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If you suspect a research paper contains AI-generated text or figures that were not properly disclosed, report the specific evidence to the journal or institution responsible for reviewing it. First check the current policy for that journal and, if the concern may involve research integrity or author conduct, the relevant institutional process. A suspicion is a reason to request an assessment—not proof of AI use, intent, or misconduct.
Check the policy that applies to the paper
Rules vary by publisher and journal, and they can change. Read the journal’s current instructions for authors and publication ethics policy, and locate its editor or designated ethics contact. If the concern may involve the underlying research or author conduct, also check the relevant institution’s research integrity policy. Note the policy version or the date you accessed it if that may help explain your concern.
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Publisher guidance illustrates why the venue matters. COPE’s position statement on authorship and AI tools says authors should disclose AI use in manuscript writing, image production, or data collection and analysis, and remain responsible for the content. The page notes a review on 13 February 2023 and a change-history entry on 20 August 2024.
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Elsevier’s journal policy distinguishes explanatory images from images that represent research or data. The Royal Society of Chemistry’s guidance says AI-generated content must not be presented as original research data and sets out its own disclosure and image-editing expectations. These are examples, not rules for every venue: verify the live policy for the journal in question before describing an apparent breach.
Document what you observed
Make the report specific enough that someone else can locate and assess the concern. Separate what you directly observed from what you infer about how the content was created or whether a rule was broken.
- Identify the paper: give its title, authors, journal, and DOI or another stable identifier.
- Point to the location: name the figure and panel, caption, page, or exact passage.
- Describe the observation: explain what appears unusual, inconsistent, or potentially undisclosed, without treating that description as a verdict.
- Explain the basis: provide relevant comparisons, source material, public records, disclosure statements, or policy provisions, when available and appropriate.
- Preserve provenance: keep original files and notes, identify where submitted material came from, and avoid altering it in ways that could obscure what you saw.
- Add relevant context: include dates, funding or grant details, and institutional connections if known and relevant.
Do not present an AI-detector score, a stylistic impression, or a visual artifact as proof of AI generation or misconduct. The publisher and ethics guidance cited here does not establish a universal forensic test or a cross-journal threshold for identifying AI-generated content. State what the evidence can and cannot show, and let the designated process assess it.
Choose the right reporting route
For a publication or disclosure concern
For a concern about a published paper or compliance with journal instructions, contact the journal’s editor or its designated publication ethics contact. Use the route specified by that journal, and provide enough detail for the editor to locate the material and understand the policy question.
When research integrity or author conduct may be involved
The institution may also need to assess a concern involving underlying research or author conduct. The COPE guidance on cooperation between research institutions and journals says journals should contact institutions when they suspect author misconduct and cooperate with institutional investigations and evidence requests. Depending on the issue, the journal and institution may have different roles; a reporter does not need to decide which body has the final say.
For research within the U.S. Public Health Service framework
The U.S. Office of Research Integrity (ORI) says allegations are made to the institution where the research misconduct occurred. A complainant may also contact ORI or the relevant Public Health Service funding agency; ORI lists [email protected] as a reporting contact. See ORI’s handling allegations guidance and confirm that the matter falls within the relevant jurisdiction. Allegations outside ORI’s remit may be referred elsewhere, so this route is not a general reporting rule for every country, funder, or paper.
Review confidentiality before sharing sensitive information
Read the applicable policy before sending sensitive material. Check where to report, what information is requested, how your role is handled, and what protections apply. ORI’s complainant guidance describes confidentiality to the extent required in the U.S. Public Health Service framework and reasonable practical steps to protect good-faith complainants against retaliation. These provisions do not guarantee anonymity or identical protection in every process or jurisdiction. If a designated confidential route is available, avoid circulating allegations publicly.
Write a neutral, actionable report
Keep the message concise and ask the recipient to assess the concern under its policy. A useful structure is:
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- Paper: title, authors, journal, and publication or submission identifier.
- Location: figure and panel, caption, page, or passage.
- Observation: what you noticed.
- Basis: the comparison, source file, disclosure, or policy clause that explains why it warrants review.
- Scope and uncertainty: what your evidence establishes and what it does not.
- Context: relevant date, funding, grant, or institutional connection, if known.
- Request: ask the recipient to assess the issue under its process and tell you whether further documentation is needed.
Avoid declaring someone guilty or demanding a particular punishment. The journal or institution—not the initial reporter—evaluates the evidence and decides what action is warranted. COPE’s retraction guidance says retraction may be appropriate when clear evidence of major error, data or image irregularity, or misrepresentation compromises a paper’s findings; the editor ordinarily makes the final retraction decision. Within its remit, ORI provides oversight of institutional findings.
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