AI Use Policy

Journal Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Research and Manuscript Preparation, etc.

1. Purpose

This policy provides guidance on the ethical and transparent use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the preparation, submission, review, and publication of manuscripts.

2. Acceptable Uses of AI

Authors may use AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Grammarly, Microsoft Copilot) for purposes such as:

- Improving grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language clarity.
- Enhancing readability and formatting.
- Translating text while ensuring the scientific meaning is preserved.
- Assisting with coding, data visualization, or statistical programming, provided the outputs are verified by the authors.
- Brainstorming ideas or generating outlines, provided the final intellectual content is the authors’ own.

3. Unacceptable Uses of AI

AI tools must not be used to:

- Fabricate, falsify, or manipulate research data, images, or results.
- Generate fake references or citations.
- Create misleading or plagiarized content.
- Replace critical scientific reasoning, interpretation, or conclusions.
- Circumvent ethical approval or research integrity standards.

4. AI Cannot Be an Author

AI tools or chatbots cannot be listed as authors because they:

- Cannot take responsibility for the work.
- Cannot approve the final manuscript.
- Cannot meet internationally recognized authorship criteria (e.g., ICMJE).

5. Author Responsibility

Authors remain fully responsible for:

- The accuracy of all content generated or assisted by AI.
- Verifying all facts, references, analyses, and interpretations.
- Ensuring originality and avoiding plagiarism.
- Compliance with research ethics and journal policies.

6. Disclosure Requirement

If AI tools have been used beyond routine language editing, authors must disclose their use in a separate section entitled “AI Use Statement” before the References or in the Acknowledgments. If no AI tools were used, no disclosure is required.

7. Data Privacy

Authors should not upload confidential, proprietary, sensitive, or personally identifiable information to public AI systems unless they have appropriate authorization and doing so complies with applicable laws and institutional policies.

8. Peer Review

Editors and reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts or review materials into public AI tools without prior authorization from the journal and the manuscript authors, as doing so may compromise confidentiality.

9. Editorial Use of AI

Editors may use AI tools for administrative purposes such as checking language quality or identifying potential reporting issues. Editorial decisions, peer-review assessments, and publication decisions must always be made by qualified human editors.

10. Detection and Compliance

The journal uses plagiarism detection tools and may use other editorial assessment methods to evaluate manuscripts. Authors may be asked to clarify or explain the use of AI during the editorial process. Failure to disclose significant AI use or misuse of AI may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or other actions in accordance with the journal’s publication ethics policy.