ICMJE Recommendations: 2026 updates

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) updated its Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals in January 2026. 

While the core of the recommendations remains unchanged, the update introduces two new sections and clarifies some existing guidelines: 

1. The main update is the addition of a new section on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in publishing, with recommendations for authors, reviewers and editors. 

Transparency is key: any use of AI must be disclosed and detailed. Everyone should also remain responsible for the accuracy of any AI-generated content. In addition:

1. Authors: should not list AI as an author, and should ensure that any AI-generated content avoids plagiarism and copyright infringement. Any use of AI should adhere to the journal’s policy.
   1. Reviewers: cannot upload publications in AI tools where confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, without explicit consent of the authors. Any use of AI in the peer-review process should adhere to the journal’s policy or be done with journal’s permission. 
   2. Editors/Publishers: similarly as reviewers, cannot upload publications in AI tools where confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, without explicit consent of the authors. Journals should also establish policies for the use of AI in the manuscript preparation, and in the peer review and production processes.

2. The other new section specifies that all authors should have the opportunity to review study-related data. It also points out that, for collaborations between academic and non-academic institutions, at least one academic author should have accessed the primary data and be able to participate in the analysis.

3. One minor update emphasizes that no agreement must be accepted between authors and study sponsors that would prevent the authors from accessing, or analyzing and interpreting the study data, or from preparing and publishing the manuscript freely.

4. The 2025 Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines are now cited to provide guidance to editors on retracting articles.

5. The ICMJE now clarifies the recommendations for journals to require registration of clinical trials in a public trials registry at or before the time of first patient consent for enrollment, and remind authors to register the trials on registries approved by the World Health Organization.

6. While all sources of support should be disclosed in the manuscript, it is now specified to not list any funding sources or affiliations that have not contributed to the work to avoid misleading readers.