people, or others’ identifiable products or brands must not be generated, nor any likeness of an individual’s voice.
For further information please refer to the section on “Responsible use of AI tools” above.
For reviewers
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the journal peer review process
Peer review is at the heart of the scientific ecosystem and Elsevier upholds the highest standards of integrity in this process (see Duties of Reviewers). When a researcher is invited to review another researcher’s manuscript, it must be treated as a confidential document.
Reviewers should not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into an AI tool as this may violate the authors’ confidentiality and proprietary rights and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, may breach data privacy rights.
Reviewers are responsible for the scientific assessment and judgement of the manuscripts they are evaluating. AI tools cannot replace a reviewer’s critical thinking or independent evaluation as there is a risk that the technology may generate incorrect, incomplete, or biased conclusions. Reviewers remain fully responsible and accountable for the content of their review reports.
AI tools may therefore only be used in a supportive capacity, for example to improve the language and structure of a review report, or to assist with a background literature search, provided that confidentiality is maintained and human control and oversight are exercised.
Furthermore, reviewers should only use private AI tools to assist in the review process, as explained below.
Disclosure
Reviewers should disclose AI use in their review reports, including the tool used and purpose of the use. Basic checks for spelling and grammar do not need to be disclosed.
Suggested disclosure statement:
During the preparation of this report, I used [NAME OF TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, I reviewed and edited the content as needed and I take full responsibility for its content.
What is a private AI tool?
When we refer to a "private" AI tool, we mean a version of an AI tool that does not retain, re-use, share, or learn from the content you submit to it. This means that when you paste or upload any content into the tool, that content should not be retained beyond what is necessary to provide the service, and must not be used to train or improve the AI model or shared with any third party.
Before using any AI tool, you should verify the following:
Read the privacy policy and terms of service. Look specifically for statements about data retention and model training. A private tool will clearly state that user inputs are not retained beyond what is necessary to provide the service and are not used for training. In addition, users should ensure that the tool they use provides the necessary rights for publication.
Prefer paid or enterprise versions over free tools. Many AI tools that are free to use are not private by default. We recommend checking whether your institution offers an enterprise version of a tool or a locally hosted model. Enterprise versions or locally hosted models are more likely to include privacy protection, although this is not guaranteed and should still be verified.
For editors
The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the editorial process
Academic editors play a vital role in representing and upholding the journal’s profile and reputation. Managing the editorial evaluation of a scientific manuscript implies responsibilities that can only be attributed to humans (see Duties of Editors).
When managing the evaluation of a manuscript, the manuscript must be treated as a confidential document.
Editors should not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into an AI tool as this may violate the authors’ confidentiality and proprietary rights and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, may breach data privacy rights.
Editors are responsible for the editorial assessment and decision-making process. AI tools cannot replace an editor’s critical thinking, independent evaluation or final decision-making. Editors remain fully responsible and accountable for the editorial process, the final decision and its communication to authors.
Editors may therefore only use AI tools in a supportive capacity, for example to improve the language or structure of their decision letters, or to assist with a background literature search, provided that confidentiality is maintained and human control and oversight are exercised.
Editors should only use private AI tools to assist in the editorial process, as explained above. Journals will inform authors, through the Guide for Authors and editorial communications, that AI tools may be used in a supportive capacity in the editorial process.
How Elsevier currently uses AI in the publication process
Our editors have access to AI tools that assist in identifying relevant reviewers, matching the scope of submissions, and detecting duplicate submissions.
Our authors are supported with tools such as our Journal Finderopens in new tab/window, which help them identify suitable journals for their work. Additionally, if a paper is not accepted by the preferred journal, our Article Transfer Service may suggest alternative publication options using expert recommendations or matching algorithms.
Our teams use AI tools to support them in:
Conducting technical checks of submitted papers, such as checking for adherence to submission guidelines and assessing for completeness.
Performing research integrity checks to ensure compliance with our policies.
Supporting the post-acceptance stage of publication, including proof preparation, copy editing, and identifying inconsistencies or inaccuracies in the final paper.
We are committed to ensuring that human oversight remains at the core of decision-making. Our AI tools conform to the RELX Responsible AI Principlesopens in new tab/window and serve as a valuable support mechanism which empowers our experts to make informed decisions. Our technologies are subject to rigorous evaluation of bias and are compliant with data privacy and data security requirements.
*Please note that the range of AI use varies depending on the journal. If you have any questions, please contact the specific journal directly.
Frequently asked questions
Authors
FAQ for authors about our generative AI policiesNo, this policy refers to generative AI and AI-assisted technologies when they are used to create content for publication. This policy does not prevent the use of AI tools in formal research design or research methods, including but not limited to study design, code development and data analysis. We recognize that the use of such technology is common in many fields. Where AI tools are used in this context, they should be described as part of the methodology of the work, with details provided in the Methods section.
Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans. Each (co-) author is accountable for ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately answered and authorship requires the ability to approve the final version of the work and agree to its submission. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that the work is original, that the stated authors qualify for authorship, and the work does not infringe third party rights.
If authors write or edit code using AI tools as part of their research, they should declare this in detail in the Methods section and follow field-specific standards and guidance. The same standards for the validity and reproducibility of code apply whether the code was produced with AI assistance or not.
If authors only use AI tools to improve the presentation of their code in a manuscript, for example, for formatting, this should still be done with human control and oversight and should be reported in the AI declaration.
No, this policy does not relate to tools such as spelling or grammar checkers which may be integrated in text processing software. These tools can be used by authors without disclosure. This policy is specific to generative AI and AI-assisted tools which can generate output that may be used as content for publication.
Yes, authors can use AI tools to help organize literature and suggest sources. However, authors should carefully review and verify the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and impartiality of all AI-generated output. Authors should always check sources, as AI-generated references and citations can be incorrect, hallucinated, or fabricated. Inclusion of fabricated references may lead to rejection of a manuscript.
Authors should also note that many traditional reference managers (such as Mendeleyopens in new tab/window, EndNote, and others) now offer generative AI options. If these tools are used without a generative AI option to organize references, this process does not require disclosure. If these or any other AI tool are used to select, collate, generate or edit references, this should be declared in the manuscript.
AI tools can be used in a limited, supportive way during manuscript preparation, provided that authors maintain full oversight and responsibility for the content. Authors must carefully review and verify all AI-generated output and ensure that the final manuscript reflects their own analysis, interpretation, and scientific judgement.
Examples of appropriate use may include:
Summarizing research literature in preparation for manuscript writing.
Assisting in organizing or structuring the content of a manuscript.
Improving language, clarity, and readability of text written by the authors.
Checking your manuscript for completeness and against specific guidelines before submission.
Assisting in the creation of certain types of images.
Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and originality of all content submitted for publication and the disclosure of the use of AI tools.
Examples of inappropriate use may include:
Generating sections of a manuscript without genuine intellectual contribution from the author.
Fabricating or altering research data, results, or references.
Using AI tools to generate or alter images that represent research results, such as microscopy images, western blots, or patient images.
As with documenting the research process, documenting the use of AI during manuscript preparation supports transparency and reproducibility. Authors should keep a separate record of which tool and model was used, and how AI tools were used. This may include retaining logs provided by the tool, saving prompts and generated outputs, and keeping evidence of how the content was reviewed and edited, for example through tracked changes or annotated drafts.
In the manuscript itself, authors must include a declaration describing their use of AI tools during manuscript preparation. Please refer to the question on declaration of use for more information. If requested by editors, authors should be able to provide documentation of their use of AI tools. As practices in this area continue to develop, standards for documenting AI use may evolve over time.
If you use AI tools to translate text that you have written, you must carefully review the translation for accuracy, completeness and potential bias. The output should be checked by a person who has a good understanding of both languages and the scientific content. As with any AI use, you should ensure that confidentiality, privacy and intellectual property rights are protected and review the tool’s terms and conditions before uploading your content. You remain fully accountable for the translated text, and you should disclose the use of AI tools for translations included in your manuscript.
Although AI tools may support your writing process, they must not replace your own scientific judgement, analysis, interpretation or intellectual contribution.
Any AI-generated output must be carefully reviewed and edited before being included in your manuscript. Authors are responsible for verifying factual accuracy, checking references independently, and ensuring that the manuscript reflects their own authentic contribution. Authors remain fully accountable for the final manuscript.
AI tools can generate incorrect, incomplete or biased information, including fabricated or inaccurate references. They can also produce text that appears authoritative but does not reflect your own scientific reasoning.
If you use AI assistance in accordance with our author policy, you must carefully review and edit all generated content. This includes independently verifying factual statements, confirming that cited sources are accurate and correctly represented, and checking for omissions or unintended bias. You should ensure that the final manuscript reflects your own analysis, interpretation and conclusions.
AI tools may support drafting or improving clarity, but they must not replace your intellectual contribution. Authorship requires accountability for the accuracy and integrity of the work and approval of the final version. You remain fully responsible for everything that appears in the published article, regardless of how it was produced.
If you use generative AI tools in preparing your manuscript in line with our author policy, you must include a separate declaration section at the end of your manuscript, immediately before the references, titled for instance:
“Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the manuscript preparation process.”
Your statement should include the name of the tool used, the purpose of its use and should confirm that you reviewed the output and take full responsibility for the content.
Suggested format:
During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.
This declaration will appear in the published article.
Please note: Basic tools that check spelling, grammar, or punctuation, as well as the use of basic reference manager functions do not require disclosure. In addition, authors are not required to disclose the use of AI tools or features within specialist disability-related assistive technology, provided these are used solely for accessibility purposes.
Images and artwork
FAQ about our generative AI policies for images and artworkGenerative AI tools may be used to create explanatory images that illustrate concepts, processes, or relationships. Authors must verify the accuracy of these images, ensure they reflect the authors’ own ideas and interpretation, and disclose the use of AI in the figure caption and the manuscript’s AI disclosure statement.
Generative AI tools may also be used to create data visualizations, such as plots, charts, graphs, or heatmaps, where the output is directly derived from underlying data using reproducible analytical, computational, or statistical methods. Where AI tools are used as part of the research design or methods, including data analysis or the generation of data visualizations, this use must be described in a reproducible manner in the Methods section.
AI tools must not be used to fabricate results, invent or alter underlying data, or create figures that are not faithfully derived from the underlying data and methods used in the research. AI tools must not be used to create or alter primary research images that represent primary observed or experimental data, such as microscopy images, histology images, western blots, radiology scans, or patient images.
The table below summarizes which types of images may or may not be created using generative AI tools, and where to disclose their use.
Type of image | Use of generative AI permitted? | Where to disclose? |
Explanatory images in the article (flow charts, conceptual diagrams, schematic illustrations, decision trees, timelines, experimental workflows, etc.) | ✔ Permitted | In image caption and general AI disclosure statement |
Data visualizations (e.g. plots, charts, graphs, heatmaps) | ✔ Permitted only if directly derived from underlying data using reproducible methods | In Methods section |
Primary research images (microscopy images, histology images, western blots, gels, radiology scans, patient images, etc.) | ✖ Not permitted | |
Images or figures generated using AI tools as part of the research methods (e.g. AI-assisted imaging approaches to generate or interpret the underlying research data, or predictive modelling of clinical outcomes based on patient data)) | ✔ Permitted | In Methods section |
Graphical abstracts | ⚠ Only use dedicated scientific illustration tools | Mention the tool used in the image caption |
Journal cover art | ⚠ Permitted only with prior permission from the journal editor and publisher |
Authors should use dedicated scientific illustration tools (such as BioRender or Mind the Graph) or other professional illustration tools when preparing graphical abstracts. General-purpose generative AI tools must not be used to create graphical abstracts.
Scientific illustration platforms provide curated icons and graphical elements with clear licensing terms, which can help authors create graphical abstracts that are suitable for academic publication.
Authors should ensure that the tool they use provides the necessary rights for publication and are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and originality of their images. In some cases, free versions of illustration tools are intended for educational or internal use only and may not permit publication in academic journals. Authors may wish to check whether their institution provides access to a licensed or institutional version of such tools.
If you use generative AI tools in preparing your manuscript in line with our author policy, you must include a separate declaration section at the end of your manuscript, immediately before the references, titled for instance:
“Declaration of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the manuscript preparation process.”
Your statement should include the name of the tool used, the purpose of its use and should confirm that you reviewed the output and take full responsibility for the content.
Suggested format:
During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.
This declaration will appear in the published article.
Please note: Basic tools that check spelling, grammar, or punctuation, as well as the use of basic reference manager functions do not require disclosure. In addition, authors are not required to disclose the use of AI tools or features within specialist disability-related assistive technology, provided these are used solely for accessibility purposes.
If you have used generative AI tools to generate or alter images in your manuscript, we ask that you also disclose this in each image caption, including the name of the tool used. Please see some examples below.
“Figure 1. Schematic overview of study design. Initial image generated using [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] and subsequently edited by the authors. All elements were reviewed for accuracy and completeness.”
“Figure 2. Workflow diagram. Draft created with [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE]. The final figure was refined and verified by the authors.”
Reviewers
FAQ for reviewers about our generative AI policiesSubmitted manuscripts are confidential documents. Uploading a manuscript, or any part of it, to an AI tool could infringe the authors’ confidentiality and intellectual property rights and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, may breach data privacy rights. Many AI tools process and store the information that users upload to them, and in some cases this content may be retained, reused, or used to train the underlying model.
Even if an AI tool is described as “private,” uploading a manuscript still means sharing confidential and unpublished research with a third-party system. For these reasons, reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts, or any information from them, into AI Tools. AI tools may only be used in a supportive way, for instance to improve the language and structure of their review reports, or for background literature searches, provided that confidentiality is maintained and human control and oversight are exercised.
If reviewers have used AI tools to support them in preparing their reports (for instance to improve the language or structure), they should include a statement directly in their report(s) (specifically in the comments to the authors section), specifying the tool they used and the reason for using the tool. We suggest that reviewers follow this format when preparing their statement:
During the preparation of this report, I used [NAME OF TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, I reviewed and edited the content as needed and I take full responsibility for my critical assessment and feedback on this manuscript.
Please note: AI tools that only check spelling, grammar, or punctuation do not require disclosure.
Editors
FAQ for editors about our generative AI policiesManaging the editorial evaluation of a scientific manuscript implies responsibilities that can only be attributed to humans. Submitted manuscripts are confidential documents. Uploading a manuscript, or any part of it, to an AI tool could infringe the authors’ confidentiality and intellectual property rights and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, may breach data privacy rights. Many AI tools process and store the information that users upload to them, and in some cases this content may be retained, reused, or used to train the underlying model.
Even if an AI tool is described as “private,” uploading a manuscript still means sharing confidential and unpublished research with a third-party system. For these reasons, academic editors must not upload submitted manuscripts, or any part of them, into AI tools. AI tools may only be used in a supportive way that does not involve sharing confidential manuscript content.
* Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence technology that can produce various types of content, including text, images, audio, and synthetic data. Examples include ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Claude, and DALL·E.
Policy updated June 2026.