Saratov Medical Journal follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) position statement on authorship and AI.
The attitude of a scientific peer-reviewed journal to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific activity, in particular, when creating a manuscript of a scientific article by one author or a team of authors.
General definitions
Any activity (human activity) is characterized by the influence of the subject on the object with the definition of a aim and plan. The subject (person) carries out activities aimed at transforming the object. In this case, the subject is motivated to act by a motive (the need to carry out activities), and then the following are formulated: the aim (what is the desired result of the activity?), the means (with what does the activity take place?), actions (what steps does the subject take?), the result (what happened after all the actions?).
Labor is a type of human activity aimed at creating material and spiritual values. A person uses various means of labor – devices and mechanisms. In the process of work, a person is active, expends his strength and energy.
Mental work is a mental activity, the product of which is a certain formalized information. Creative work is not inherent to every employee, it is determined by both the level of education and qualifications, as well as the ability to innovate.
Recommendations
The creation of a manuscript of a scientific article by one author or a team of authors is a combination of mental and creative work of a person.
To facilitate their work (editing text, searching for additional sources of literature, collecting and analyzing data), the author or a team of authors uses various tools, ranging from writing materials and a computer, ending with AI-based software.
The use of AI tools (such as computers, writing materials, etc.) refers to the means of labor, but does not replace human labor.
The generally recognized criteria for authorship of scientific articles on medicine and related specialties include four fundamental aspects: 1) development of the concept and design or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) justification of the manuscript or verification of critical intellectual content; 3) final approval for publication of the manuscript; 4) consent to be responsible for all aspects of the work. AI cannot be the author of the manuscript of a scientific article, since it is a means of labor and does not participate in the above-mentioned labor activity.
The editorial board of the journal does not include basic tools for checking grammar, spelling, and references to cited works in the concept of generative AI. To create clinical or diagnostic images, the authors are not allowed to use large language models, generative chatbots, and machine learning methods.
Thus, it is possible to use the capabilities of AI when creating a manuscript of a scientific article by one author or a team of authors only as a means of labor. At the same time, in the "Materials and Methods" section, the authors should indicate the specific generative AI technology used with an https address or other identifying information. Chatbots such as ChatGPT (and similar ones) cannot under any circumstances be listed as the author of the article or the person who contributed to the preparation of the manuscript. The authors should take into account that chatbots often transmit false information, which requires additional verification.