Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence

The journal supports transparency, ethical conduct, and accountability when using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in manuscript preparation.

1. AI cannot be listed as an author or co-author

AI tools cannot be credited as authors/co-authors because they cannot assume scholarly and ethical responsibility, nor can they guarantee the accuracy and originality of the work.

2. Acceptable use of AI (as an assisting tool)

Authors may use AI as a supporting tool, for example, for:

  • language editing and improving readability;
  • translation;
  • technical formatting (e.g., structuring text based on the author’s own outline);
  • analysing the authors’ own data (provided the methods are properly described and results are verified).

Authors must independently verify all AI-assisted outputs, as AI may produce inaccuracies, bias, or fabricated references.

3. Unacceptable use

AI must not be used for:

  • generating or replacing the core scholarly content (results, reasoning, conclusions) without full author control and verification;
  • fabricating/falsifying data, results, tables/figures, or references;
  • disguising plagiarism (e.g., using AI to rephrase others’ work to evade similarity checks);
  • inserting fabricated sources, quotations, or citations.

4. Mandatory disclosure of AI use

If AI was used beyond standard spelling/grammar checks, authors must disclose:

  • the name of the tool/service;
  • the purpose of use;
  • which parts of the manuscript were AI-assisted;
  • a statement that the authors reviewed the output and take full responsibility.

Disclosure may be placed in the Methods section or in a separate statement before the reference list.

Suggested wording:
AI Use Statement. During manuscript preparation, the author(s) used [tool name] for [purpose: language editing/translation/etc] in the following parts of the paper: [specify]. The author(s) reviewed and edited the AI-assisted output and take full responsibility for the content of the manuscript.

Exception: disclosure is not required for standard spell-check/grammar tools and typical editing functions that do not change the scholarly content.

5. Author responsibility

Regardless of AI use, authors are fully responsible for:

  • accuracy of facts, methods, and conclusions;
  • originality and proper citation;
  • compliance with ethical standards and absence of plagiarism;
  • correctness of references and bibliography.

6. Recommendations for authors

  • Use AI as an assistant, not as a source of truth.
  • Verify facts, numbers, and all references, especially those potentially generated by AI.
  • Avoid plagiarism: AI use does not remove responsibility for proper attribution.
  • Do not upload confidential or sensitive data to external AI services unless you have legal grounds and permissions.

This policy aligns with the approaches adopted by leading international publishers regarding generative AI in scholarly publishing.

7. Guidance for reviewers

If AI use is disclosed in a manuscript, reviewers are encouraged to assess: (1) whether the declared use is consistent with the manuscript’s content and writing style; (2) the soundness of methods and the reproducibility of results; (3) potential signs of fabricated references, data, or quotations. Where appropriate, reviewers may advise the editorial office to request clarifications from the author(s), including details on the tools used, intermediate manuscript versions, or evidence supporting the validity of data and sources.

8. Editorial actions in cases of misconduct or undisclosed AI use

If the editorial office has reasonable grounds to believe that AI use was not disclosed or resulted in misconduct (e.g., fabricated references, data falsification, plagiarism), the journal may: (1) request explanations and supporting materials from the author(s); (2) initiate additional peer review or expert checks; (3) reject the manuscript. If misconduct is identified after publication, the journal will act in line with its policies on corrections/expressions of concern/retractions and may notify relevant institutions in cases of serious breaches.

We follow the Generative AI policies for journals from Elsevier (https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/generative-ai-policies-for-journals).