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Editorial & Publication Policy

Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy

This policy governs the responsible use and disclosure of generative AI by authors, reviewers, editors, and journal staff.

updated26 July 2026
E-ISSN2986-8475

1. Core principles

  • human authors, reviewers, and editors remain responsible and accountable for their work and decisions;
  • AI output must not be treated as authoritative without verification;
  • confidential manuscripts, participant data, reviewer reports, and editorial correspondence must not be uploaded to public AI services;
  • AI cannot be listed as an author, reviewer, editor, source, or responsible contributor;
  • AI use must comply with copyright, privacy, data protection, research ethics, and third-party terms.

2. Permitted and prohibited author use

Authors may use AI-assisted tools for language and readability support when permitted by this policy, provided that they review, verify, and disclose the use.

  • Permitted with disclosure: language improvement, grammar, readability, or formatting assistance that does not replace scholarly analysis.
  • Research method: if AI is an object, instrument, or analytic method, describe the tool, provider, model/version, access date, inputs, parameters/prompts where relevant, validation, human oversight, bias, and limitations in Methods.
  • Prohibited: fabrication of data, participants, quotations, images, sources, results, reviews, or references; undisclosed generation of substantive argument; uploading confidential data without lawful authority.

3. Required disclosure

Suggested statement: During preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [tool, provider, model/version] for [specific purpose]. All output was reviewed and edited by the authors, who take full responsibility for the content. No confidential participant data or unpublished third-party material was uploaded.
No-use statement: The authors did not use generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in the writing or preparation of this manuscript.

4. Images, figures, audio, and video

  • generative AI must not create or alter original research images or data in a misleading manner;
  • ordinary adjustments are permissible only when applied consistently and when they do not obscure, remove, or introduce information;
  • AI-generated graphical abstracts, illustrations, or cover art require prior editorial approval, rights clearance, and clear disclosure;
  • when AI image analysis is part of the method, authors must provide reproducible details and may be asked for original files.

5. Reviewers

Reviewers must not upload a manuscript, extract, data, figure, or review report to a public or externally retained AI system. Peer review is a human scholarly responsibility. AI must not generate the evaluation, recommendation, or confidential report.

6. Editors and journal staff

Editors and staff must not upload submissions, reports, author data, ethics records, allegations, or decision letters to public AI services. AI must not make editorial decisions, select reviewers autonomously, or replace conflict, ethics, reference, or integrity assessment.

7. Assessment of suspected AI use

AI detectors are not sufficiently reliable to prove misconduct on their own. Concerns are assessed using the manuscript, disclosures, source verification, supporting records, author response, and other evidence. Undisclosed or prohibited use may result in correction, rejection, expression of concern, or retraction depending on materiality.

Related policies

Policy ownership: The Editor-in-Chief and publisher are responsible for implementation. Material revisions will be identified by a new version number and effective date.

Questions or ethical concerns may be submitted through the journal's official contact page.