How to maintain academic integrity when using AI-assisted writing?

Maintaining academic integrity while utilizing AI-assisted writing is both feasible and necessary when conducted transparently and ethically. It requires treating AI tools as assistants, not substitutes for original scholarship, ensuring all work genuinely reflects the author's understanding and voice. Core principles include unwavering transparency regarding AI assistance in the methodology or acknowledgments section. Authors must critically understand, verify the accuracy of, and take full intellectual responsibility for any AI-generated content or suggestions they incorporate. Crucially, all sources must be meticulously traced and cited by the author; AI tools cannot be trusted to provide accurate citations. Plagiarism, whether from human or machine sources, remains strictly prohibited. These principles apply whenever AI aids in drafting, summarizing, or refining text, but specific institutional or publisher policies must always be consulted. To implement this ethically, begin research and initial drafting with your own ideas. Use AI selectively for refining language, suggesting structure, or overcoming blocks. Critically assess and rework all AI suggestions into your own expression, ensuring comprehension. Rigorously fact-check information and independently verify every source citation. Finally, explicitly disclose the nature and extent of AI assistance used according to relevant guidelines. This approach enhances productivity while safeguarding scholarly originality and accountability.