Sage Publishing supports responsible use of AI in the research and writing process. The policy clearly differentiates between assistive AI (used for editing) and generative AI (used for content creation). Full author responsibility, transparency, and adherence to ethical standards are required.
1. Assistive AI Use (No Disclosure Required)
Authors may use AI tools for:
• Improving language, grammar, spelling, or sentence structure.
• Enhancing clarity or readability of existing text.
Key notes:
• No disclosure is required for these uses.
• Authors are still fully responsible for the accuracy, rigor, and integrity of the manuscript.
2. Generative AI Use (Disclosure Required)
If AI tools are used to generate content, such as: Text, references or citations, images or data summaries, then the following are required:
1. Disclosure of the AI model and its use (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, etc.), preferably in the Methods or Acknowledgements section.
2. Verification of all AI-generated content:
• Confirm factual accuracy.
• Ensure valid and appropriate use.
• Check for plagiarism and avoid substantial reproduction of other sources.
• Ensure all citations are real and correct.
3. AI tools cannot be credited as authors under any circumstances.
3. Editorial & Ethical Oversight
• Disclosure enables editors to assess the appropriateness of AI-generated content.
• Manuscripts will not be rejected solely for using AI, if properly disclosed.
• However, failure to disclose the use of generative AI, especially in cases of plagiarism, fabricated data or references and inappropriate or misleading attribution, may result in rejection at any stage of the review or publication process.
Sage recognizes the use of AI tools in academic publishing and draws a clear line between assistive AI (for language refinement) and generative AI (for content creation).
Authors may use AI tools for language, grammar, or structural improvements without disclosure. However, if AI is used to generate content, such as text, references, or images, this must be fully disclosed in the manuscript, typically in the Methods or Acknowledgements section.
When using generative AI, authors are expected to verify the accuracy, originality, and validity of all outputs. This includes checking for plagiarism, fabricated content, and false citations. AI tools like ChatGPT must not be credited as authors.
Disclosure helps the editorial team evaluate AI-generated content appropriately. While AI use won’t automatically lead to rejection, undisclosed or inappropriate use can result in rejection at any stage of the review process.