Solarlits supports responsible innovation while upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity, transparency, originality, and accountability. This policy provides clear guidance on the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies by authors, editors, and reviewers. It is designed specifically for the scholarly publishing environment of Solarlits and will be reviewed periodically as the technology and community practices evolve.
For Authors
Authors may use AI tools to support manuscript preparation, including:
improving language, clarity, grammar, structure, and readability;
organizing content, generating outlines, or summarizing publicly available literature;
assisting with idea generation, identifying research gaps, or drafting explanatory text (subject to full human review).
AI tools must always be used under direct human oversight. Authors are solely responsible for verifying accuracy, completeness, originality, and freedom from bias or fabricated content (including references).
Authors should not use AI tools to generate or substantially alter primary scientific images, figures, photographs, experimental data visualizations, or observational records in a way that misrepresents results (e.g. enhancing, removing, or fabricating features). Primary scientific images, experimental results, measurement data, and simulation outputs that form the evidence base of a paper must not be created or altered by generative AI in ways that misrepresent reality.
Authors should carefully read the terms and conditions of any AI tool to ensure they do not upload confidential, unpublished, or third-party copyrighted material in violation of privacy, data protection, or intellectual property rules. Furthermore, authors must ensure that no content is uploaded to any AI tool that might compromise their own intellectual property.
Cover images and graphical abstracts may use AI generation only with explicit editorial approval and clear caption disclosure.
Disclosure
Any use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in the writing or preparation process must be disclosed. Include a dedicated section titled “Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies” placed at the end of the manuscript, immediately before the References. The statement will appear in the published version.
Suggested wording (adapt as needed):
“During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [name of tool/service, version if applicable] for [specific purpose, e.g. language editing, outlining sections, summarizing literature]. The author(s) reviewed, edited, and take full responsibility for all content.”
Authorship
Authors should not list any AI tool as an author, co-author, or contributor. Authorship requires human accountability, the ability to approve the final version, and responsibility for the integrity of the work.
Authors remain fully responsible for:
the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the entire work;
checking all AI-generated or AI-assisted text, data, references, and figures;
ensuring compliance with the terms of use of any AI tool (especially regarding data privacy, confidentiality, and publication rights);
confirming that the final manuscript reflects their own analysis, interpretation, and intellectual contribution.
For Editors
Manuscripts and all related correspondence are confidential. Editors must not upload any manuscript, review report, decision letter, or related material into external generative AI tools.
Generative AI must not be used to evaluate the scientific quality, originality, or suitability of a submission. Editorial judgment requires human expertise and critical assessment.
Editors remain fully accountable for all editorial decisions and communications.
For Reviewers
Reviewers must treat every manuscript as strictly confidential. Do not upload the manuscript, any part of it, or the review report into external generative AI tools.
Generative AI must not be used to generate or substantially draft peer-review reports. The critical evaluation of scientific merit, methodology, and contribution requires human expertise.
Reviewers are fully responsible for the content and integrity of their reviews.
Any AI assistance limited to language polishing of the reviewer's own independently written comments should be used with extreme caution and must not involve uploading confidential material.