Who Owns the Argument? A Practical Test for Author Responsibility in <scp>AI</scp> ‐Assisted Scholarly Writing

Summary Disclosure reveals whether AI tools were used, but does not clarify who retains responsibility for the argument. The main governance concern in AI‐assisted writing is not tool use itself but the delegation of reasoning. The proposed RPT test (Reasoning–Process–Traceability) asks whether authors can defend the reasoning behind claims, clarify how AI entered the writing process, and trace substantive claims to identifiable sources. Publishers and journals may benefit from guidance that distinguishes wording assistance from argument‐level substitution.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Learned Publishing
Published
2026-05-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/leap.2066
Primary Topic
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Who Owns the Argument? A Practical Test for Author Responsibility in AI ‐Assisted Scholarly Writing

Malcolm Koo, Ming‐Chi Lu
Learned Publishing
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
article

Who Owns the Argument? A Practical Test for Author Responsibility in AI ‐Assisted Scholarly Writing

Malcolm Koo, Ming‐Chi Lu
article en

Abstract

Summary Disclosure reveals whether AI tools were used, but does not clarify who retains responsibility for the argument. The main governance concern in AI‐assisted writing is not tool use itself but the delegation of reasoning. The proposed RPT test (Reasoning–Process–Traceability) asks whether authors can defend the reasoning behind claims, clarify how AI entered the writing process, and trace substantive claims to identifiable sources. Publishers and journals may benefit from guidance that distinguishes wording assistance from argument‐level substitution.

Learned PublishingVol. 39(3)
University of Toronto (CA), Tzu Chi University (TW), Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center (TW), Public Health Ontario (CA), Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation (US)
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.