Introduction

Medical Letter (Med Ltr) recognizes the growing use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in research, writing, and scholarly communication. The journal supports the responsible and transparent use of AI technologies while maintaining the principles of research integrity, authorship accountability, and publication ethics.

This policy is aligned with current recommendations and best practices in scholarly publishing, including guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics and major international indexing and publishing standards.

Use of Generative AI by Authors

Authors may use Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, and similar technologies) for purposes such as:

• Language editing and grammar improvement.
• Improving readability and clarity of text.
• Assisting with literature organization.
• Formatting and summarizing information.
• Generating ideas for research planning.

However, authors remain fully responsible for all content submitted to the journal.

Disclosure Requirement

Any use of Generative AI in the preparation of a manuscript must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript under a separate section entitled “AI Use Disclosure” or within the Acknowledgments section.

Example Disclosure Statement

"The authors used a Generative AI tool for language editing and manuscript preparation. The authors reviewed, verified, and take full responsibility for the final content of the manuscript."

Failure to disclose significant use of AI tools may be considered a breach of publication ethics.

Authorship and Accountability

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

AI systems cannot:

• Meet authorship criteria.
• Take responsibility for the accuracy of research.
• Approve manuscript submissions.
• Manage conflicts of interest.
• Hold copyright.

Only human contributors who meet the journal’s authorship criteria may be named as authors.

Author Responsibility

Authors are solely responsible for:

• Verifying the accuracy of AI-generated content.
• Checking references, citations, and factual statements.
• Ensuring originality and avoiding plagiarism.
• Correcting errors, biases, or misleading information generated by AI tools.
• Compliance with ethical and legal requirements.

The use of AI does not reduce the authors' responsibility for the integrity of their work.

Prohibited Uses of AI

Authors must not use Generative AI tools to:

• Fabricate, falsify, or manipulate research data.
• Generate fake references or citations.
• Create misleading scientific findings.
• Produce fraudulent images, figures, or results.
• Circumvent ethical approval requirements.
• Engage in plagiarism or academic misconduct.

Any misuse of AI may result in rejection, retraction, or other editorial actions.

Use of AI in Images and Figures

If AI-generated or AI-assisted images, illustrations, graphical abstracts, or figures are included in a manuscript, authors must:

• Clearly disclose the use of AI.
• Identify the AI tool used.
• Confirm that the content does not infringe copyright or intellectual property rights.
• Ensure that images accurately represent the research findings.

The Editorial Office may request additional information regarding AI-generated visual content.

Use of AI by Reviewers

Reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts, figures, tables, supplementary files, or confidential peer-review materials into Generative AI systems, as doing so may compromise confidentiality, intellectual property, and data protection.

Reviewers remain responsible for preparing their own independent review reports.

Use of AI by Editors

Editors may use AI-assisted tools for administrative purposes, such as plagiarism screening, language assessment, or workflow support. However, all editorial decisions, peer-review evaluations, and publication decisions shall be made solely by qualified human editors.

Ethical Compliance

The use of Generative AI must comply with:

• The journal’s Research and Publication Ethics Policy.
• Confidentiality and privacy requirements.
• Copyright and intellectual property laws.
• International standards of academic integrity.

Any concerns regarding AI-related misconduct will be investigated according to the journal’s ethical procedures and COPE guidance.

Policy Statement

Medical Letter (Med Ltr) supports the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of Generative AI technologies in scholarly publishing. Authors, reviewers, and editors must ensure that AI is used as a supportive tool rather than a substitute for human judgment, accountability, and scientific responsibility. Final responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of all published content remains with the human authors and contributors.