Ai Policy

 

1. General Provisions

This journal acknowledges that advances in artificial intelligence (AI), including generative artificial intelligence (Generative AI), can support research activities, scholarly writing, and academic publishing processes.

The use of AI technologies is permitted, provided that such use is responsible, transparent, and consistent with the principles of academic integrity and scholarly publication ethics.

This policy applies to all parties involved in the journal publication process, including authors, editors, and peer reviewers.

2. Use of AI by Authors

Authors are permitted to use AI-based tools to support the preparation of scholarly manuscripts, subject to the following conditions:

  1. AI may be used to assist with grammar and spelling correction, sentence structure, translation, and improvements to manuscript readability.
  2. The use of AI in data analysis, programming, visualization, or other research activities must be adequately described in the Methods section if it affects the research process or results.
  3. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, validity, and integrity of the entire manuscript, including any content prepared with the assistance of AI.
  4. Authors must verify all information, references, citations, data, and interpretations generated or assisted by AI.
  5. AI must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, or falsify research data, analytical results, references, or scientific evidence.
  6. The use of AI must respect data confidentiality, personal information protection, copyright, and applicable research ethics requirements.
  7. The use of AI does not diminish authors' academic and ethical responsibility for their published work.

3. AI Cannot Be Listed as an Author

AI tools or systems, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and similar technologies, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of scholarly articles.

Authorship may be attributed only to individuals who meet the criteria for scholarly contribution and are capable of taking responsibility for the substance of the research, approving the final manuscript, and being accountable for the integrity of the published work.

AI does not meet these requirements because it cannot assume the legal and ethical responsibilities associated with authorship.

4. Transparency and Declaration of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI when it has made a substantive contribution to the preparation or development of the manuscript.

The declaration of AI use must, at a minimum, identify the AI tool or system used, the purpose of its use, and the sections of the manuscript or stages of the research process in which it was involved.

The declaration may be included in a section entitled Declaration of AI Use, placed before the References section, or in another section as specified by the journal's requirements.

Example declaration when AI has been used:

"The authors used [name of AI tool] to assist with [purpose of use]. All AI-generated outputs were reviewed, verified, and edited by the authors. The authors take full responsibility for the content and integrity of this article."

Example declaration when AI has not been used:

"The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript."

The use of routine spelling checkers, grammar checkers, or language-editing features that do not generate new scholarly content does not require disclosure, unless otherwise stipulated by the journal's policy.

5. Use of AI in Images, Data, and Visualization

The use of AI to generate or modify images, illustrations, graphs, or scientific visualizations must be transparent and scientifically justifiable.

Authors must ensure that:

  1. AI-generated images or visualizations do not present misleading information.
  2. The use of AI does not alter or remove essential information contained in the research data.
  3. AI-generated images and visualizations are appropriately identified or captioned whenever relevant to the interpretation of the research findings.
  4. The data and research results presented remain verifiable in accordance with the principles of scientific reproducibility.
  5. The use of AI-generated images or content does not violate copyright, privacy, or applicable research ethics requirements.

The journal reserves the right to request original data, methodological documentation, or additional information to verify the validity of materials generated or modified using AI.

6. Use of AI by Editors and Peer Reviewers

Editors and peer reviewers must uphold the confidentiality, objectivity, and integrity of the editorial and peer-review processes. Manuscripts submitted to the journal and all related materials must be treated as strictly confidential.

6.1. Use of AI by Editors

Editors must not use AI to replace their own scholarly judgment or editorial decision-making. Editors must not upload or input manuscripts, portions of manuscripts, or other confidential materials into AI applications for analysis, evaluation, or editorial decision-making. Editorial decisions must be made by the responsible editors based on their independent professional judgment, the scientific quality of the manuscript, and the outcomes of the peer-review process.

6.2. Use of AI by Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers are strictly prohibited from using AI to analyze, evaluate, or formulate peer-review comments on submitted manuscripts. Peer reviewers must not enter or upload manuscripts, portions of manuscripts, or any related confidential materials into AI applications during the peer-review process.

Peer reviewers must conduct their assessments independently, drawing on their own scholarly expertise and critical judgment. All review comments, recommendations, and evaluations must reflect the reviewers' own professional and scientific assessments.

6.3. Accountability and Confidentiality

Editors and peer reviewers remain fully responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of manuscripts, protecting authors' intellectual property, and ensuring the integrity of the editorial and peer-review processes. AI must not be used to substitute for human judgment, scientific evaluation, or editorial decision-making.

Any suspected violation of this policy may be addressed in accordance with the journal's publication ethics and editorial procedures.

7. Policy Violations and Editorial Actions

The journal reserves the right to conduct further investigations when there are indications that AI has been used in a manner inconsistent with the principles of academic integrity and publication ethics.

Violations may include data fabrication or manipulation, the use of fictitious references, the presentation of misleading information, breaches of confidentiality, or the failure to disclose AI use that has substantively influenced the content of an article.

If a suspected violation is identified, the journal may request clarification and supporting evidence from the authors and conduct an assessment in accordance with its editorial procedures.

Depending on the findings of the investigation, the journal may require manuscript revisions, reject the article, issue a correction, or retract the published article if the violation is substantiated and meets the applicable criteria for such action.

AI detection tools must not be used as the sole basis for determining whether a breach of publication ethics has occurred.

8. Responsibilities and Policy Updates

All parties involved in the publication process are responsible for complying with this policy.

The journal may periodically revise its AI use policy in consideration of technological developments, publication ethics standards, and relevant guidelines issued by international organizations, including the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The fundamental principle of this policy is that AI may be used as an assistive tool; however, scientific responsibility, ethical accountability, and academic decision-making remain the responsibility of human beings.