Advanced Functional Materials AI Policy: ChatGPT and Generative AI Disclosure Rules for AFM Authors
Advanced Functional Materials requires AI disclosure under Wiley rules. AI cannot be an author. This guide covers where to disclose, what to disclose, and the consequences of non-compliance for AFM submissions.
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Advanced Functional Materials at a glance
Key metrics to place the journal before deciding whether it fits your manuscript and career goals.
What makes this journal worth targeting
- IF 19.0 puts Advanced Functional Materials in a visible tier — citations from papers here carry real weight.
- Scope specificity matters more than impact factor for most manuscript decisions.
- Acceptance rate of ~~12-18% means fit determines most outcomes.
When to look elsewhere
- When your paper sits at the edge of the journal's stated scope — borderline fit rarely improves after submission.
- If timeline matters: Advanced Functional Materials takes ~~21 day. A faster-turnaround journal may suit a grant or job deadline better.
- If OA is required: gold OA costs ~$5,200 USD. Check institutional agreements before submitting.
Quick answer: The Advanced Functional Materials AI policy follows Wiley's rules calibrated to functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration submissions. AI tools can be used for manuscript preparation but every use must be disclosed in the Methods section, with AFM's editorial team checking specifics at desk-screen. AI cannot be listed as an author of any AFM paper. AI-generated figures and schematics representing original research data are prohibited under AFM's image-integrity standard. Advanced Functional Materials editors treat undisclosed use as a publication-ethics violation per ICMJE + COPE.
Run the AFM submission readiness check which includes an automated AI-disclosure audit, or work through this guide manually. Need broader context? See the AFM journal overview.
The Manusights AFM readiness scan. This guide tells you what Advanced Functional Materials's editors look for when verifying AI disclosure at desk-screen. The scan tells you whether YOUR Methods section has the required language before you submit. We have reviewed manuscripts targeting Advanced Functional Materials and peer venues; the named patterns below are the same ones Jos Lenders and Wiley's AI ethics working group flag at the desk-screen and editorial-board consultation stages. 60-day money-back guarantee. We do not train AI on your manuscript and delete it within 24 hours.
Editorial detail (for desk-screen calibration). Editor-in-Chief: Joern Ritterbusch (Wiley-VCH Weinheim) leads Advanced Functional Materials editorial decisions. Editorial-board listings change; verify the current incumbent at the journal's editorial-team page before quoting the name in a submission cover letter. Submission portal: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/16163028. Manuscript constraints: 200-word abstract limit and 8,000-word main-text cap. We reviewed Wiley's AI policy framework against current AFM author guidelines (accessed 2026-05-08); evidence basis includes both publicly documented Wiley policy and our internal anonymized submission corpus. The applicable word limit at AFM is shown below: 200-word abstract limit and 8,000-word main-text cap.
The manuscript word limit at this journal is 8,000 words for main text (verify article-type-specific caps in the latest author guidelines). The named editorial-culture quirk: AFM editors require device-level demonstration or quantified property comparison to state-of-the-art.
What does Advanced Functional Materials's AI policy require?
AFM authors must follow four rules under Wiley's AI framework, all enforced at desk-screen:
Rule 1: Disclose every AI tool used in manuscript preparation
Authors must name every generative AI tool used, its version, and how it was used. The disclosure goes in the Methods section, not the Acknowledgments. Examples that REQUIRE disclosure at AFM:
- For AFM-targeted manuscripts addressing functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration: using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or similar to draft, polish, or edit manuscript text passing through AFM editorial review
- For AFM submissions: using AI to generate boilerplate text for limitations, ethics statements, or AFM-specific response-to-reviewers letters that cite Wiley's framework
- For Advanced Functional Materials submissions: using AI to translate manuscript text into English from another language, with Wiley expecting disclosure of the source language and translation chain
- For AFM literature reviews: using AI for citation discovery or summarizing prior AFM work; Wiley's policy applies regardless of citation context
- For AFM analytical pipelines: AI-assisted code generation requires Methods + code disclosure under ICMJE + COPE, particularly when code touches functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration analysis
Examples that do NOT require AI disclosure:
- At AFM, using grammar/spell checkers (Word, Grammarly basic) that do not generate new content for the manuscript
- For AFM submissions, using reference managers (Zotero, EndNote) for citation formatting against Wiley's style guide
- For Advanced Functional Materials statistical analysis, using established statistical software (R, Stata, SPSS) where the algorithm is the established tool documented in AFM's methodological norm, not a generative AI
Rule 2: AI cannot be an author
No AI tool can be listed as an author of a AFM paper, particularly for functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration-class submissions. Under Wiley's policy: authorship requires the ability to take responsibility for the content, agree to be accountable for accuracy, and to consent to publication. AI tools cannot do any of these in AFM's editorial framework. This rule is consistent across all Wiley-published journals and applied at AFM's desk-screen.
Rule 3: AI-generated figures are prohibited for original research data
Advanced Functional Materials editorial team does not accept AI-generated images, figures, or schematics that represent original research data in functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration-class submissions. AI tools may assist with figure layout (axis labeling, color schemes) but the underlying data visualization must come from the actual research. AI-generated diagrams used for conceptual illustrations (e.g., a schematic of a hypothesized mechanism) require explicit disclosure and a statement that the diagram is conceptual.
Rule 4: Disclose AI use in peer review participation
Reviewers writing reports for AFM cannot use generative AI to draft their reports without disclosing it to the editor. Some Wiley journals prohibit AI-assisted reviewing entirely; AFM follows Wiley's default of disclosure-required. The editor decides whether the report is acceptable based on disclosure.
How does Advanced Functional Materials's AI policy compare to peer journals?
Rule | AFM stance | Wiley default | ICMJE/COPE alignment |
|---|---|---|---|
AI authorship | Prohibited | Prohibited | ICMJE-aligned |
Disclosure location | Methods section | Methods section | ICMJE-aligned |
AI-generated figures | Prohibited for original data | Prohibited | COPE image-integrity-aligned |
Reviewer AI use | Disclosure required | Disclosure required | COPE peer-review-aligned |
Enforcement intensity | Desk-screen check | Desk-screen check | Pre-publication enforcement |
Source: https://authorservices.wiley.com/ethics-guidelines/ai-policy.html (accessed 2026-05-08) plus AFM author guidelines.
What does AI disclosure look like in a AFM Methods section?
Acceptable disclosure language for AFM submissions:
"For our functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration-focused manuscript at AFM, we used ChatGPT-4o (OpenAI, version dated October 2024) to polish English-language phrasing in the Introduction and Discussion sections. We did not use generative AI for data analysis, figure generation, or substantive manuscript content. All authors reviewed and edited the AI-assisted text and take responsibility for the final manuscript."
Or, for AI-assisted code:
"For this AFM submission addressing functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration, initial Python code for the Bayesian regression analysis was drafted with Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Anthropic, version dated December 2024). All code was reviewed, modified, and validated by the authors before use; the final version is available at [repository URL]. Statistical inference was performed using the established R package brms."
What does NOT pass AFM's desk-screen:
- For AFM addressing functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration: "AI tools were used in manuscript preparation." Too vague for Wiley editorial review of AFM submissions; the AFM editorial team needs the specific tool name, version, and specific use case
- "We acknowledge AI assistance in the Acknowledgments." (Wrong location; must be Methods)
- "ChatGPT helped write this paper." (Insufficient detail on use case)
- No disclosure when AI was used (publication-ethics violation)
What do pre-submission reviews reveal about AFM's AI-disclosure desk-screen failures?
In our pre-submission review work on AFM-targeted manuscripts, three patterns most consistently predict AI-policy desk-screen flags at Advanced Functional Materials. Of the manuscripts we screened in 2025 targeting AFM and peer venues, the patterns below are the same ones Wiley's AI ethics working group flags during editorial review.
AI disclosure missing despite obvious AI-assisted phrasing. AFM editors identify AI-drafted text by patterns like overuse of em-dashes, formulaic transitions ("In conclusion," "Furthermore"), and uniform sentence length variance. When the manuscript shows these patterns but contains no AI disclosure, it triggers an editorial query. Check whether your manuscript reads as AI-assisted
AI disclosure in Acknowledgments instead of Methods. AFM editorial team flags this as a common mistake against functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration submissions. Wiley's policy specifies Methods placement so that the disclosure is part of the methodological record, not a courtesy under AFM's editorial culture. Misplaced disclosures get flagged at desk-screen and require resubmission. Check whether your AI disclosure is in the right section
Generic disclosure language without tool name and version. AFM editorial team requires the specific tool, its version (or access date), and the specific use case. "AI tools were used" without specifics gets returned. Check whether your AI disclosure has the required specificity
What is the AFM AI-policy compliance timeline?
Stage | Duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
Author drafts AI disclosure | 30-60 minutes | Identify all AI use, gather tool versions, write Methods paragraph |
Co-author review of disclosure | 1-2 days | All authors confirm the disclosure is complete and accurate |
Editorial desk-screen check | 1-2 weeks | AFM's editorial team verifies disclosure against the manuscript |
Editorial query (if disclosure incomplete) | 5-10 days | Editor requests revision before sending to peer review |
Reviewer AI-disclosure check | During peer review | Reviewers verify the disclosure matches the manuscript style |
Source: Manusights internal review of AFM-targeted submissions, 2025 cohort.
Submit If
- For Advanced Functional Materials submissions on functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration: the manuscript explicitly discloses every AI tool used, with name, version, and specific use case in the Methods section, calibrated to AFM's editorial expectations
- For AFM: no AI tool is listed as an author; all listed authors meet ICMJE authorship criteria, agree to take responsibility, and Wiley expects this acknowledgment in the cover letter
- For Advanced Functional Materials: figures and schematics representing original research data come from the actual research, not AI generation, with AFM editorial team checking image-integrity at desk-screen
- For AFM submissions: the disclosure includes a statement that all human authors reviewed and edited the AI-assisted text, with Wiley requiring this acknowledgment per ICMJE + COPE
Readiness check
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See score, top issues, and journal-fit signals before you submit.
Think Twice If
- The manuscript shows AI-drafted text patterns (em-dash overuse, formulaic transitions) but contains no AI disclosure; AFM desk-screen will flag this.
- The AI disclosure is in the Acknowledgments instead of the Methods section, against Wiley's explicit guidance.
- The disclosure language is generic ("AI tools were used") without specifying tool name, version, and use case; AFM editors return manuscripts with this gap.
- Any figure or schematic representing original research data was generated by AI; AFM prohibits this regardless of disclosure.
Manusights submission-corpus signal for Advanced Functional Materials. Of the manuscripts our team screened before submission to AFM and peer venues in 2025, the AI-policy compliance gap most consistent across the cohort is generic disclosure language without tool-version specificity. In our analysis of anonymized AFM-targeted submissions, manuscripts with complete AI disclosure (tool name, version, specific use case, all-author confirmation) clear desk-screen at the same rate as manuscripts without AI use; manuscripts with incomplete or missing disclosure trigger editorial queries that add 1-2 weeks to the timeline. Wiley's AI ethics working group reviews disclosures against ICMJE + COPE framework requirements, and Advanced Functional Materials applies that framework consistently with Wiley's broader policy. Recent retractions in the AFM corpus include 10.1002/adfm.202205614, 10.1002/adfm.202100539, and 10.1002/adfm.202307215. Citing any of these without acknowledging the retraction is an automatic publication-ethics flag, separate from AI-disclosure issues.
What can AFM authors do to stay ahead of AI policy changes?
Wiley's AI policy framework continues to evolve as 2026 brings new ICMJE recommendations, COPE guidance refinements, and journal-specific clarifications. AFM authors targeting functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration submissions should track three signals throughout 2026:
Quarterly policy updates from Wiley. Wiley's AI ethics working group reviews the AI framework on a rolling basis. AFM authors who pre-register their disclosure language at submission time tend to face fewer revisions during the 2026 transition period than authors who write boilerplate disclosures.
Field-specific clarifications for functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration. Different research domains see different AI use patterns. AFM's editorial team has been refining what counts as "substantive AI use" versus "ancillary AI assistance" for functional-materials advance with quantified property metrics and device-level demonstration work. Authors who err on the side of more disclosure rather than less avoid the publication-ethics gray zone.
Reviewer disclosure norms. As Wiley extends AI-disclosure rules to peer reviewers, the response rate from AFM reviewers may shift. Authors should expect that AFM reviewers' use of AI tools is now also disclosed and factored into editorial decisions.
- Manusights internal preview corpus (2025 cohort)
Frequently asked questions
Yes, with mandatory disclosure. Advanced Functional Materials follows Wiley's AI policy under the ICMJE + COPE framework. AI tools can be used for language editing, manuscript preparation, and analysis support, but all use must be disclosed in the Methods section. AI cannot be listed as an author, and human authors bear full responsibility for the content.
In the Methods section. Authors must name the specific AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet), its version, and describe how it was used. The disclosure should confirm that all human authors reviewed and take responsibility for the AI-assisted content. AFM's editorial team checks this disclosure during desk-screen.
No. Advanced Functional Materials prohibits AI-generated figures, schematics, and images intended to represent original research data. AI tools may assist with figure layout and labeling, but the underlying data and visualizations must come from the actual research. This rule is part of Wiley's broader image-integrity policy.
AFM treats undisclosed AI use as a publication-ethics violation following COPE guidelines. Consequences range from required correction to expression of concern or retraction, depending on severity. Wiley may notify the authors' institution in serious cases.
The core requirements (disclosure in Methods, no AI authorship, no AI-generated figures) are consistent across Wiley-published journals. AFM applies these rules consistently with Wiley's broader policy framework. The journal-specific element is enforcement intensity at desk-screen, which at AFM is calibrated by afm editors require device-level demonstration or quantified property comparison to state-of-the-art.
Sources
- Wiley AI policy (accessed 2026-05-08)
- AFM author guidelines (accessed 2026-05-08)
- ICMJE recommendations on AI use (accessed 2026-05-08)
- COPE guidance on AI in research publication (accessed 2026-05-08)
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