JOINAI disclosure in research: towards a global reporting standard
Transparency about how AI contributed to research outputs is an important aspect of research integrity. As approaches to disclosing AI use vary widely across disciplines, regions, and publication cultures, you may recall STM’s previous engagement on this topic. In September of 2025, STM released the report Recommendations for a Classification of AI Use in Academic Manuscript Preparation.
STM is one of the ambassadors of a broader, community-driven harmonisation initiative, together with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Science Council (ISC), and the Global Young Academy (GYA). Together, we are working toward a Global Reporting Standard for AI Disclosure in Research. Many of our members contributed to the First Consultation Round (January-February 2026) and to the dedicated Focus Track at the World Conference on Research Integrity (3–6 May 2026, Vancouver).
We are proud to announce that on July 9, the Second Consultation Round of this focus track towards a global reporting standard was launched. To ensure the standard reflects diverse, real-world perspectives, we warmly invite all STM Member Organisations to contribute to this consultation. It’s about five questions:
1. Which AI use should be disclosed? (Thresholds)
2. Where in the article should it be disclosed? (Placement)
3. How should it be structured? (Taxonomy)
4. Should non-empty AI disclosure be mandatory?
5. How to signal responsibility and accountability?
By the end of the year, STM will invite its members again for a third and final consultation, sourcing feedback on a draft reporting standard on AI disclosure for the scientific publishing industry.
We encourage you to share this invitation within your organisation — for example, by convening a discussion among editorial colleagues who have reviewed the preparatory reading — and to submit a summary of your reflections via the webform.
On behalf of all the partners, we invite you to share your views via this webform: https://council.science/AIdisclosure. The deadline is 16 October.
Your input will help shape a standard that works in practice — supporting transparency, trust, and consistency in scholarly communication. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Hylke Koers via email.