Water Research AI Policy: ChatGPT and Generative AI Disclosure Rules for Water Research Authors

Acceptable disclosure language for Water Research submissions:

"For our water research with quantified water-quality data and treatment or policy-relevance implications-focused manuscript at Water Research, 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 Water Research submission addressing water research with quantified water-quality data and treatment or policy-relevance implications, 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 Water Research's desk-screen:

• For Water Research addressing water research with quantified water-quality data and treatment or policy-relevance implications: "AI tools were used in manuscript preparation." Too vague for Elsevier editorial review of Water Research submissions; the Water Research editorial team needs the specific tool name, version, and specific use case

• "We acknowledge AI assistance in the Acknowledgments." (Do not rely on this location unless the current journal policy explicitly allows it.)

• "ChatGPT helped write this paper." (Insufficient detail on use case)

• No disclosure when AI was used (publication-ethics violation)

For Water Research-targeted manuscripts, the patterns below are common AI-policy risk areas to check against the publisher's current guidance before submission. Of the manuscripts we screened in 2025 targeting Water Research and peer venues, the patterns below are common policy-risk areas we see in submissions and check against the publisher's current guidance.

AI disclosure missing despite obvious AI-assisted phrasing. Substantive AI-assisted drafting without a required disclosure can trigger an editorial query. Check whether your manuscript reads as AI-assisted

AI disclosure placed in the wrong manuscript location. Water Research editorial team flags this as a common mistake against water research with quantified water-quality data and treatment or policy-relevance implications submissions. Publisher policies differ on whether AI disclosure belongs in Methods, a dedicated AI-use statement, acknowledgments, or another manuscript section. A misplaced disclosure can create an avoidable submission query. Check whether your AI disclosure is in the right section

Generic disclosure language without tool name and version. Water Research 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

Source: Manusights internal review of Water Research-targeted submissions, 2025 cohort.

Elsevier's AI policy framework continues to evolve as 2026 brings new ICMJE recommendations, COPE guidance refinements, and journal-specific clarifications. Water Research authors targeting water research with quantified water-quality data and treatment or policy-relevance implications submissions should track three signals throughout 2026:

Quarterly policy updates from Elsevier. The publisher's public AI policy guidance is updated over time. Water Research 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 water research with quantified water-quality data and treatment or policy-relevance implications. Different research domains see different AI use patterns. Water Research's editorial team has been refining what counts as "substantive AI use" versus "ancillary AI assistance" for water research with quantified water-quality data and treatment or policy-relevance implications work. Authors who err on the side of more disclosure rather than less avoid the publication-ethics gray zone.

Reviewer disclosure norms. As Elsevier extends AI-disclosure rules to peer reviewers, the response rate from Water Research reviewers may shift. Authors should expect that Water Research reviewers' use of AI tools is now also disclosed and factored into editorial decisions.

• Manusights internal preview corpus (150+ Water Research-targeted manuscripts, 2025 cohort)

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