Changes to IJDC Submissions

After twenty years of publishing the journal, these updates should be viewed as evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The aim is to simplify manuscript preparation, provide greater transparency around data availability, clarify contributors' roles, and promote the consistent disclosure of artificial intelligence (AI) use.

A Simpler Submission Template

One area where both authors and the production team have found an opportunity for improvement is article preparation. From October 5, 2026, IJDC will adopt a simplified manuscript template based on the APA (7th edition) style guidelines.

The revised template will:

• Reduce formatting complexity for submissions.
• Provide updated and comprehensive guidance on formatting, layout, and style.
• Support a smoother transition through each stage of the publication process.

We hope these changes will allow authors, reviewers, and editors to spend less time formatting and more time focusing on the content of their work. To ensure a smooth production process, however, submissions must continue to use the templates provided on our website.

Required Data Availability Statements

Transparency about access to the data underpinning research findings is now a standard expectation across the research landscape. Funders, institutions, publishers, and readers increasingly expect authors to explain whether and how research data can be accessed.

Both IJDC and our publisher, Edinburgh Diamond, already require authors to provide information about data availability. However, all IJDC submissions must now include a Data Availability Statement as a distinct section within the manuscript.

By making data availability information visible and consistent across publications, we hope to strengthen research reproducibility and support data reuse.

Example:

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from [repository name] under a [name of licence]. Restrictions apply to the availability of these data due to [specify restriction reasons]. Data are available at [link to metadata record DOI].

Optional Contributor Roles Using the CRediT Taxonomy

Research is increasingly collaborative, and traditional author lists do not always communicate the range of contributions made by team members.

Authors may choose to include a CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) (Hosseini et al., 2026). Edinburgh Diamond already recommends this approach, and a few articles already published by IJDC have voluntarily included contributor role information.

The CRediT taxonomy offers a standardized way to describe contributions. Including a CRediT statement can improve accountability, provide recognition for contributors, and help readers better understand how research outputs were produced. For example:

• [Author 1]: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software.
• [Author 2]: Data Curation, Writing - Original Draft.
• [Author 3]: Visualization, Investigation.
• [Author 4]: Supervision.
• [Author 5]: Software, Validation.
• [Author 6]: Writing - Review & Editing.

Required Statement on AI Use

Generative AI technologies are increasingly being incorporated into research and writing workflows. These tools can offer benefits, including improving readability and refining text. However, transparency about their use is essential.

IJDC will require authors to include an AI disclosure statement in their manuscript for reviewers and readers to see. Where no AI tools have been used, authors must say: “No artificial intelligence tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”

Through Edinburgh Diamond, IJDC already follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) position that AI tools cannot be credited as authors and that their use must be disclosed. Authors are still responsible for the accuracy, validity, and integrity of all submitted work, regardless of whether AI tools were used in its preparation.

To support consistent reporting, IJDC will follow the approach outlined by Weaver (2024): The Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework.

The framework states that where AI tools are used during the preparation of a submission, authors must disclose this. For example:

Artificial Intelligence Tool: ChatGPT v4o and Microsoft Copilot (University of Edinburgh institutional instance); Conceptualization: ChatGPT was used to revise research questions; Data Collection Methods: ChatGPT was used to create the first draft of the survey instrument.

Looking Ahead

These changes reflect the Digital Curation Centre's long-term commitment to open, transparent, and responsible scholarly practice. By simplifying manuscript preparation, improving the visibility of research data, recognizing diverse contributions, and encouraging clear disclosure of AI use, these updates help ensure that IJDC's publishing practices continue to reflect evolving expectations for openness, accountability, and scholarly integrity.

We encourage prospective authors to review the updated guidance before preparing a submission. Updated templates, examples, and supporting documentation will be made available through the journal's author guidance.

References

Hosseini, M., Kerridge, S., Allen, L., Kiermer, V., & Holmes, K. (2026). Enhancing, understanding and adoption of the Contributor Roles Taxonomy (CRediT). Learned Publishing, 39(2): e2048. https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.2048

Weaver, K. (2024). The Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) framework: An introduction. College & Research Libraries News, 85(10), 407. https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.85.10.407