Artificial intelligence entered scientific practice faster than the research community could establish shared rules for its use. Researchers already use AI for translation, editing, structuring text, preparing drafts, and navigating information, yet often remain unsure what should be documented, how the tool’s contribution should be described, and where the boundary lies between assistance and substitution for scientific judgment.

The VALENCE project emerged in response to this uncertainty. In 2026, Russian Chemical Reviews published the article “Artificial Intelligence in the Preparation of Scientific Articles,” which formulated seven VALENCE principles — Verify, Acknowledge, Limit, Edit, No AI authorship, Cite & protect, Ensure standards. Their overall message is simple: AI may be used, but responsibility for the scientific content always remains with the researcher.

S. M. Aldoshin, V. P. Ananikov, I. P. Beletskaya, A. A. Berlin, L. B. Boinovich, V. I. Bukhtiyarov, A. A. Voshkin, Yu. G. Gorbunova, K. V. Grigorovich, U. M. Dzemilev, M. P. Egorov, I. L. Eremenko, V. K. Ivanov, S. N. Kalmykov, V. P. Kolotov, A. L. Maximov, A. M. Muzafarov, B. F. Myasoedov, O. G. Sinyashin, K. A. Solntsev, A. R. Khokhlov, A. Yu. Tsivadze, A. A. Yaroslavov, A. B. Yaroslavtsev.

DOI 10.59761/RCR5247

The article was the result of a dedicated collective effort by 24 scientists representing leading research organizations and the editorial community of Russian chemistry journals. VALENCE was developed not as a private opinion, but as an attempt to establish a shared and practically applicable set of principles and rules for authors, editors, and reviewers.

The author team includes editors-in-chief and editorial board members of Russian chemistry journals. Of the 24 scientists, 21 are Academicians of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and 3 are Corresponding Members of the RAS; two co-authors of the article are Vice-Presidents of the RAS. Together, the authors represent 13 leading research organizations.

VALENCE is designed as a set of principles for calm, transparent, and effective use of new tools. The rules help distinguish useful automation from situations in which scientific responsibility begins to be shifted to a machine.

This approach is especially important for scientific progress: a prohibitive logic encourages people to hide the use of new technologies, whereas a clear system of disclosure and verification builds trust and allows useful tools to be adopted quickly. VALENCE promotes not fear of AI, but a culture of its professional use.

The original article addresses the needs of the chemistry and editorial communities and deliberately focuses on preparation of the text of a scientific publication. However, the core of VALENCE — transparency, verification, limiting the role of AI, authorial revision, no AI authorship, proper citation, and adherence to standards — is universal.

The mission of VALENCE therefore extends beyond a single discipline. The project is intended to provide a clear starting point for researchers across the natural and engineering sciences, medicine and life sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. Each field can and should develop specific additions reflecting the characteristics of its own research practice.

The VALENCE project is being developed as an open access point to the idea itself, practical guidance, and ready-to-use wording for authors and editors. Russian and English versions are intended to make the rules convenient for international use, while future development may include adaptations across different disciplines, educational materials, and examples of editorial policies.

The project’s central goal remains unchanged: not to slow the use of AI in science, but to make it mature, transparent, and professional. New tools should expand the researcher’s capabilities without diluting authorship, the quality of scientific work, or the scientist’s responsibility.