AI policies for IJSEB
Policy on use of AI or AI-Enabled Technologies in Authorship
IJSEB follows the position statement of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when it comes to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-enabled technology in manuscript preparation. Tools such as ChatGPT and other large language models do not meet the authorship criteria and therefore cannot be listed as authors on manuscripts. In cases where AI or AI-enabled tools are used in the preparation of a manuscript, authors are required to be transparent about the use of these tools and disclose details of how the AI tool was used in the "Materials and Methods" section. Authors are fully responsible for the originality, validity, and integrity of the content of their manuscript, including any material contributed by AI or AI-enabled tools, and must ensure that this content complies with all IJSEB publication ethics policies through careful review. IJSEB reserves the right to request further information, and editorial decisions will be made in accordance with IJSEB' Editorial Process and our terms and conditions.
For Authors
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Technologies in Scholarly Writing
When authors use generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, these technologies should only be used to improve the readability and language of the work. The application of the technology should be done with human supervision and control, and authors should carefully review and edit the result, as AI can produce outputs that may be incorrect, incomplete, or biased, appearing authoritative. Authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the content of the work.Authors should disclose the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in their articles and include a statement in the published work. Disclosing the use of these technologies supports transparency and trust between authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors, and will facilitate compliance with the terms of use of the relevant tool or technology. Authors should not list AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author, nor should they cite AI as an author. Authorship involves responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and fulfilled by humans. Each (co-)author is responsible for ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved, and authorship requires the ability to approve the final version of the work and consent to its submission. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that the work is original, that the listed authors are qualified for authorship, and that the work does not infringe upon third-party rights, and should review the IJSEB journal's "Ethical Principles and Publication Policy" process before submission.
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Tools in Figures, Images, and Illustrations
We do not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts. This could include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Image forensic analysis tools or specialized software may be applied to identify suspected image irregularities in submitted manuscripts.The only exception is when the use of AI or AI-assisted tools is part of the research design or research methods (for example, as in the field of biomedical imaging, in AI-assisted imaging approaches to generate or interpret primary research data). If this is done, such use must be described in a reproducible manner in the methods section. This should include how the AI or AI-assisted tools were used in the image creation or manipulation process, and the name, version and extension numbers of the model or tool, and the manufacturer's description. Authors must comply with the specific usage policies of the AI software and ensure proper content attribution. Where appropriate, authors may be asked to provide previous unedited image versions and/or the underlying raw images used to create the submitted final versions for editorial evaluation. The use of generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted tools in the production of illustrations, such as graphical abstracts, is not permitted. The use of generative AI in cover image production may be permitted in some cases, provided the author obtains prior permission from the journal editor and publisher, can demonstrate that all necessary rights for the use of the relevant material have been secured, and ensures proper content attribution is provided.
For Reviewers
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Journal Peer Review Process
When a researcher is invited to evaluate another researcher's article, the manuscript should be treated as a confidential document. Reviewers should not upload the entirety or any part of a submitted manuscript to a generative AI tool, as this may violate the authors' confidentiality and property rights, and if the article contains personally identifiable information, it may violate data privacy rights. This confidentiality requirement also covers the peer review report, as it may contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or authors. Therefore, reviewers should not upload their peer review reports to an AI tool, even for the sole purpose of improving language and readability. Evaluating a scientific manuscript involves responsibilities that can only be attributed to humans. Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies should not be used to assist reviewers in the scientific assessment of an article, as the critical thinking and original evaluation required for peer review are beyond the scope of this technology, and there is a risk of the technology producing incorrect, incomplete, or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The reviewer is responsible and accountable for the content of the evaluation report. The IJSEB journal's AI authorship policy states that authors are allowed to use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process before submission, solely to improve the language and readability of their articles, provided they make appropriate disclosure. Reviewers may find such a disclosure in a separate section at the end of the article, before the reference list. The IJSEB journal is adopting new AI-focused technologies that support reviewers and editors in the editorial process and continues to develop and use internal or licensed technologies that respect the confidentiality and data privacy rights of authors, reviewers, and editors.
For Editors
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Journal Editorial Process
A submitted manuscript should be treated as a confidential document. Editors should not upload the entirety or any part of a submitted manuscript to a generative AI tool, as this may violate the authors' confidentiality and property rights, and if the article contains personally identifiable information, it may violate data privacy rights. This confidentiality requirement covers all communication related to the manuscript, as it may contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or authors. Therefore, editors should not upload their letters to an AI tool, even for the sole purpose of improving language and readability. Managing the editorial assessment of a scientific manuscript involves responsibilities that can only be attributed to humans. Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies should not be used to assist editors in evaluating a manuscript or the decision-making process, as the critical thinking and original evaluation required for this task are beyond the scope of this technology, and there is a risk of the technology producing incorrect, incomplete, or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The editor is responsible and accountable for the editorial process, the final decision, and its communication to the authors.
