1. Author Responsibility

Authors remain fully responsible for all content submitted to the journal, including the accuracy of facts, analyses, interpretations, citations, references, figures, tables, data, code, and conclusions. Authors must critically review and verify any output produced with the assistance of automated or AI-based tools before including it in a manuscript.

2. Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies when such use goes beyond straightforward spelling, grammar, formatting, or basic language correction.

Where disclosure is required, authors should identify the tool or system used and briefly explain its purpose and role in preparing or conducting the work. Examples may include assistance with text generation, coding, data processing, image generation, analytical procedures, translation, summarization, or other substantive tasks.

The disclosure should be sufficiently clear to allow editors, reviewers, and readers to understand how the technology contributed to the work.

3. AI and Authorship

AI systems, large language models, chatbots, and other automated tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship requires human responsibility and accountability for the integrity of the work, responsibilities that cannot be assigned to an automated system.

4. AI-Generated Information and Sources

Generative AI must not be cited as an authoritative scholarly source. Authors are responsible for locating, reading, and citing the original and verifiable sources that support statements made in the manuscript.

Authors must carefully verify AI-assisted outputs for factual errors, fabricated references, inaccurate quotations, inappropriate attribution, bias, and other forms of unreliable or misleading information before submission.

5. AI Use in Research and Data Processing

When AI or automated systems form a material part of the research method, authors should describe their use in sufficient methodological detail to allow readers to understand the procedure and, where applicable, evaluate or reproduce the work.

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that the use of such technologies complies with applicable ethical, privacy, confidentiality, data protection, intellectual property, and research integrity requirements.

6. Use of Generative AI by Editors and Reviewers

Editors and peer reviewers must protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and editorial communications. They should not upload confidential manuscript content, unpublished data, reviewer reports, or identifiable author information into generative AI systems where confidentiality, data retention, or reuse cannot be adequately controlled.

Generative AI should not be used to create substantive peer-review reports or editorial assessments in place of human scholarly judgment. Any permitted use for limited language editing or administrative assistance must not compromise confidentiality and remains subject to human review and responsibility.

7. Automated Screening and Human Oversight

The journal may use appropriate automated tools, including similarity-checking or AI-detection services, as part of editorial screening. The output of such tools is treated as an indicator for further assessment and not as conclusive evidence of inappropriate AI use or research misconduct.

Automated results are subject to human review by the editorial team. Where concerns arise, editors may request clarification, supporting information, revisions, or an AI-use declaration from the authors before reaching an editorial decision.

Editorial decisions are based on the manuscript as a whole, including transparency of disclosure, scholarly integrity, originality, methodological reliability, and compliance with journal policies.

8. Responsible and Prohibited Uses

AI-assisted technologies may be used where they provide legitimate support to research or manuscript preparation, provided that their use is transparent, appropriately verified, ethically responsible, and subject to meaningful human oversight.

AI must not be used to fabricate or falsify data, generate misleading evidence, invent references, misrepresent authorship or contribution, conceal plagiarism, manipulate research findings, or otherwise compromise the integrity of the scholarly record.

Author Guidelines Publication Ethics Peer Review Process Plagiarism Policy Correction & Retraction