Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

This Policy establishes the principles and requirements for the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI, in the preparation, submission, peer review, editing, and publication of scholarly manuscripts in the journal.

The Policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the editorial and publication process.

The journal supports the responsible use of AI as an assistive technology when it contributes to scholarly work. However, its use must comply with the principles of research integrity, accuracy, transparency, confidentiality, data protection, and accountability.

2. Fundamental Principle

The use of AI does not transfer scientific, ethical, or legal responsibility from the author to the AI tool or system.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

  • the accuracy and integrity of the content;
  • the originality of the manuscript;
  • the proper citation and attribution of sources;
  • the verification of all facts, data, analyses, and references;
  • compliance with copyright and intellectual property requirements;
  • compliance with applicable ethical standards and legal requirements.

3. Acceptable Use of AI by Authors

AI tools may be used as an assistive resource in scholarly and editorial work, including for:

  • language editing, grammar, spelling, and style correction;
  • improving clarity and readability;
  • translation;
  • structuring or organizing text;
  • assistance with programming, coding, and technical tasks;
  • generating ideas or suggestions that are subsequently critically evaluated and verified by the authors;
  • other supportive activities that do not replace the authors' critical judgment and scientific responsibility.

Authors must carefully review and verify any AI-assisted output before incorporating it into the manuscript.

4. Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI or other AI tools when such tools have played a substantive role in the creation, processing, analysis, or presentation of the manuscript.

The disclosure should include, where applicable:

  • the name of the AI tool or system;
  • the model or version, if known;
  • the purpose for which it was used;
  • which parts or stages of the work were supported or generated by AI;
  • a description of the human review and verification undertaken.

This information should be provided in an appropriate section of the manuscript, such as an “Artificial Intelligence Use Statement” or “AI Disclosure Statement”, unless the journal's submission policy provides otherwise.

Example:

AI Use Statement: During the preparation of this manuscript, [name of AI tool/model] was used for [description of use]. All AI-generated or AI-assisted content was critically reviewed and verified by the authors, who take full responsibility for the final content of the manuscript.

5. AI as an Author or Co-author

AI tools and systems cannot be listed as authors, co-authors, or holders of authorship rights of a scholarly manuscript.

Authorship entails human responsibilities, including accountability for the content, approval of the final version, and the ability to respond to questions concerning the integrity and reliability of the work.

Any use of AI in the preparation of a manuscript must therefore be transparently disclosed in accordance with this Policy.

6. Prohibited or Unacceptable Use

AI must not be used in a manner that may result in:

  • fabrication or falsification of scientific data;
  • generation or inclusion of false, unverifiable, or fabricated references;
  • concealment of a substantive contribution made by AI;
  • plagiarism or infringement of copyright;
  • manipulation of images, data, or results in a manner that misrepresents the underlying scientific information;
  • creation or alteration of scientific results without appropriate methodological and scientific oversight;
  • entering confidential, personal, sensitive, or unpublished information into public or otherwise unauthorized AI systems without an appropriate legal and ethical basis;
  • circumventing the journal's editorial, ethical, or research integrity requirements.

All AI-generated or AI-assisted output must be independently assessed and verified before being incorporated into the manuscript or used as a basis for scientific claims.

7. AI and Research Data

Authors are responsible for verifying all information, data, statistical calculations, citations, and scientific claims generated, processed, or formulated with the assistance of AI.

AI systems may produce inaccurate, biased, incomplete, or fabricated information. AI-generated output must therefore not be treated as a reliable scientific source without independent verification.

Authors must rely on original, authoritative, and verifiable scholarly sources when evidence is required to support scientific claims.

8. Protection of Confidential and Personal Data

Authors, reviewers, and editors must not enter confidential or unpublished manuscripts, peer-review reports, personal data, sensitive health information, unpublished research data, or other protected information into AI tools where doing so could compromise confidentiality, intellectual property, privacy, or data security.

Particular care must be taken when dealing with personal data and information concerning research participants, patients, and other vulnerable individuals.

The use of AI in processing personal or sensitive information must comply with applicable data protection legislation and relevant institutional and ethical requirements.

9. Use of AI in Peer Review

Reviewers must respect the confidentiality of manuscripts and the integrity of the peer-review process.

Reviewers must not upload or enter unpublished manuscripts, substantial portions thereof, or confidential review materials into public or otherwise unauthorized AI systems where this could compromise confidentiality, intellectual property, or the security of the material.

Reviewers remain fully responsible for the content and scientific judgment expressed in their reviews and must not allow AI to replace their independent assessment.

Where the use of AI as an assistive tool in peer review is permitted, reviewers must comply with the journal's policies and ensure that confidential material is not submitted to inappropriate systems.

10. Use of AI by Editors

Editors may use AI tools for appropriate administrative and assistive editorial tasks, provided that such use does not compromise confidentiality, independence, fairness, or the integrity of the editorial process.

Editorial decisions must be based on independent human judgment and must not be delegated to an AI system.

AI must not be the sole basis for decisions concerning the acceptance, rejection, correction, retraction, or other editorial treatment of a manuscript or author.

11. AI and Copyright

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their use of AI does not infringe copyright, licensing terms, intellectual property rights, or other rights of third parties.

When AI is used to generate or substantially modify text, images, tables, code, or other material, authors must comply with the applicable terms of use of the relevant AI tool and with applicable copyright and intellectual property requirements.

Authors should also consider whether the use of AI-generated material is permitted under the policies of the relevant publisher, institution, funder, or other rights holder.

12. AI-Generated or AI-Modified Images and Visual Materials

The generation, modification, enhancement, or processing of scientific images using AI must be transparent and must not alter, fabricate, or misrepresent scientific information.

AI must not be used to create or modify visual material in a manner that could produce a false or misleading scientific result.

Where AI has been used to create or substantially modify a figure, image, graphical abstract, or other visual material, authors must disclose such use and, where relevant, describe the nature and extent of the modification.

13. Statements, Citations, and References

AI tools must not be cited as authors or used as substitutes for the original sources of scientific information.

Where AI-generated or AI-assisted content is relevant to the methodology, analysis, or interpretation of the research, authors should appropriately describe the use of AI and, where applicable, identify the tool in accordance with the journal's citation and reporting requirements.

Authors are responsible for verifying all references suggested or generated by AI and must ensure that every cited source actually exists and supports the corresponding statement.

14. Transparency and Traceability

The journal encourages transparent reporting of AI use whenever such use may have influenced the content, methodology, analysis, interpretation, or presentation of the research.

Depending on the nature of the manuscript and research, editors may request additional information concerning:

  • the AI system or model used;
  • how and for what purpose it was used;
  • the data or material provided to the system;
  • the extent of AI-generated or AI-assisted content;
  • the procedures used to verify the AI output.

Authors should retain sufficient records of substantive AI use to enable appropriate clarification if questions arise during peer review or after publication.

15. Research Integrity and Suspected Misuse of AI

If there is reasonable concern that AI has been used in a manner involving plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, deception, copyright infringement, undisclosed substantive assistance, or another breach of research or publication integrity, the journal may request an explanation or additional information from the authors.

Where appropriate, the journal may take editorial action, including rejection of a manuscript, publication of a correction, expression of concern, or retraction of a published article, in accordance with its procedures and applicable standards of publication ethics.

Such action will be based on the nature and significance of the identified issue and will follow appropriate due process.

16. Application and Review of the Policy

This Policy applies to all manuscripts and editorial activities covered by the journal's publication and submission procedures.

Because AI technologies, scholarly practices, and regulatory requirements continue to evolve, the journal will periodically review and update this Policy.

Where this Policy conflicts with a mandatory legal, regulatory, or institutional requirement, the applicable mandatory requirement shall prevail.

17. International Standards and Reference Frameworks

This Policy is informed by widely recognized principles and recommendations concerning publication ethics, authorship, transparency, research integrity, and the responsible use of AI, including relevant guidance and recommendations issued by:

  • the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE);
  • the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), where applicable;
  • the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), where applicable;
  • the CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) framework;
  • relevant national and international requirements concerning data protection, copyright, intellectual property, and research integrity;
  • applicable European and national regulatory requirements concerning artificial intelligence.

The journal will monitor developments in international standards, ethical guidance, and applicable regulation and will update this Policy as necessary.