The ICMJE 2026 Recommendations: An Author Compliance Checklist

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The ICMJE 2026 Recommendations: An Author Compliance Checklist

International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) revised its Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals in January 2026. The revisions of the recommendations include extended information about AI in publishing, a new section that deals with authors’ access to data, as well as information related to sponsorship, scientific misconduct, registration of clinical trials, and sources of funding. [1]

As far as authors who prepare biomedical manuscripts are concerned, the ICMJE Recommendations 2026 provide an important guide to the above-mentioned aspects.

1. What Changed in the ICMJE Recommendations: 2025 vs 2026?

The 2026 update is particularly relevant to authors because it strengthens expectations around AI use and data access. These ICMJE 2026 author guidelines provide updated considerations for authors preparing and submitting biomedical manuscripts.

Area	2026 change	Author action
AI	New, expanded Section V on AI in publishing	Disclose AI use and follow responsible-use requirements
Data access	New Section III.L.2 on authors’ access to data	Ensure authors can access and review relevant supporting data
Clinical trials	Updated clinical-trial registration guidance	Verify that applicable trials were registered appropriately
Scientific misconduct	Updated guidance	Review manuscript integrity and misconduct obligations
Sponsorship	Updated guidance on sponsor agreements and editorial independence	Review sponsor agreements and protect research independence
Funding/support	Updated reporting expectations	Clearly disclose funding and other relevant support

AI and data access modifications are the most obvious new structural elements; the rest of the areas mentioned can be considered updates rather than new elements.

2. Authorship and Contributor Responsibilities

ICMJE authorship still demands that four things must be fulfilled: significant contributions to the work, being involved in writing and revising it critically, giving final approval of the work, and being accountable for the work. [2]

Things that should be done by authors:

Ensure that all authors listed have met the requirements for authorship.
Acknowledge those contributors who do not qualify for authorship status.
Ensure that all authors agree on the final manuscript.
Satisfy oneself about the responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the work.

3. Conflicts of Interest and Disclosure

The authors should reveal any relevant financial and nonfinancial affiliations and interests that they have. The information provided in an honest manner helps the editors and the readers assess any possible impact on the study.

Authors need to consider their affiliations and interests before submitting their articles and follow ICMJE conflict of interest disclosure requirements.

4. Research Ethics and Participant Protection

Ethics are important in the ICMJE recommendations. Authors should take care to ensure that the study involves ethical considerations in terms of the rights and protection of the subjects and proper consent. [3]

The manuscript should include the necessary information on the methodology and ethics of the research such that the reader understands how the work was carried out.

5. Data Access, Data Sharing, and Clinical Trial Requirements

ICMJE Recommendations of 2026 gives recommendations concerning clinical trials registration, authors’ access to data used for the manuscript and data sharing. It is recommended that all relevant requirements be fulfilled by the authors prior to manuscript submission.

It is recommended that the following requirements be met:

Clinical trial registration: Check whether prospective registration is necessary and register the trial in an acceptable public registry before any participants are enrolled.
Authors’ access to data: All authors must be able to review the data used as the support for the results of the study. In cases of collaboration, at least one academic author should have reviewed primary data and participated in the analysis; agreements on sponsored research should allow the authors access to the data used as the basis for the manuscript.
Data sharing: If the manuscript is a clinical-trial manuscript, it is necessary to provide a data sharing statement as required.
Data availability statements: Include a data availability statement as required by the target journal or specific study requirement.

6. Manuscript Preparation and Reporting

ICMJE still stresses the importance of a well-organised manuscript with proper reporting guidelines. The standard format for original research articles is IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion); however, the structure of the manuscript will differ according to the study.[4]

Authors need to ensure that:

Before submission:

The title and abstract conform to journal specifications.
The methods section contains adequate information about the methodology.
The results are described clearly.
Tables and figures are properly numbered and cited.
References are accurately cited.

The author needs to determine which reporting guideline is appropriate for his/her study, e.g., CONSORT, STROBE, PRISMA, or STARD.

7. Artificial Intelligence in Research Publishing

AI is among the significant current developments that are highlighted in the 2026 Recommendations. There is now a separate Section V in ICMJE on the utilization of AI by authors, AI usage by reviewers, and responsibilities of editors for responsible use of AI.

AI is to be viewed as a tool and not the accountable author. The material generated through AI is to be critically evaluated, and the responsibility of the accuracy and integrity of the material rests with the authors. Significantly, the ICMJE has stated that AI-generated material is not to be the source for references.

8. Submission, Peer Review and Publication Integrity

The authors must look out for possible dangers related to the publishing process as well. They include the duplication of the article, overlapping articles, citing practices, copyright problems, and so-called “pseudo journals”.

It is important to have one more check for the manuscript at the end to make sure it has not been published simultaneously anywhere else. [5]

Author Compliance Checklist

Area	Author Action
Authorship	Confirm qualifying contributions
Disclosure	Report relevant relationships and activities
Ethics	Verify participant protection and approval requirements
Data	Confirm appropriate data access and sharing
Registration	Check clinical trial registration requirements
Reporting	Apply the appropriate study-specific guideline
AI	Follow responsible AI-use requirements
References	Verify every citation and source
Submission	Check journal-specific instructions
Integrity	Confirm originality and avoid duplicate submission

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Conclusion

The problem related to the usage of AI in academic publishing is not whether researchers will use artificial intelligence, but in how responsibly they will apply it. The editing made by humans that enhances language but does not replace the intellectual contribution of the author is becoming increasingly distinguished from content produced by AI and substituting for the work of the researcher.

This is why researchers need to see AI as a controlled helper rather than as a co-author itself. Disclosure of usage, verification, data safety, human accountability, and compliance with the policy of the journal are important for responsible publication. Thus, the best strategy is easy: use AI openly, verify all things, keep information safe, be accountable as a human, and follow the current policy of the journal.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the ICMJE 2026 Recommendations?

The ICMJE 2026 Recommendations are updated guidance for the conduct, reporting, editing, and publication of scholarly work in medical journals. The January 2026 update includes expanded guidance on AI in publishing and new guidance on authors’ access to data.

2. What are the major changes in the ICMJE 2026 author guidelines?

The major changes include expanded guidance on artificial intelligence in publishing, authors’ access to data, clinical trial registration, scientific misconduct, sponsorship and partnerships, and reporting sources of support.

3. What do the ICMJE AI publishing guidelines say about using AI?

Authors who use AI-assisted technologies should disclose their use and describe how the technology was used. AI tools should not be listed as authors, and human authors remain responsible for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and appropriate attribution of the submitted work.

4. What are the ICMJE data access requirements?

The 2026 Recommendations introduce a new section addressing authors’ access to data. Authors should understand their access to the study data and their responsibilities regarding data sharing and reporting.

5. What is ICMJE conflict of interest disclosure?

ICMJE conflict of interest disclosure involves reporting relevant financial and non-financial relationships and activities so that potential influences on the research can be assessed appropriately.

6. Do authors need to disclose AI use in a manuscript?

The ICMJE recommends disclosure of AI-assisted technology use at submission and asks authors to describe how the technology was used in the cover letter and, where applicable, in the submitted work.

7. Can AI-generated content be used as a reference?

The ICMJE states that AI-generated material should not be cited as the primary source. Authors remain responsible for identifying and citing appropriate original sources.

References

(N.d.). Icmje.org. Retrieved August 19, 2026, from https://www.icmje.org/news-and-editorials/updated_recommendation
Gasparyan A. Y. (2013). Authorship and contributorship in scholarly journals. Journal of Korean medical science, 28(6), 801–802. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2013.28
Barrow JM, Brannan GD, Khandhar PB. Research Ethics. [Updated 2022 Sep 18]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books
Ochner, C. N., & Mineo, J. (2020). A Brief Tutorial on Manuscript Preparation: From Journal Selection to Manuscript Review. HCA healthcare journal of medicine, 1(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.36518/2689-0216.1023
Ajuwon A. J. (2018). The Relevance of Integrity in Research and Publication. Malawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi, 30(4), 218. https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v30i4.1