Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidelines

 

Generative AI Policy and Disclosure

Policy on the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of generative artificial intelligence in scholarly publishing.

 

General Principles

The journal recognizes that generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools can assist authors, editors, and reviewers in certain aspects of scholarly communication. However, the use of generative AI must be conducted responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with the principles of research integrity, academic responsibility, confidentiality, and publication ethics.

Generative AI tools may assist with language-related and administrative tasks, but they must not replace human judgment, scholarly expertise, critical evaluation, or responsibility for the content and decisions associated with a manuscript. Authors, editors, and reviewers remain fully responsible for their respective work and decisions.

1. Generative AI Use by Authors

Authors may use generative AI tools to assist with language editing, grammar checking, translation, improving readability, organizing text, and other language-related tasks.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scientific validity of the manuscript. Any information, references, citations, data, statements, or suggestions generated by AI must be carefully checked and independently verified by the authors before inclusion in the manuscript.

Important

Generative AI must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, or falsify data, results, images, references, citations, or other research materials.

Authors must not present AI-generated content as original human-generated scholarly work without appropriate disclosure. Generative AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot take responsibility for the research, approve the final manuscript, disclose conflicts of interest, or participate in accountability for the published work.

If generative AI has been used in the preparation of the manuscript beyond routine spelling, grammar, or formatting assistance, authors should disclose its use in an appropriate statement within the manuscript. The disclosure should identify the purpose and general nature of the AI assistance.

Recommended Author Disclosure Statement

During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used generative AI tools to assist with [language editing/grammar checking/translation/other specified purposes]. All AI-assisted content was reviewed, verified, and revised by the authors. The authors take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and final content of the manuscript.

If generative AI was used to generate or substantially modify content, figures, images, code, or other research materials, the authors should provide additional disclosure describing the nature and extent of such use.

2. Generative AI Use by Editors

Editors may use AI tools for limited administrative or language-related purposes, provided that such use does not compromise editorial independence, confidentiality, fairness, or publication ethics.

Editors must not enter confidential manuscript content, unpublished research findings, personal information, reviewer identities, editorial correspondence, or other non-public information into publicly accessible generative AI systems unless the journal has explicitly authorized a secure system for such use.

Generative AI must not be used as a substitute for editorial judgment. Decisions regarding manuscript screening, peer review, revision, acceptance, rejection, or publication must be made by qualified human editors based on the journal's editorial policies and scholarly standards.

Editors remain responsible for maintaining confidentiality and protecting the intellectual property of authors. AI-generated recommendations must be critically evaluated and must not be used as the sole basis for an editorial decision.

Editors should disclose significant use of generative AI when such use materially contributes to an editorial process, where disclosure is required by the journal or relevant publishing standards.

3. Generative AI Use by Reviewers

Reviewers may use generative AI tools for limited language-related assistance, such as improving the grammar or clarity of their own review comments.

Confidentiality Requirement

Reviewers should not upload or disclose confidential manuscript content, unpublished research, data, figures, tables, supplementary materials, or identifying information about authors into publicly accessible generative AI systems.

Reviewers must independently evaluate the manuscript and remain responsible for the accuracy, relevance, fairness, and confidentiality of their review reports.

Generative AI must not replace the reviewer's scholarly judgment or be used as the sole basis for recommendations concerning acceptance, revision, or rejection.

Reviewers should not use generative AI to generate a complete peer-review report without meaningful human evaluation and critical assessment. Any AI-assisted review content must be carefully checked by the reviewer before submission.

4. Prohibited Uses

The following uses of generative AI are not permitted:

  1. Fabricating or falsifying research data, experimental results, images, figures, tables, or references.
  2. Generating false, unverifiable, or misleading citations or bibliographic information.
  3. Misrepresenting AI-generated content as original scholarly work without appropriate disclosure.
  4. Using generative AI to manipulate research findings or alter results to support a predetermined conclusion.
  5. Uploading confidential manuscripts, unpublished research, reviewer reports, personal information, or other protected material into publicly accessible AI systems without authorization.
  6. Using generative AI as the sole basis for editorial or peer-review decisions.
  7. Listing a generative AI system as an author or co-author.
  8. Using generative AI in a manner that violates copyright, privacy, confidentiality, research integrity, or applicable laws and regulations.

5. Human Responsibility and Verification

The use of generative AI does not reduce or transfer the responsibility of authors, editors, or reviewers. All individuals involved in the publication process must critically evaluate AI-generated content and verify its accuracy before relying on or incorporating it into their work.

Authors are responsible for the scientific content of their manuscripts. Editors are responsible for editorial decisions and the integrity of the editorial process. Reviewers are responsible for the quality, fairness, and confidentiality of their peer-review reports.

6. Transparency and Disclosure

The journal encourages transparent disclosure of substantive generative AI use. The disclosure should state the purpose for which AI was used and should be sufficiently clear to allow readers and the editorial office to understand the role of AI in the preparation of the work.

Routine Assistance

Routine use of basic spelling, grammar, reference management, or formatting software does not necessarily require a separate generative AI disclosure unless the tool uses generative AI in a substantive manner.

The journal reserves the right to request clarification regarding the use of generative AI when necessary to protect research integrity and publication ethics.

7. Final Responsibility

Generative AI tools are considered assistive technologies and not authors, editors, or reviewers. Human participants in the publication process retain full responsibility for their work, decisions, and compliance with the journal's publication ethics.

Any suspected misuse of generative AI, including fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, undisclosed substantive AI-generated content, or violation of confidentiality, may be investigated in accordance with the journal's publication ethics and research integrity procedures.

Publication Ethics and Research Integrity

All authors, editors, and reviewers are expected to use generative AI responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with applicable ethical and scholarly standards.