Reviewed by Lexie CornerSep 4 2024
A professor at Boston University's Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine is exploring how AI can revolutionize manuscript writing, peer review, and editorial decision-making. The study has been published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly prevalent in medicine and society, taking on various roles. In medicine, its potential is still unfolding, but it is expected to aid in diagnosis, discharge summaries, consultative evaluations, and image analysis (such as radiographs, pathological reports, and colonoscopy videos). Additionally, AI may help achieve the long-anticipated goals of precision medicine. Furthermore, AI has already had, and will increasingly play, a significant role in two key areas of scientific publication: manuscript preparation and the peer review process.
Howard Bauchner, MD, a former editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was involved in the study.
Potentially, it may help editors increase the influence of their journals.
Howard Bauchner, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University
Bauchner explores the potential applications of AI for editors in a guest editorial published in the European Journal of Emergency Medicine.
Bauchner explained, “Given that identifying enough peer-reviewers is getting increasingly difficult, editors could use AI to provide an initial ‘score.’ An article with what is determined to have a good score could then be sent for external peer-review (with simply a cursory review by the editors). For articles with an inadequate score, the editors could still consider it for publication after reviewing it or even possibly, depending upon the report, ask authors to revise the manuscript.”
Bauchner wonders if editors should use the information when AI becomes available to predict citations, which affects the journals' impact factor.
Howard Bauchner notes, “First, editors should establish a vision for their journal–what is its mission–and is an individual article consistent with the mission and ‘in scope.’ Second, editors need to carefully consider the role of value-added pieces. How do they enhance the value of the journal? Third, editors need to maximize the reach of their journal, particularly in social media.”
Journals are communication networks. Fourth, editors need to understand the meaning of open science, including open peer review, data-sharing, and open access. After an editor has thought through these issues, then yes, having AI assist in determining how much an article would be cited–assuming the results of the study are valid, and simply not meant to attract attention–is reasonable.
Howard Bauchner, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University
Bauchner emphasizes that AI will not replace editors or peer reviewers; rather, it will offer more details about a manuscript's quality, enabling quicker and more objective manuscript triage.
AI will play an increasing role in scientific publication–particularly in peer-review and drafting of manuscripts. Given that in both areas, there are important challenges, investigators, peer-reviewers, editors, and funders should welcome the assistance that AI will provide.
Howard Bauchner, MD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University
Journal Reference:
Bauchner, H. (2024) Artificial intelligence and the future of scientific publication. European Journal of Emergency Medicine. doi.org/10.1097/MEJ.0000000000001164