Artificial Intelligence Use Policy

The Academic Science Journal (ASJ) recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI and large language models, may assist researchers, authors, reviewers, and editors in certain limited tasks. However, the use of AI must be transparent, responsible, ethical, and fully controlled by human judgment.

This policy applies to the use of AI tools in manuscript preparation, research reporting, data analysis, image generation or modification, peer review, and editorial processes.

Use of AI by Authors

Authors may use AI tools to support limited tasks such as language improvement, grammar checking, formatting, reference organization, or improving clarity of presentation. Such use must not replace the authors’ intellectual contribution, scientific judgment, data interpretation, or responsibility for the submitted work.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, validity, integrity, and ethical compliance of the manuscript. Authors must carefully review, verify, and edit any content generated or assisted by AI tools before submission.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, generate false references, manipulate images, create misleading results, produce unsupported interpretations, or conceal plagiarism or other forms of misconduct.

AI and Authorship

AI tools, chatbots, large language models, or any non-human systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authorship requires human responsibility, accountability, approval of the final manuscript, ability to respond to questions, and responsibility for the integrity of the work. Since AI tools cannot meet these requirements, they cannot be credited as authors.

All named authors must be human individuals who meet the journal’s authorship criteria and accept responsibility for the submitted and published work.

Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of AI tools when such tools have contributed substantially to the preparation, analysis, interpretation, or presentation of the manuscript.

The disclosure should include:

The name of the AI tool used.
The version or provider, where available.
The purpose for which the tool was used.
A statement confirming that the authors reviewed and verified the AI-assisted content.

Routine use of spelling, grammar, formatting, or reference-management tools does not normally require detailed disclosure, unless such tools substantially affect the scientific content of the manuscript.

A suggested disclosure statement is:

The authors used [name of AI tool] for [specific purpose, e.g., language editing or improving clarity]. The authors reviewed and verified all AI-assisted content and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript.

If no AI tools were used, authors may state:

The authors declare that no artificial intelligence tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.

AI-Generated or AI-Modified Images, Figures, and Data

AI tools must not be used to create, alter, enhance, or manipulate research images, figures, graphs, tables, spectra, microscopy images, medical images, or experimental data in a way that misrepresents the original data or affects scientific interpretation.

Any AI-assisted image generation or image modification must be clearly disclosed. Authors must ensure that all figures and images are accurate, ethical, reproducible, and not misleading.

The journal may request original data, raw images, or processing details when necessary.

AI-Generated References and Citations

Authors must not rely on AI tools to generate references without verification. AI tools may produce inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, or non-existent references.

Authors are fully responsible for ensuring that all references are real, accurate, relevant, properly cited, and directly support the claims made in the manuscript.

Hidden AI Prompts and Manipulative Content

Authors must not include hidden text, hidden prompts, invisible instructions, metadata prompts, or any other content intended to influence AI-assisted editorial screening, peer review, indexing, or evaluation systems.

Such practices are considered unethical and may lead to rejection, investigation, correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the stage and severity of the case.

Use of AI by Reviewers

Manuscripts under peer review are confidential documents. Reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts, figures, tables, data, supplementary files, or any unpublished material to public or third-party AI tools, chatbots, or online platforms.

Reviewers may use AI tools only if permitted by the journal and only in a way that does not violate confidentiality, data protection, copyright, or the integrity of the peer-review process.

Reviewers remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, confidentiality, and professional judgment of their review. AI tools must not replace the reviewer’s own expert assessment.

If a reviewer uses any AI-assisted tool in preparing a review, the reviewer should disclose this to the editor.

Use of AI by Editors

Editors may use AI-assisted tools only for limited administrative or technical purposes, such as checking formatting, detecting similarity, improving workflow efficiency, or supporting editorial screening.

AI tools must not replace editorial judgment, peer review, or final editorial decision-making. Editorial decisions must remain the responsibility of human editors and must be based on scientific merit, ethical compliance, reviewers’ recommendations, and the journal’s editorial standards.

Editors must ensure that any use of AI tools does not compromise confidentiality, fairness, transparency, or the integrity of the editorial process.

Misuse of AI

The misuse of AI tools may include, but is not limited to:

Generating fabricated or falsified data.
Producing fake references or unsupported claims.
Manipulating images, figures, or results.
Concealing plagiarism or text recycling.
Producing manuscripts without genuine human intellectual contribution.
Inserting hidden prompts or instructions intended to manipulate review or editorial systems.
Uploading confidential manuscripts to unauthorized AI platforms.
Failing to disclose substantial AI use when required.

If misuse of AI is suspected, ASJ may request clarification, original data, AI-use details, or other supporting documents. Depending on the severity of the case, the journal may reject the manuscript, suspend review, contact the authors’ institution, issue a correction, publish an expression of concern, or retract the article.

Author Responsibility

The use of AI tools does not reduce the responsibility of authors. Authors are fully accountable for all parts of the manuscript, including any content assisted by AI.

By submitting a manuscript to ASJ, authors confirm that any use of AI tools has been transparent, ethical, properly disclosed where required, and consistent with this policy.