ACNR Policy on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Guidelines for Authors, Reviewers, and Editors

Effective Date: January 2025 | Last Updated: November 2025

Scope and Purpose

This policy establishes clear guidelines for the ethical and transparent use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the preparation, review, and publication of scholarly content across ACNR (Advances in Clinical Neuroscience & Rehabilitation). This policy applies to all authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members.

Our commitment is to maintain the highest standards of research integrity, originality, and academic rigour whilst acknowledging that AI tools can serve as valuable aids in the research and publication process when used responsibly.

Contents

Permitted Uses of Generative AI

Authors may use generative AI tools for the following purposes, provided they are properly disclosed:

Language and Writing Assistance

  • Improving grammar, spelling, and language clarity
  • Reformulating sentences for better readability
  • Translating technical content between languages
  • Suggesting alternative phrasings or vocabulary

Technical and Analytical Support

  • Generating or debugging computer code for data analysis
  • Assisting with literature search strategies
  • Formatting references and citations
  • Creating visualisations from existing data
  • Summarising large datasets or literature for internal use

Ideation and Conceptualisation

  • Brainstorming research questions or hypotheses
  • Exploring alternative methodological approaches
  • Identifying potential gaps in literature

Disclosure Requirements

Mandatory Disclosure Statement

Authors must include a disclosure statement in the Methods section or Acknowledgements section of their manuscript that specifies:

  • Which generative AI tools were used (including specific tool names and versions)
  • The specific purposes for which these tools were employed
  • The extent to which AI outputs were used in the final manuscript
  • Confirmation that all AI-generated content was carefully reviewed and verified for accuracy

Example Disclosure Statement

“During the preparation of this work, the authors used [Tool Name, Version] to [specific purpose, e.g., improve language and readability]. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.”

Statement for Non-Use

If no generative AI tools were used, authors may include a statement such as: “No generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with this policy may result in:

  • Manuscript rejection at any stage of the review or production process
  • Retraction of published articles
  • Notification to authors’ institutions
  • Prohibition from submitting to ACNR for a specified period
  • Notification to relevant professional bodies or ethics committees
  • Removal from editorial boards or reviewer databases

Fundamental Principles

Principle 1: Human Accountability

Authors bear full responsibility for all content submitted for publication. The use of AI tools does not diminish author accountability for the accuracy, validity, integrity, and originality of their work.

Principle 2: Transparency and Disclosure

Any use of generative AI tools in the research or writing process must be clearly and explicitly disclosed in submitted manuscripts.

Principle 3: Originality and Attribution

All submitted work must represent original scholarly contribution. AI-generated content must not constitute plagiarism or inappropriate attribution.

Principle 4: Scientific Integrity

AI tools must not be used in ways that compromise research integrity, fabricate data, or misrepresent findings.

Prohibited Uses of Generative AI

Authors must NOT use generative AI for:

  • Authorship attribution: AI tools cannot be listed as authors on manuscripts
  • Data fabrication: Creating, manufacturing, or falsifying research data or results
  • Image manipulation: Generating or altering research images, figures, or visual data in ways that misrepresent findings
  • Peer review manipulation: Generating fake peer reviews or reviewer comments
  • Plagiarism: Using AI to paraphrase others’ work without proper attribution
  • Wholesale content generation: Submitting manuscripts where substantial portions are AI-generated without significant human intellectual input and revision
  • References fabrication: Generating false citations or references

Responsibilities of Different Stakeholders

Author Responsibilities

  • Ensure all content is original, accurate, and properly attributed
  • Verify all facts, data, and citations, especially if AI tools were involved in their generation
  • Provide complete and accurate disclosure of AI tool usage
  • Maintain records of how AI tools were used in the research and writing process
  • Ensure compliance with ethical guidelines and institutional requirements

Reviewer Responsibilities

  • Reviewers may use AI tools for language assistance but must not use them to write reviews
  • Reviewers must maintain confidentiality and must not input confidential manuscript content into publicly available AI systems
  • Reviewers should report suspected misuse of AI tools to editors

Editor Responsibilities

  • Ensure authors comply with disclosure requirements
  • Investigate suspected violations of this policy
  • Make informed decisions about manuscripts where AI use is disclosed
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of AI detection tools and their limitations

Policy Review and Updates

Given the rapidly evolving nature of AI technology, this policy will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect best practices, emerging technologies, and evolving community standards. We welcome feedback from our author, reviewer, and editor communities.

Changes to this policy will be communicated through the ACNR website and direct notifications to editorial board members.

Resources and Support

We provide the following resources to support compliance with this policy:

  • Template disclosure statements for authors
  • Training materials for editors and reviewers
  • Contact information for ethics and policy enquiries

For questions about this policy, please contact the ACNR editorial team at: anna@acnr.co.uk