AI Policy

  1. Introduction

The International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies (IJIRSS) is committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, and ethical publication practices. With the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in research and publishing, this policy establishes clear guidelines for the appropriate and ethical use of AI in all stages of scholarly communication involving IJIRSS.

  1. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to:

  • Authors submitting manuscripts to IJIRSS
  • Peer reviewers engaged in evaluating manuscripts
  • Editorial team members involved in decision-making and publication workflows
  1. AI Use by Authors

3.1 Acceptable Use of AI Tools

Authors may utilize AI tools for language editing, grammar correction, summarization, image enhancement, or data visualization under the following conditions:

  • Disclosure Required: Authors must declare any AI use in a dedicated section of the manuscript (e.g., "Acknowledgements" or "Author Contributions").
  • Human Oversight: Authors are solely responsible for all content, ensuring the accuracy, originality, and ethical integrity of AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs.
  • No AI Authorship: AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude) must not be listed as co-authors. Only accountable human contributors qualify for authorship credit.

3.2 Prohibited Practices

  • Undisclosed AI Use in generating substantive manuscript content (e.g., literature reviews, discussion sections) is prohibited.
  • Use of AI for Fabrication or Falsification of data, references, tables, or figures is strictly forbidden.
  • AI-Induced Plagiarism must be avoided. Authors should use AI output responsibly and check for inadvertent copying.
  1. AI Use by Reviewers

Reviewers for IJIRSS must adhere to the following:

  • Confidentiality: Manuscript content must not be shared with AI tools that retain or train on input data (e.g., public versions of ChatGPT).
  • AI Assistance: Reviewers may use AI tools for grammar enhancement or summarizing public information but must not delegate evaluative judgment to AI.
  • Transparency Encouraged: Reviewers should notify the Editor if AI was used to support their assessment.
  1. AI Use by Editors

Editorial members at IJIRSS may employ AI tools to:

  • Assist with plagiarism checks, initial manuscript screening, and language polishing.
  • Improve editorial workflow efficiency, provided human supervision and discretion are always maintained.

AI must not be used for:

  • Making acceptance or rejection decisions without human oversight.
  • Generating editorial commentary without proper review and validation.
  1. Ethical and Legal Responsibilities

All parties are expected to comply with ethical principles as set by:

  • COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) guidelines
  • ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors) authorship criteria
  • UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2021)

Authors and reviewers must avoid using AI tools in ways that introduce bias, misinformation, or discrimination.

  1. Author Declaration Template

For transparency, manuscripts should include a statement such as:

“The authors used [AI Tool Name] for [purpose, e.g., grammar checking, summarizing background]. The authors take full responsibility for the content and interpretation of the work.”

If no AI tools were used, authors may state:

“No generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”

  1. Violations and Consequences

Breaches of this policy may lead to:

  • Manuscript rejection or retraction (if published)
  • Notification to the author’s institution or funding agency
  • Bans on future submissions to IJIRSS
  1. Policy Review and Update

The IJIRSS AI Policy will be reviewed annually or as required to stay current with technological and ethical developments.

  1. References
  2. COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). (2023). Guidance on AI and ethics in publishing. https://publicationethics.org
  3. ICMJE. (2023). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals. http://www.icmje.org
  4. Nature Editorial. (2023). Tools such as ChatGPT threaten transparent science; here are our ground rules for their use. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00191-1
  5. UNESCO. (2021). Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381137
  6. Elsevier. (2023). AI policy for authors and reviewers. https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies/artificial-intelligence