• AI tools cannot be authors
• Authors remain responsible for all submitted content
• Material AI use should be disclosed
• Confidential manuscripts must not be uploaded to public AI tools by reviewers or editors

Authorship and responsibility

AI tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot take responsibility for originality, integrity, consent, confidentiality, accuracy, or rights status.

Authors remain responsible for all text, data, code, images, references, summaries, translations, analysis, and claims submitted to otstest1, including content developed with AI assistance.

Disclosure and limits

• Material AI assistance should be disclosed where it shaped writing, analysis, coding, translation, image creation, data processing, or interpretation.
• Routine spelling, grammar, formatting, or language-polishing support does not normally require detailed disclosure.
• Authors must not submit fabricated data, false citations, misleading images, invented sources, or unverified claims produced by AI tools.

Reviewer and editor confidentiality

Reviewers and editors must not upload confidential manuscripts, reviews, editorial correspondence, or unpublished data to public AI tools or services unless the journal has explicitly approved a secure tool and confidentiality terms.