How to Rewrite AI Text for Peer-Reviewed Journals
Transform AI-generated drafts into publishable academic manuscripts by verifying facts, restructuring content, and refining language to meet peer-reviewed journal standards.
AI-generated text isn't ready for academic journals. It often contains errors, fabricated citations, and lacks the depth required for rigorous research. Peer-reviewed journals demand originality, accuracy, and adherence to strict ethical and formatting standards—things AI alone cannot deliver.
To transform AI drafts into publishable work:
- Verify facts: Check every claim and citation for accuracy.
- Restructure content: Follow the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion).
- Refine language: Edit to sound natural and professional, avoiding robotic or generic phrasing.
- Ensure originality: Use plagiarism detection tools and disclose AI involvement transparently.
Tools like Human Writes can help refine AI-generated drafts, but the responsibility for accuracy and originality lies with you.
What Peer-Reviewed Journals Expect
Core Requirements of Academic Journals
Peer-reviewed journals set a high bar for submissions, requiring manuscripts to present original analysis and offer fresh perspectives rather than simply rehashing existing information. To meet these expectations, your work should follow a logical structure, most commonly the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion).
Clear and precise language is another non-negotiable. While field-specific terminology is essential, the writing should remain accessible and free from bias. Proper attribution is critical—citations must be accurate, verifiable, and drawn from credible sources. Authors are held accountable for every aspect of their submission, including any use of AI tools during the drafting process. It's worth noting that AI-generated content is not regarded as original authorship, cannot be copyrighted, and often reflects a recycling of the data it was trained on. These stringent requirements highlight why AI-generated text often misses the mark.
Where AI Text Typically Fails
Despite these rigorous standards, AI-generated content frequently falls short. A 2023 study found that 55% of ChatGPT-3.5 outputs and 18% of GPT-4 outputs included fabricated citations. Even when references are legitimate, citation errors persist. Another study revealed that only 72.7% of science citations and 76.6% of humanities citations generated by AI were valid. Shockingly, 61.7% of humanities references included fabricated DOIs.
AI-generated text often suffers from a lack of depth and coherence. It tends to rely on generic, formulaic phrases and abstract language, which can make the content feel disconnected and devoid of meaningful context. Constance Senior, editor-in-chief of a peer-reviewed journal, described the issue succinctly:
It is fairly obvious (to me) to identify such manuscripts, because the text reads like 'word salad', that is, bland, general sentences that do not seem to converge on a clear meaning and lack specific details.
Another red flag is unusually low similarity scores in plagiarism detection tools—AI-generated manuscripts often score between 2–5%, compared to the typical 10–15% for legitimate academic work. These low scores are a tactic to avoid detection but often mask the fact that the content is simply a rewording of previously published studies. Seongjin Hong, a full professor at Chungnam National University in South Korea, shared his experience of encountering over 20 such manuscripts recently. He noted:
Editors and reviewers are skilled at assessing the scientific quality of manuscripts, not at detecting AI-generated fakes.
Other telltale signs include the use of non-institutional email addresses, fake university affiliations, and factual impossibilities that reveal the artificial origins of the work. These issues underscore the importance of rigorous editing and rewriting to bring AI-generated content up to the standards required for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
How to Prepare AI-Generated Text for Rewriting
Review Your AI Text for Problems
Start by taking a critical look at your AI-generated draft. Check for factual inaccuracies and shallow analysis that might hide deeper errors. Pay close attention to citations—AI tools are known for fabricating references that look legitimate but don't actually exist. Double-check details like page numbers, publication dates, and author names to ensure they align with real sources.
Evaluate whether the content includes original analysis or if it leans on generic, surface-level insights. AI often produces predictable, widely known information rather than offering fresh perspectives. Additionally, watch for signs of a robotic tone, repetitive phrasing, or an overly formal style—these can make your draft feel impersonal and disconnected. Once you've pinpointed these issues, reorganize your content to meet academic writing standards.
Fit AI Text into Journal Structure
After identifying weak spots, restructure your draft to align with the IMRaD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion), which is commonly required by peer-reviewed journals. Each section should serve a clear purpose: the introduction sets the stage and outlines your research questions; the methods section should describe your approach in detail, allowing others to replicate it; results need to be presented without bias; and the discussion should connect your findings to the bigger picture in your field.
AI tools can help you create smooth transitions between sections, but it's essential to ensure the final content adheres to the IMRaD structure. This organization not only improves readability but also lays a solid foundation for refining the text further.
Use Human Writes to Improve Your Text
Once your draft is free of errors and properly organized, focus on enhancing its tone and style. Tools like Human Writes can help identify AI-generated sections and provide an AI detection score, which is crucial since journal editors and reviewers may scrutinize content flagged as AI-generated—especially when detection percentages fall between 20–40%.
Human Writes offers various modes to transform robotic-sounding text into natural, polished academic writing while maintaining technical precision. It's compatible with major AI detection platforms like Turnitin and GPTZero, giving you a clear idea of how your manuscript might be evaluated. Start with a 500-word trial to target flagged sections, then use the rewriting features to refine those areas. This method ensures your revisions are focused on the parts that need the most attention, saving time and improving the overall quality of your work.
How to Rewrite AI Text Step by Step
Turning AI-generated text into something polished and ready for publication involves three key steps: verifying the content, improving the structure, and making the language sound more human. Each step ensures the text meets the high standards expected in academic or professional writing.
Verify Content and Check Facts
Start by meticulously checking every fact, statistic, date, and citation in the draft. AI tools can sometimes generate incorrect or entirely fabricated information (commonly referred to as "hallucinations"). Cross-reference all claims with trusted, authoritative sources. This includes verifying the accuracy of cited details like author names, publication dates, and journal titles. Submitting work with faulty references can harm your credibility and jeopardize your chances of publication.
Improve Structure and Flow
Reorganize paragraphs to create a smooth, logical flow. AI-generated text can often feel repetitive or lack variety in sentence structure, so aim to make the writing more engaging by mixing sentence lengths and using transitions like "however", "for instance", or "therefore." If you're using editing tools, select features or modes designed for formal or academic writing to maintain a professional tone. Once the structure is solid, focus on refining the language to make it more natural and readable.
Make Sentences Sound More Human
Eliminate generic phrases and overused expressions like "in today's world" or "it is important to note." Instead, opt for precise, subject-specific terms that add depth to your argument. Vary sentence lengths to create a rhythm that feels dynamic and engaging. Most importantly, weave in your own insights and findings from research, experiments, or fieldwork. These personal contributions not only enrich the content but also ensure it reflects your unique perspective, making it less likely to be flagged as AI-generated.
Final Checks Before Submission
After refining your AI-generated text, it's crucial to perform a thorough review to ensure it aligns with journal standards and ethical guidelines. This step transforms your draft into a polished, submission-ready manuscript.
Check for Originality and Ethical Issues
Use plagiarism detection software to identify any unintended duplication. AI tools may inadvertently incorporate phrases from their training data, so cross-reference all citations with reliable sources like Google Scholar to avoid citation errors.
Be transparent about AI involvement by disclosing its use in the Acknowledgments section. For instance, JMIR Publications introduced policies in August 2023 requiring authors to specify how AI contributed to their work. An example disclosure might read: "This review was conducted with the assistance of [ProductName, Version, from CompanyName, Year]". Similarly, IEEE Access mandates that all AI-generated material, including text, visuals, or code, must be disclosed. If you did not use AI, include a statement in your cover letter affirming this.
It's important to note that AI tools cannot be listed as coauthors. The Committee on Publication Ethics explains:
AI tools cannot meet the requirements for authorship as they cannot take responsibility for the submitted work. As non-legal entities, they cannot assert the presence or absence of conflicts of interest nor manage copyright and license agreements.
The World Association of Medical Editors echoes this sentiment:
Chatbots cannot be authors.
Verify Technical and Style Requirements
Once you've confirmed originality, focus on meeting technical and formatting standards. Ensure citations comply with your target journal's guidelines, whether APA, MLA, or Chicago style. Use U.S. spelling conventions (e.g., "analyze" instead of "analyse") and follow punctuation rules, such as placing periods inside quotation marks. Double-check technical terms and statistical data to ensure accuracy, including proper notation and significance levels. If your journal requires LaTeX formatting, use built-in tools to identify potential errors. While grammar and spell checkers are helpful, don't rely solely on them.
Do a Final Manual Review
Conduct a final read-through of your manuscript with a fresh perspective. You bear full responsibility for the content you submit. As David Resnik, bioethicist at NIEHS and associate editor at Accountability in Research, advises:
Companies warn us that these tools can hallucinate. Instances of fabricated references have been observed. So, humans must provide close oversight and ensure those values in research remain intact when using these new technologies.
Ensure your manuscript reflects authentic, original insights rather than generic AI-generated language. Confirm that all claims and citations are accurate and align with your research findings. Be vigilant for any lingering bias or stereotypes introduced by AI, and maintain a consistently academic tone with logical transitions across sections.
Conclusion
Transforming AI-generated drafts into polished academic manuscripts requires careful attention and a human touch. This process involves verifying facts, restructuring content for clarity, refining language to ensure it sounds natural, and conducting thorough originality and ethics checks.
AI tools can be valuable for improving writing efficiency, but they should never replace human expertise, critical thinking, or the originality that underpins academic work. Over-reliance on AI can increase the risk of detection and may violate academic guidelines.
As the author, you are ultimately responsible for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of your manuscript, including any sections refined with AI assistance. Double-check every claim and citation since AI tools are prone to fabricating references, which could jeopardize your submission.
Platforms like Human Writes can streamline the rewriting process by offering tools for rephrasing, improving word choice and tone, and ensuring compliance with AI detection standards. Features such as grammar checks, sentence restructuring, and compatibility with detection platforms like Turnitin and GPTZero are specifically designed to support academic writing while adhering to the principles outlined above.
To achieve successful publication, focus on transparency, accountability, and adherence to journal policies. Disclose any use of AI in the Acknowledgments section, ensure your manuscript reflects your original insights, and confirm that all technical and formatting requirements are met before submission.
FAQs
How can I adapt AI-generated content to meet academic journal standards?
To tailor AI-generated content for academic journals, begin by reworking the text extensively to match your personal academic tone and style. Concentrate on rephrasing and reorganizing sentences while preserving their original intent. Use AI tools sparingly—no more than 20-30% of the total work—particularly when it comes to central arguments or unique ideas. Lastly, double-check that all sources are correctly cited and formatted in line with the journal's requirements to maintain academic integrity.
What challenges can arise when using AI-generated text for peer-reviewed journals?
Using AI-generated text for peer-reviewed submissions comes with its own set of hurdles. Among the most common are fabricated or inaccurate references, risks of plagiarism, and biased outputs that might not meet the expectations of academic rigor. Over-reliance on AI can also weaken critical writing skills, leading to submissions that lack a unique, scholarly perspective.
Another pressing issue is the challenge of identifying AI-generated content. Existing detection tools are not always dependable, making it tough to verify compliance with journal standards. To meet the demanding criteria of academic publishing, it's crucial to carefully review and refine AI-generated material to ensure it is accurate, original, and aligned with the required tone and style.
How does using the IMRaD format enhance AI-generated drafts for academic journals?
The IMRaD format offers a clear and organized framework for structuring AI-generated drafts, making them easier to read and understand. This widely used structure—Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion—is a staple in academic writing, especially for peer-reviewed journals.
By adhering to this format, drafts not only become more professional in appearance but also communicate research findings in a straightforward and logical way. This approach helps reviewers and readers quickly grasp the purpose, methodology, and significance of the research, streamlining the evaluation process.
Ready to transform your AI drafts into publication-ready manuscripts? Try Human Writes to refine your academic writing while maintaining originality and integrity.