Artificial Intelligence Policy

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools

The journal acknowledges the increasing incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI)–based tools, including generative AI and large language models, in research and scholarly communication processes. In order to safeguard scientific integrity, editorial transparency, and the credibility of the academic record, all individuals involved in the editorial process are required to adhere to the principles governing the ethical, responsible, and transparent use of AI and automated technologies.

The use of artificial intelligence tools does not, under any circumstances, replace human responsibility. Authors, reviewers, and editors retain full responsibility for the content submitted, the evaluations conducted, and the editorial decisions made at every stage of the publication process.

For Authors

Authors may use AI-assisted tools exclusively for legitimate and limited purposes, such as improving writing style, grammatical correction, formatting adjustments, or enhancing the clarity and readability of the manuscript. Any use of AI that goes beyond basic editorial assistance must be explicitly declared in the manuscript, either in the Acknowledgments section or in a dedicated disclosure statement.

Authors are fully responsible for verifying the accuracy, originality, coherence, and reliability of all content generated or assisted by AI tools. The use of such technologies does not exempt authors from responsibility for errors, omissions, inaccurate statements, fabricated content, or improper citation practices.

Generative AI tools do not meet the criteria for academic authorship and therefore must not be listed as authors or co-authors. AI systems cannot assume intellectual, scientific, or ethical responsibility for scholarly work.

AI-generated or AI-assisted content must not introduce non-existent references, falsified data, manipulated images, or fabricated results. Authors must ensure that all cited sources are authentic, verifiable, and properly referenced. AI tools should not be cited as primary sources of academic information.

When AI is used for data analysis, image generation, simulations, figure preparation, or other substantive research processes, such use must be clearly and thoroughly described in the Methodology section, providing sufficient information to ensure transparency and reproducibility. Any ethical, legal, or copyright-related implications arising from such use shall remain the sole responsibility of the authors.

Failure to disclose the use of AI tools, as well as their inappropriate use in ways that compromise scientific integrity, may be considered a serious breach of publication ethics and may result in manuscript rejection, the issuance of corrections, or article retraction.

For Reviewers and Editors

Peer reviewers and editors must not use generative AI tools to draft, prepare, or substantially generate review reports, editorial assessments, or publication decisions. This restriction aims to preserve manuscript confidentiality, prevent unauthorized processing of sensitive information, and avoid superficial, biased, or insufficiently rigorous evaluations.

In exceptional cases, reviewers and editors may use AI tools solely for limited editorial assistance, such as minor stylistic corrections of their own comments, provided that such use does not involve uploading confidential content to external systems and is disclosed to the journal when appropriate.

Editorial decisions must be based on human academic judgment, grounded in disciplinary expertise, ethical responsibility, and critical evaluation. AI tools must not be used to replace or automate editorial decision-making processes.

Use of Automated Tools by the Journal

The journal may employ automated tools for administrative purposes and to safeguard academic integrity, such as plagiarism detection, textual similarity analysis, bibliographic reference verification, or image analysis. All such tools operate under human supervision, and their results are reviewed and interpreted by qualified editorial staff.

The use of automated tools is complementary in nature and does not replace editorial judgment. Any observations arising from these controls will be assessed contextually and on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that authors are given the opportunity to provide clarifications or responses when appropriate.

Alignment with Elsevier Policies

This policy is fully aligned with Elsevier’s guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence and generative AI in academic publishing, incorporating principles of transparency, human responsibility, authorship integrity, and responsible disclosure.

For further information, readers are encouraged to consult Elsevier’s official policy on the use of AI and generative AI in scholarly journals:
https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/generative-ai-policies-for-journals