POLICY ON THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Use of Artificial Intelligence by Authors

The Journal recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) tools may assist authors in preparing manuscripts. However, AI technologies must be used responsibly, ethically, and transparently.

AI tools may be used to improve the language, grammar, readability, formatting, or organization of a manuscript. Authors may use AI tools for limited technical assistance, such as language improvement, grammar correction, formatting, coding support, or organizing research materials. Any use affecting research design, data analysis, interpretation, or scholarly content must be disclosed and independently verified by the authors. However, the use of AI for generating scientific content, developing research hypotheses, interpreting results, drawing conclusions, or producing original analyses does not transfer responsibility from the authors.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, or falsify research data, images, figures, tables, citations, references, experimental results, or any other scholarly content. Authors are solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of all information included in their manuscripts.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

• the originality of the manuscript;
• the accuracy of all factual statements;
• the authenticity and integrity of research data;
• the validity of analyses and conclusions;
• the accuracy and completeness of references and citations;
• compliance with publication ethics and applicable legal requirements.

Authors must independently verify all AI-assisted factual statements, calculations, citations, references, quotations, and bibliographic details. The inclusion of fabricated, inaccurate, or non-existent references may constitute grounds for rejection or other editorial action.

Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility or accountability for the published work, declare conflicts of interest, or approve the final manuscript.

Where AI tools have made a substantial contribution to manuscript preparation, authors must disclose their use in a separate statement immediately before the References section.

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI that contributes to the wording, organization, coding, analysis, visualization, or preparation of manuscript content. Routine spelling and grammar checking that does not generate new content does not normally require disclosure.

Example disclosure:

The authors used ChatGPT (OpenAI) solely for language editing and improving readability. All research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and conclusions were developed and verified by the authors.

Authors should not upload confidential, proprietary, unpublished, or personal data to publicly available AI systems unless such use complies with applicable laws, institutional policies, and ethical requirements.

Use of Artificial Intelligence by Reviewers

The Journal is committed to preserving the confidentiality, integrity, and independence of the peer-review process.

Reviewers must not upload, disclose, or otherwise share any part of a manuscript, supplementary files, figures, tables, datasets, reviewer comments, or associated confidential information with generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems or large language models, including but not limited to ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, or similar services.

Peer-review reports must represent the reviewer's own independent scientific assessment, critical analysis, and professional judgment. AI tools must not be used to generate, draft, or substantially revise peer-review reports or scientific evaluations on behalf of reviewers.

Reviewers remain fully responsible for:

• maintaining the confidentiality of all manuscript materials;
• providing an independent scientific evaluation;
• ensuring the accuracy and fairness of their review comments;
• complying with the Journal's ethical standards.

The use of software solely for spelling, grammar, or formatting correction is acceptable provided that confidential manuscript content is not transmitted to external AI systems.

Use of Artificial Intelligence by Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific merit, ethical standards, and the Journal's editorial policies.

Editors may use AI-assisted tools for administrative purposes, including language assessment, plagiarism screening, identifying potential reviewers, or improving editorial workflows, provided that confidential manuscript content is not disclosed to external AI systems without appropriate safeguards.

Editorial decisions—including manuscript acceptance, revision requests, rejection, ethical assessments, and responses to appeals—must always be made by human editors. AI systems must not replace editorial judgment or decision-making.

Editors remain fully responsible for:

• maintaining the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;
• ensuring fair, objective, and unbiased editorial decisions;
• protecting authors' intellectual property;
• complying with publication ethics and the Journal's editorial policies.

Editors should exercise caution when using AI-generated information and independently verify any factual content, references, or recommendations produced by AI systems before relying on them in editorial processes.

Compliance

Failure to comply with this policy may result in editorial action, including requests for clarification, revision of disclosures, rejection of the manuscript, correction, expression of concern, retraction, or other measures consistent with the Journal's publication ethics policies.

This policy may be updated periodically to reflect developments in artificial intelligence technologies, publication ethics, and international best practices.