Artificial Intelligence Use

Artificial Intelligence Use in Writing, Editing, and Reviewing — Policy for The Writer’s Camp Journal

Overview

The Writer’s Camp Journal supports thoughtful, transparent, and ethical use of generative AI tools. AI can assist writers in brainstorming, clarifying ideas, organizing content, or improving readability—but it must never replace an author’s own intellectual contribution.

This policy aligns with recommendations from COPE, ICMJE, and other publishing bodies.

1. Authors Are Responsible for Their Work

Authors must ensure that all submitted manuscripts:

  • Reflect their own original thinking and analysis
  • Are factually accurate
  • Adhere to ethical standards for attribution and citation
  • Do not contain fabricated citations, incorrect references, or invented facts produced by AI

Authors are solely responsible for verifying content generated during writing or editing.

2. Acceptable Uses of AI

Writers may use AI tools as long as they maintain full responsibility for the final manuscript. Acceptable uses include:

  • Brainstorming ideas
  • Outlining content
  • Improving clarity or readability
  • Checking grammar or style
  • Rewriting for tone (e.g., making text more formal or more concise)
  • Getting feedback or suggestions

These uses must be disclosed (see Section 5).

3. Unacceptable Uses of AI

AI must not be used to:

  • Generate the substantive intellectual content of an article
    (e.g., full paragraphs presented as your own thinking)
  • Create or alter data
  • Invent sources, citations, or quotations
  • Paraphrase copyrighted material without attribution
  • Write reflective or personal essays that purport to represent an individual human experience
  • Impersonate peer reviewers or fabricate review reports

AI tools cannot be listed as authors and cannot take responsibility for the work.

4. No Undisclosed AI-Generated Text

Undisclosed AI-generated manuscripts are considered a form of misrepresentation.
Just as ghostwriting is prohibited, so is submitting AI-generated text as if it were entirely human-created.

Authors must meaningfully edit, verify, and take responsibility for all content in the final article.

5. How to Disclose AI Use

If AI is used in any meaningful way, a brief disclosure should be included at the end of the manuscript. If no AI tools were used, no statement is necessary.

6. AI Detection Tools

The Writer’s Camp Journal does not rely on AI detection tools (which are unreliable), but editors may inquire about unclear passages or suspected undisclosed AI use.

Authors are expected to respond honestly and transparently.

7. Use of AI by Editors and Reviewers

Editors may use AI tools to:

  • Improve the clarity of editorial correspondence
  • Suggest plain-language explanations
  • Assist with formatting or summarization of reviewer instructions

Manuscripts submitted for review are confidential documents. Editors and reviewers must ensure that manuscript content is not shared with generative AI systems or external tools that retain, store, or train on submitted material.

AI tools may be used in limited ways to assist with drafting or improving the clarity of reviewer comments or editorial summaries, provided that manuscript confidentiality is maintained. Editors and reviewers remain fully responsible for the scholarly judgment, accuracy, and fairness of their evaluations.

8. Consequences of Unethical AI Use

If undisclosed or unethical AI use is discovered:

  • Authors may be asked to revise
  • Submissions may be rejected
  • Corrections or retractions may be issued (in published work)
  • Repeated violations may affect future submissions

The goal is education and transparency, not punishment—but integrity must be maintained.

Some language in our Policies & Ethics materials was drafted with the assistance of generative AI (ChatGPT) to support clarity and organization. All final content reflects editorial judgment and authorship by the Editor-in-Chief.