AI Guidelines

Guidelines for using ChatGPT and other Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for submissions to Perspectives in Primary Care

Generative AI” refers to the artificial intelligence programs used to generate content including, but not limited to,
ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, and other chatbots. The policies below also apply to the use of language models, machine
learning, and similar technologies.


One of the goals of Perspectives in Primary Care is to amplify the voices of people working in health care and the
communities they serve. As such, we strongly prefer submissions written without AI assistance. All articles
are reviewed by our editorial team, who can provide support for style and grammar. We encourage you to submit an
article in your own authentic words. However, we acknowledge that AI can be utilized in a variety of ways, including
assistance to authors for whom English is a second language.


All submissions utilizing generative AI must follow these guidelines:

  1. You are responsible for any submitted content that includes AI-generated material. AI-generated
    content can be inaccurate, misleading, or entirely fabricated, or may contain copyrighted material. Review
    your AI-generated content carefully before submission.

  2. You are responsible for providing appropriate attributions/citations for all original sources for the
    AI-generated material. This is to ensure accuracy of the chatbot content and avoid plagiarism.

  3. Only humans can be attributed as authors. Do not list the AI service in the authorship.

  4. Authors must be transparent regarding the use of generative AI. This includes the following:
    1. Authors submitting a paper in which a chatbot/AI tool was used to draft new text must include
      this in a disclaimer at the start of the piece. The disclaimer must include the name of the
      AI tool, the version, and the full text of all prompts used to generate new text or other
      content for submission.
    2. When an AI tool is used to produce analytical work (e.g., generating tables or figures) this
      should also be stated in the body of the paper alongside the relevant content. This
      reporting must include the full prompt used to generate the research results, the time and
      date of query, and the AI tool used and its version.
    3. In the opening disclaimer, authors should specify what they have done to mitigate the risk of
      plagiarism, provide a balanced view, and ensure the accuracy of all their references.

  5. Do not share confidential and protected health information (PHI): Be mindful that information
    shared with generative AI tools using default settings is not private, and these tools retain any text that is
    shared with them.

    Generative AI is a rapidly evolving technology, and our editorial staff will continue to monitor developments and
    adjust our guidelines accordingly. At this time, the editorial staff will not be utilizing chatbots in reviewing
    submissions. Authors will be notified if this should ever change.

    These guidelines were adapted from those of Harvard University, the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

    Thank you,
    Editorial Board of Perspectives in Primary Care
    Last updated: August 2023