APA Journals policy on generative AI
https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/resources/publishing-tips/policy-generative-ai
Following the journal's updated guidelines, authors must clearly state their use of generative AI in line with the APA journals policy on generative AI (November 2023), especially the updated policy that was issued in August 2025:
For this policy, AI refers to generative LLM AI tools and does not include grammar-checking software, citation software, or plagiarism detectors.
- When a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model is used in the drafting of a manuscript submitted to the International Journal of Organizational Leadership publication (IJOL), the use of AI must be disclosed in the manuscript and cited. For example, see disclosure guidance below.
- AI cannot be named as an author on an APA scholarly publication.
- The authors are responsible for the accuracy of any information in their article. Authors must verify any information and citations provided to them by an AI tool. Authors may use but must disclose AI tools for specific purposes such as editing.
- No submitted content may be entered into generative AI tools as this violates the confidentiality of the process.
Disclosure guidance
Guiding principles for authors and editors about what output to disclose from generative AI tools:
- Authors need to be transparent, providing the necessary information for readers to understand how generative artificial intelligence (AI) was used during the research and manuscript drafting process. Disclose the use in the most relevant place in the manuscript, most likely the Introduction or Method sections.
- Authors need to maintain ethical approaches to using generative AI, including not entering confidential material into open generative AI tools, for example, research data or client notes that may make a participant/client identifiable.
- Authors need to take responsibility for the information provided by generative AI tools, including verifying the information received via generative AI searches by reading original sources used in AI output.
- Authors need to provide attribution to the generative AI tool in cases where the tool was used to generate ideas, content, analysis, code, or research elements. If you would provide attribution to a human contributor, you should most likely provide attribution to a generative AI tool for a similar activity.
Guidance on what to disclose and where in manuscripts
|
Generative AI use |
How to disclose |
Similar principle |
|
Generate a resource list on a topic to inform your literature review, metasynthesis, meta-analysis, or similar |
In the introduction section, including your prompts, keywords, and AI used. (Preserve the output in case of inquiry) |
Listing databases queried with what keywords and filters were used when describing literature search strategy for a literature review, metasynthesis, or meta-analysis |
|
Translate text included in the manuscript or implement extensive copyediting (more than you’d traditionally find in Microsoft Word and similar tools) |
In a general note in the author note, including the tool used |
Similar to the Writing – Review and Editing CRediT role, only generative AI may not be listed as an author |
|
Create or refine code |
In the Method section, including the tool used and number of iterations (preserve the output in case of inquiry) |
Describing the statistical package used in analysis, such as R or SPSS |
|
Analyze, refine, format, or visualize data |
In the Method section, including the tool used and number of iterations (preserve the output in case of inquiry) |
Describing the statistical package and visualization tools used in analysis, such as R or SPSS |
|
Write or draft manuscript content, including literature summaries and outlines |
In the introduction section, including your prompts and tool used |
|
|
Create or edit figures, tables, and/or images |
In the section where the figures, tables, and/or images appear (e.g., Results section), including your prompts and tool used (preserve the output in case of inquiry) |
|
|
Create or edit research design elements, data, or results |
In the Method section (preserve the output in case of inquiry) |
|
Source: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/resources/publishing-tips/policy-generative-ai
Consequences of Misuse
Should authors violate these guidelines, their submission will be rejected, and no opportunity for resubmission will be granted for this infraction. IJOL reserves the right to retract any paper, even post-publication, if a significant issue is identified in this regard. Additionally, IJOL may inform all related parties, authors’ affiliations, and institutions of this infringement of publishing ethics.