Announcements
19 September 2025
Peer Review Week | A Word from the Publishers of Materials
As Peer Review Week is coming to an end and important topics have been discussed, we, as Publishers of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944), wanted to conclude with a few thoughts on the main topic of this week: “Rethinking Peer Review in the AI Era”. In this way, we wanted to join the global discussion as well.
There is a community who has a skeptical relationship with AI. Discussions about the negative sides of its usage are rising. AI may reduce emphasis on innovation and rigor in academic writing; mass-generated papers could become highly homogenized, lacking individual style; authors face new challenges in protecting their intellectual property; the collection and analysis of vast amounts of researcher data raise serious concerns about privacy and data security; and the use of AI may exacerbate academic misconduct.
It is clear that there are challenges in scientific journal editing and publishing in the AI era. The quality of AI-generated content varies significantly, with fraudulent papers and reports wasting substantial publishing resources and time, thereby hindering the publication and dissemination of truly valuable research. Legal risks remain difficult to mitigate: Issues concerning the ownership and protection of copyright for AI-generated content not only challenge the adaptability and innovation of legal systems but also require collaborative efforts among legal, technological, and societal sectors to explore more reasonable, fair, and feasible solutions. Overreliance on AI may lead to excessive dependence on external technology providers, limiting the potential for in-house technological development within publishing organizations.
On the other hand, there is a space where we can use AI as a tool and as help to facilitate innovation in publishing industry. If AI is used as a carefully designed program for a specific company’s purpose, then AI assists in the initial review of manuscripts, detecting academic misconduct and ensuring integrity, including plagiarism and image manipulation detection; recommends or verifies suitable peer reviewers, helps with detection of any bias; supports editing and proofreading; optimizes titles and polishes abstracts; helps journals develop thematic guidelines; analyzes research trends and advancements within fields, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis; generates intelligent summaries; and provides translation services.
In the editorial and publishing process, it is essential to clearly define which stages are suitable for the application of generative AI and establish corresponding guidelines to ensure appropriate use and positive development. Efficient and accurate detection algorithms should be developed to monitor AI-generated content in real time or periodically. A robust public feedback mechanism should be established to encourage societal oversight of published content.
The publishing industry and the tech community should deepen cross-sector collaboration, engaging in in-depth discussions on the boundaries, rules, and value orientation of AI applications in academia, striving to achieve broad consensus. Journal publishing institutions must take concrete responsibility for content review and management, implementing clear labeling standards for AI-generated material.
We endorse the use of AI tools by authors and reviewers to assist research activities under compliance with the following guidelines:
- Authors must disclose the purpose, names, and specific functions of AI tools used at the time of submission;
- Generating core academic content—including but not limited to hypotheses, conclusions, and image data—using AI is strictly prohibited;
- Reviewers are not permitted to input manuscript content into unauthorized platforms and must not use AI to generate peer review reports;
- Any use of AI must not violate confidentiality, originality, or data protection regulations.
Non-compliance will result in immediate rejection of the manuscript or suspension of review privileges.
Editorial Office of Materials,
Publishers
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Dr. Echo Zhang |
Ms. Wency Zhang |
