Artificial intelligence for manuscript writing: policies and implementation in cardiovascular journals

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a widely used tool for writing, including in scientific research and publications. While its application to cardiovascular research is the focus of numerous studies, the policies related to its use for manuscript writing are rapidly evolving and not well understood. We sought to compare the policies of high-impact cardiovascular journals regarding AI for manuscript writing assistance and assess the prevalence of its use. Cardiovascular medicine journals with an SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) ≥3 and h-index ≥100 were screened for an AI policy. Journal policies were assessed for author disclosure requirements, standardization of disclosure section and language, and AI detection software used during the submission process. Each journal with an AI policy that required disclosure of its use was systematically searched to evaluate the prevalence of articles disclosing its use for writing assistance from January 2023 to August 2025. The number of publications with AI disclosure and publication characteristics was recorded. Seventeen journals met inclusion criteria and were screened for an AI policy, of which 14 journals (82%) contained such a policy. Among these, three journals (18%) had an AI policy that required disclosure, but that was not specific to AI use for manuscript writing. One journal (6%) did not require disclosure. The remaining three journals (18%) did not have any AI policy. None of the journals mandated a dedicated AI disclosure section or provided authors with standardized disclosure language. Fifteen journals (88%) used identifiable AI detection software, while only one posted this information publicly. Among the 14 journals with an AI disclosure policy, 11 AI-disclosing works were found. ChatGPT was the most common AI tool used (n=9, 82%). Journal policies regarding AI use for manuscript writing assistance vary widely, and therefore, there is a growing need for standardization. The prevalence of articles disclosing the use of AI was profoundly low across all journals evaluated, with significant variation in how AI use was disclosed. Having clear and consistent policies across journals and requiring authors to disclose their use of AI for manuscript writing is essential to uphold transparency and maintain medical research integrity.

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