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GenAI: Writing a scientific article

You are writing a scientific article or a contribution for a book and would like to use AI tools. Maybe you want to have your article/contribution checked for language errors, rewritten, translated... or you want to generate graphics and/or images. Is that allowed? And what should you definitely take into consideration?

Position of the journal/publisher

Find out what the position of the academic journal or publisher (and, by extension, the editor) is. Is the use of AI discussed in their guidelines? If usage is allowed (in certain circumstances or for certain tasks), be sure to follow the journal or publisher's instructions and guidelines. If you do not follow these, you risk having your article or contribution rejected. If the use of AI is not mentioned in the guidelines or instructions, you can safely contact them to find out if your use is allowed. That way, you will not be in for an unpleasant surprise after you have already submitted your article or contribution.

Position of your research institution

As a researcher at Ghent University, you also have to follow the guidelines of this research institute. UGent is committed to the ethical and responsible use of AI. As a research institution, UGent subscribes to the European code of conduct for scientific integrity (also known as the ALLEA code) and also follows the other relevant Belgian and European directives and legislation. Be sure to keep in mind the potential ethical implications and challenges that may be associated with the use of AI.

Want more information about the responsible use of AI at UGent (in education and research)? Then consult the following pages (more information at the end of this Research Tip):

Intranet: Artificial Intelligence and Research
Research Tip: GenAI: responsible use in research
Research Tip: GDPR: What should I take into account when developing or using AI?
Research Tip: GenAI: Overview of National and European legislation and guidelines
Research Tip: GenAI: Writing a scientific article
Research Tip: GenAI: Writing a (postdoctoral) research proposal
Research Tip: GenAI: PhD research (proposal) and AI
Education Tip: Generative AI in Ghent University Education: Impact and Approach
Experimentation Guidelines: Experimentation Guidelines for Generative AI Tools (See: Section I)
Learning Path: Generative AI for teachers: Concepts, Creations and Classroom Practice (also relevant for researchers!)
Info for Ghent University students: Generative AI in Education at Ghent University

National and European legislation and guidelines

In addition to the above factors, you should also consider national and international legislation and guidelines if you, as a researcher, want to use AI for or incorporate it into your research, or, in this case, use it when writing your article or contribution. Thus, depending on where you would conduct your research, you must comply with and follow national (Belgian) and European legislation and guidelines.

A concrete overview of Belgian and European legislation and guidelines can be found in the Research Tip “GenAI: overview of national and European legislation and guidelines”.

Need more information about AI?

Quite a lot of information regarding the use of AI, from different perspectives and with different objectives, is already available at Ghent University.

More information regarding (Gen)AI and research?