Use of Artificial Intelligence

The African Journal of Nephrology recognises that authors, reviewers and editors may use artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted tools. This statement sets out how such use must be declared and governed. It should be read together with the Instructions for Authors and Style Guide and the Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

Overarching principle: authors are responsible for the authenticity, validity and integrity of their manuscripts, including any content produced with the assistance of AI. AI tools may not be listed as authors, as they cannot take responsibility for the work.

Declaring AI use

AI used in the research process. If AI was used as part of the research (for example, in data analysis, coding or interpretation) describe it in the Methods section: name the tool(s), version(s), access dates, and purpose. Authors must confirm that they have reviewed all AI-assisted outputs and take full responsibility for its accuracy and integrity.

AI used in manuscript preparation. If AI was used to prepare the manuscript (for example, for language and copyediting), declare this under the heading “Use of AI in manuscript preparation”, placed after the Conflicts of Interest section and before the References. Name the tool(s), version(s), the access date and the purpose. Authors must confirm that they have reviewed all AI-assisted content and take full responsibility for its accuracy and integrity.

AI-generated figures. If AI image-generation tools were used to create any figure, state this in the figure legend.

No AI used. If no AI tools were used, state this (see the example below).

A caution on references

AI tools can generate plausible-looking references to works that do not exist ("hallucinations"). Authors must check every citation and reference against the original source before submission.

AI in peer review

Reviewers must preserve the confidentiality of manuscripts under review and must not upload a manuscript, in whole or in part, to a generative-AI tool or any system that does not guarantee confidentiality. Any use of AI in preparing a review must be declared to the editor.

Example declaration statements

AI used in the research (declare in the Methods section):
“Claude Opus 4.8 (Anthropic, accessed May 2026) was used to support thematic coding of qualitative interview transcripts. All AI-generated outputs were reviewed, verified and refined by the research team prior to inclusion in the analysis.”

AI used in manuscript preparation (declare under “Use of AI in manuscript preparation”):
“ChatGPT-4.0 (OpenAI, accessed April 2026) was used to assist with editing and improving the clarity of the language in this manuscript. The authors reviewed all AI-assisted content and take full responsibility for its accuracy and integrity.”

No AI used (declare under “Use of AI in manuscript preparation”):
“No AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”

Further guidance

The Journal's approach is consistent with the position of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) that AI tools cannot be listed as authors. For further guidance, see the ASSAf and SciELO guidelines on the use of AI in scholarly publishing.