Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies Policy

This policy defines the rules for the use of generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in the preparation, submission, peer review, and editorial processing of manuscripts submitted to the journal.

For the purposes of this policy, generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies refer to tools capable of generating, editing, rewriting, translating, summarizing, or analyzing text, images, data, code, references, and other materials based on a user prompt.

For brevity, such tools are referred to below as AI tools.

1. General Principles

The journal recognizes that AI tools may be used as supportive instruments in the preparation of scholarly materials. However, such tools must not replace scientific thinking, critical analysis, interpretation of results, expert evaluation, or the personal intellectual contribution of the author.

Authors bear full responsibility for the content of the submitted manuscript, including the accuracy of factual statements, correctness of references, reliability of results, originality of the text, respect for third-party rights, and compliance with the requirements of research and publication ethics.

Any material created or substantially modified with the assistance of AI tools must be carefully reviewed, edited, and approved by the authors before the manuscript is submitted to the journal.

2. Use of AI Tools by Authors

Authors may use AI tools in a limited and supportive role, for example for:

  • improving the language, clarity, and readability of text written by the authors;
  • checking grammar, spelling, and punctuation;
  • structuring certain parts of the manuscript;
  • preliminary work with literature;
  • preparing draft wording that is then fully reviewed and edited by the authors;
  • translating text written by the authors, provided that the translation is carefully checked by a person with appropriate language skills and knowledge of the scientific content of the work.

The use of AI tools does not release authors from responsibility for the content of the manuscript. Authors must independently verify all factual statements, references, conclusions, and interpretations, including materials suggested by an AI tool.

3. Prohibited Use of AI Tools

AI tools must not be used for:

  • creating scientific content without genuine intellectual contribution from the author;
  • fabricating or altering data, results, references, or conclusions;
  • creating inaccurate, fabricated, or unverified bibliographic sources;
  • replacing the author’s own analysis, interpretation, and scientific judgment;
  • concealing plagiarism, self-plagiarism, or improper borrowing;
  • generating or modifying images, graphs, diagrams, or data in a way that no longer accurately reflects the results of the research;
  • bypassing the journal’s requirements for originality, transparency, and publication ethics.

The inclusion of inaccurate, fabricated, or unverified materials created with the assistance of AI tools may lead to rejection of the manuscript or other editorial measures in accordance with the journal’s policies.

4. Declaration of the Use of AI Tools

If authors have used generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of a manuscript, this use must be disclosed in a separate declaration.

The declaration must include:

  • the name of the tool or service used;
  • the purpose of its use;
  • a description of the stage of manuscript preparation at which it was used;
  • confirmation that the authors reviewed and edited the generated output;
  • confirmation that the authors take full responsibility for the content of the manuscript.

Recommended wording for the declaration:

Declaration on the Use of Generative AI and AI-assisted Technologies

During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [name of tool or service] for [purpose of use]. The author(s) reviewed, edited, and verified the resulting content and take full responsibility for the content of the submitted manuscript.

If AI tools were not used in the preparation of the manuscript, a declaration is not required unless specifically requested by the editorial office.

The use of ordinary spelling, grammar, and punctuation checking tools does not require a separate declaration, provided that such tools do not make substantive changes to the content, structure, or scientific interpretation of the text.

5. Use of AI Tools in the Research Process

If AI tools were used not only for manuscript preparation but also as part of the research process, for example for data analysis, image processing, writing or editing code, modeling, statistical processing, or interpretation of results, such use must be described in detail in the relevant section of the manuscript.

The description should include:

  • the name of the tool, model, or software;
  • the version of the tool, if known;
  • the developer or provider of the tool, where applicable;
  • the purpose of use;
  • the stage of the research at which the tool was used;
  • the way in which the results were verified by the authors.

The use of AI tools in the research process must be reproducible, transparent, and must not distort scientific data or conclusions.

6. AI Tools and References

Authors may use AI tools for supportive work with literature; however, all bibliographic data must be independently verified by the authors.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all sources included in the references are real, correctly formatted, and relevant to the content of the article. It is not permitted to include fabricated, inaccurate, or unverified references generated by AI tools.

7. AI Tools, Images, Graphs, and Illustrative Materials

The use of AI tools to create or modify images, graphs, diagrams, and other illustrative materials is permitted only if it does not distort scientific data, research results, or their interpretation.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate, alter, or enhance research images or data in a way that misleads readers, reviewers, or the editorial office.

If an AI tool was used in the creation of illustrative material, authors must disclose this in the caption of the relevant figure or in another appropriate section of the manuscript. The disclosure should state the name of the tool, the purpose of its use, and the nature of the modifications made.

The editorial office may request source files, data, images, or other materials needed to verify the accuracy of the submitted illustrations.

8. AI Tools Cannot Be Authors

AI tools, chatbots, language models, software systems, and other non-human tools cannot be listed as an author or co-author of an article.

Authorship implies responsibility for the content of the work, the ability to approve the final version of the manuscript, agreement with its submission, and accountability for the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly material. These responsibilities can only be fulfilled by a human being.

9. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Authors, reviewers, and editors must consider confidentiality, personal data protection, copyright, and intellectual property rights when using AI tools.

Confidential data, unpublished manuscripts, personal data, third-party materials, or other protected information must not be uploaded to AI tools unless the terms of use of the relevant tool ensure appropriate protection of such materials.

Before using an AI tool, users must make sure that the terms of service do not allow unauthorized storage, distribution, transfer to third parties, or use of uploaded materials for model training without appropriate permission.

10. Use of AI Tools by Reviewers

Manuscripts sent for peer review are confidential documents.

Reviewers must not upload a manuscript or any part of it to publicly available AI tools, as this may violate confidentiality, authors’ rights, and data protection requirements.

AI tools may be used by reviewers only in a supportive role, for example to improve the language or structure of a review report, provided that confidentiality is maintained and full human control is exercised.

The reviewer remains fully responsible for the content of the review, the scientific assessment of the manuscript, and the conclusions submitted to the editorial office. AI tools cannot replace the reviewer’s independent expert judgment.

If a reviewer has used an AI tool in preparing a review report, the reviewer must inform the editorial office and state the name of the tool and the purpose of its use.

11. Use of AI Tools by Editors

Editors are responsible for organizing editorial consideration, evaluating the manuscript, making decisions, and communicating with authors.

Editors must not upload a manuscript or any part of it to publicly available AI tools if this may violate confidentiality, authors’ rights, or data protection requirements.

AI tools may be used by editors only in a supportive role, for example to improve the language of editorial correspondence, prepare draft wording for editorial letters, or search for background information, provided that confidentiality is maintained and full human control is exercised.

Final editorial decisions are made only by editors and cannot be delegated to AI tools.

12. Screening Manuscripts for AI-generated Text

The editorial office may use specialized tools, including Turnitin or similar services, to identify signs of AI-generated text or other issues related to academic integrity.

The results of such checks are considered supportive information and do not constitute an independent or automatic basis for rejecting a manuscript. Where necessary, the editorial office may conduct additional assessment, request explanations from the author, or ask for additional materials confirming the author’s contribution.

The editorial office reserves the right to reject a manuscript if, during consideration, it is established that AI tools were used in violation of this policy, resulted in distortion of scientific content, concealed unethical practices, or breached the requirements of publication ethics.

13. Author Responsibility

Authors bear full responsibility for all materials submitted in the manuscript, regardless of whether AI tools were used in their preparation.

By submitting a manuscript to the journal, authors confirm that:

  • the content of the manuscript is accurate and original;
  • all AI-generated or AI-assisted materials have been reviewed and edited by the authors;
  • the use of AI tools has been disclosed in accordance with this policy;
  • the manuscript does not contain fabricated data, inaccurate references, or materials that infringe third-party rights;
  • the authors accept full responsibility for the content of the submitted work.

14. Breach of Policy

Violation of this policy may result in the return of the manuscript for revision, a request for additional explanations, rejection of the manuscript, or other editorial measures in accordance with the journal’s policies.

If a violation is identified after publication, the editorial office may consider publishing a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction in accordance with the journal’s policy on corrections, expressions of concern, and retractions.

The editorial office reserves the right to update this policy to bring it into line with developments in international scholarly publishing practice and requirements for responsible publication conduct.