GenAI Use Policy

GenAI Use Policy

This policy outlines the journal's position on the ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the preparation, review, and editorial management of manuscripts submitted for publication. This policy aims to ensure transparency, accountability, confidentiality, and the integrity of the scientific record.

  1. Authorship and Accountability
  • AI Cannot Be an Author: AI tools and AI-assisted technologies, such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI, do not meet the criteria for authorship because they cannot take responsibility for the content, integrity, or originality of a work. Therefore, AI tools or software cannot be listed as authors of any submitted manuscript.
  • Full Responsibility of Authors: Authors remain fully responsible and accountable for the entire content of their submitted manuscript, including any parts generated, edited, or enhanced using AI tools. This responsibility includes the accuracy, integrity, originality, and ethical compliance of the scholarly work. Authors must verify the factual accuracy of all statements, citations, data, and figures generated with the assistance of AI.
  • Human Oversight Required: The use of AI tools must remain under direct human supervision. Authors are required to critically evaluate, edit, and revise any material generated by AI to ensure compliance with scientific standards, accuracy, and ethical guidelines.
  1. Transparency and Disclosure of AI Use
  • Mandatory Disclosure: Authors are required to disclose the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of their manuscript. Such disclosure must be explicit, specific, and transparent.
  • Information to Be Disclosed: The disclosure should include:
    • The name of the AI tool used;
    • The specific purpose for which the AI tool was used;
    • The section or stage of the manuscript in which AI was used; and
    • The extent of AI involvement in the preparation of the manuscript.
  • Where to Disclose: Disclosure of AI use may generally be included in the Acknowledgements section, Methods section, or a dedicated "Declaration of AI Use" statement, depending on the nature and extent of AI involvement.
  1. Permitted Uses of AI by Authors

AI tools may be used to assist authors, provided that their use is fully disclosed and remains under the authors' responsibility, including for:

  • language and grammar refinement;
  • assistance in preparing initial drafts of specific sections;
  • brainstorming and idea development;
  • assistance with data processing, analysis, or visualization, provided that the results can be verified and reproduced;
  • summarizing existing literature, provided that the summaries are verified against the original sources; and
  • other technical assistance that does not replace the authors' primary intellectual contributions.
  1. Use of AI by Reviewers

Because reviewers are granted access to unpublished and confidential manuscripts, the use of AI by reviewers is subject to stricter requirements.

  • Confidentiality of Manuscripts: Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of all information contained in manuscripts, including their content, data, methodology, research findings, authors' identities where the review process is anonymous, and any other information obtained during the peer-review process.
  • Prohibition on Uploading Manuscripts to External AI Tools: Reviewers must not upload, enter, copy, paste, or otherwise provide any part of a manuscript under review to external generative AI tools or AI services, particularly services that may store, process, or use submitted information for model training. This prohibition applies to the manuscript in whole or in part, including the abstract, tables, figures, data, supplementary materials, and reviewer comments.
  • AI Must Not Replace the Reviewer's Judgment: Reviewers must not use AI to replace their own professional judgment, critical analysis, interpretation, or scholarly recommendations. Reviewers' assessments and recommendations must be based on their own expertise and independent evaluation.
  • Limited Use for Administrative or Language Assistance: Reviewers may use AI for limited purposes that do not involve disclosing confidential manuscript information, such as improving the grammar or general wording of their review report. Such use must not involve copying manuscript content or confidential information that could reveal the identity of the authors or disclose the substance of the manuscript.
  • Verification of AI-Generated Output: Where AI use is permitted in a particular context, reviewers remain fully responsible for verifying the accuracy, relevance, and appropriateness of any AI-generated output. Reviewers must not rely solely on AI-generated output as the basis for their publication recommendations.
  • Conflict of Interest: The use of AI must not interfere with the reviewer's obligation to disclose any potential conflict of interest. Reviewers must declare any actual or potential conflict of interest and, where appropriate, decline the review assignment in accordance with the journal's policies.
  • Responsibility for the Review Report: Reviewers remain solely responsible for the content of their review reports and recommendations submitted to the editor. The use of AI, where permitted, does not transfer this responsibility to the AI provider or developer.
  • Compliance with Journal Policies: Reviewers must comply with the journal's policies, confidentiality requirements, and applicable standards of peer-review ethics. If a reviewer cannot complete a review without using AI to process manuscript content externally, the reviewer must notify the editor and must not use such AI tools on the manuscript.
  1. Use of AI by Editors

Editors have the same obligation to protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and information obtained during the editorial process.

Editors must not enter manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, or other confidential information into external AI systems where doing so may result in the disclosure, storage, or use of such information outside the journal's editorial system.

AI must not be used as a substitute for editorial decision-making. Decisions regarding the acceptance, revision, or rejection of manuscripts must remain the responsibility of the editor and must be based on scholarly considerations, ethical standards, journal policies, and reviewer assessments.

  1. Prohibited Uses of AI by Reviewers and Editors

Reviewers and editors are prohibited from using AI to:

  • upload or process confidential manuscripts through AI systems that have not been specifically approved by the journal;
  • automatically generate or prepare review reports based on manuscripts under review;
  • make decisions regarding manuscript acceptance or rejection solely on the basis of AI-generated output;
  • enter research data, personal information, authors' identities, reviewer reports, or confidential editorial correspondence into AI systems;
  • use AI to obtain personal, academic, or commercial benefits from information obtained through the peer-review process;
  • use AI in a manner that could compromise the identity of authors or reviewers in an anonymous peer-review process; and
  • use AI for any other purpose that may compromise the independence, objectivity, confidentiality, or integrity of the peer-review process.
  1. Consequences of Misuse

Failure to comply with this policy regarding the ethical use of AI and AI-assisted technologies will be considered a serious breach of publication ethics.

For authors, violations may result in:

  • rejection of the submitted manuscript;
  • retraction of a published article;
  • prohibition from submitting manuscripts to the journal in the future; and/or
  • notification to the author's affiliated institution and relevant ethics committee.

For reviewers or editors, violations involving confidentiality or inappropriate use of AI may result in:

  • termination or withdrawal of reviewer/editor assignments;
  • removal or reconsideration of affected review reports;
  • reporting to relevant authorities or affiliated institutions where appropriate; and/or
  • other actions in accordance with the journal's ethical and governance policies.

This policy will be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect developments in AI technology and evolving ethical standards in scholarly publishing.