AI in Publishing Policy

Policy on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI)

This policy defines the journal’s position on the ethical, transparent, and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Generative AI (GenAI) and AI-assisted technologies, in the preparation of manuscripts submitted to the journal. The purpose of this policy is to safeguard academic integrity, ensure accountability, and maintain the reliability of the scholarly record.

1. Authorship and Accountability

AI Cannot Be an Author
AI tools and AI-assisted technologies (e.g., Large Language Models, Generative AI systems) do not meet internationally accepted authorship criteria. AI systems cannot assume responsibility for the content, originality, or integrity of scholarly work. Therefore, AI tools or software must not be listed as authors or co-authors on any submitted manuscript.

Full Responsibility of Authors
Authors bear full responsibility for the entire content of their manuscripts, including any sections that were generated, edited, translated, or enhanced using AI tools. This responsibility covers the accuracy of information, originality of content, proper citation of sources, and compliance with ethical and publication standards.

Mandatory Human Oversight
All use of AI tools must be conducted under direct human supervision. Authors are required to critically evaluate, revise, and validate any AI-generated output to ensure scientific accuracy, methodological soundness, and ethical compliance.

2. Transparency and Disclosure

Mandatory Disclosure of AI Use
Authors are required to clearly and transparently disclose any use of AI or AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of their manuscript.

Information to Be Disclosed
The disclosure must include:

  • The name of the AI tool(s) used (e.g., ChatGPT [OpenAI], Bard [Google], Grammarly, GPT-4, Midjourney).

  • The specific purpose(s) of AI use (e.g., language editing, grammar checking, drafting specific sections, brainstorming, data analysis assistance, or image generation).

  • The extent of AI involvement, described briefly but explicitly.

Location of Disclosure
Disclosure of AI use should be included in one of the following sections:

  • Acknowledgements (recommended for general language or writing assistance);

  • Methods section (if AI was used for data analysis, coding, or methodological support);

  • A dedicated Declaration of AI Use statement placed before the References section or as a footnote on the title page.

Example Disclosure Statements

  • Text assistance:
    “Portions of this manuscript were drafted and/or edited using ChatGPT-4 (OpenAI) to improve language clarity and readability. All AI-generated content was reviewed, revised, and validated by the authors, who take full responsibility for the final manuscript.”

  • Image generation:
    “Figure X was generated with the assistance of Midjourney v5. The authors designed the prompts and edited the output to ensure scientific accuracy and relevance.”

3. Permissible Uses of AI (With Disclosure)

Provided that full disclosure is made, AI tools may be used for the following purposes:

  • Language and Grammar Refinement: Improving spelling, grammar, readability, and sentence structure.

  • Drafting Support: Assisting with initial drafts of non-research-critical sections (e.g., parts of the Introduction or Discussion), which must be substantially reviewed and revised by the authors.

  • Brainstorming and Structuring: Supporting idea generation, outlining, or conceptual organization of manuscripts.

  • Data Analysis and Visualization Assistance: Supporting data processing, analysis, or visualization, provided that results are verifiable, reproducible, and fully explained in the Methods section.

  • Literature Summarization: Assisting in summarizing existing literature, with authors responsible for ensuring accuracy and proper citation of original sources.

4. Prohibited Uses of AI

The following uses of AI and AI-assisted technologies are strictly prohibited:

  • Fabrication of Content: Generating fictitious data, results, experiments, or references.

  • Plagiarism and Misattribution: Presenting AI-generated content as entirely original human work without appropriate disclosure or attribution.

  • Replacement of Core Intellectual Contribution: Using AI to perform essential scholarly tasks such as formulating original hypotheses, designing experiments, interpreting novel results, or drawing original conclusions.

  • Breach of Confidentiality: Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts or peer-review materials to publicly accessible AI tools, as this may violate confidentiality, copyright, and ethical standards.

  • Misrepresentation of Research: Using AI to intentionally mislead readers regarding research methods, findings, or conclusions.

5. Consequences of Policy Violations

Non-compliance with this policy constitutes a serious breach of publication ethics. Violations may result in one or more of the following actions:

  • Rejection of the manuscript during the review process;

  • Retraction of a published article;

  • Temporary or permanent prohibition of the author(s) from submitting to the journal;

  • Notification of the author(s)’ affiliated institution(s) and relevant ethics or academic integrity committees.

6. Policy Review and Updates

This policy will be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect developments in AI technologies and evolving best practices in scholarly publishing ethics.