Generative AI policy

Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools Policy

Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science states that the policy establishes guidelines for the transparent and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and AI-assisted tools during the preparation, analysis, and writing of manuscripts. The policy applies to all authors, reviewers, and editors. This policy will be periodically revised in accordance with technological advancements in GenAI and international publishing standards.

1. Prohibition of AI as an Author
GenAI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. AI tools lack the ability to fulfill authorship criteria, assume accountability, and ensure scientific integrity. Full responsibility for the content remains only with the human authors.

2. Responsibilities of Authors
Authors may use GenAI and AI-assisted tools under strict human oversight for limited purposes, including:
- Language editing, grammar correction, and text polishing.
- Formatting assistance, such as template structuring or reference style formatting.
- Code generation or debugging only if clearly validated by the author.
- Tables or figure enhancement, provided the author verifies accuracy.

3. Responsibilities of Reviewers and Editors
Human decision remains essential in all editorial processes, and reviewers and editors may use GenAI tools only for:
- Language assistance or summarization of author responses.
- Enhancing clarity in decision letters.
They may not use GenAI to:
- Evaluate scientific quality or originality.
- Make publication decisions.

4. Prohibited Uses of GenAI
- Generating scientific interpretations or results.
- Creating or altering data, images, or figures in a way that may mislead scientific accuracy.
- Generating a large paragraph of the manuscript without human oversight.
- Using AI to bypass originality checks or to fabricate citations, references, or sources.
- Allowing AI tools to engage in peer review or editorial decision-making.

5. Mandatory “Declaration of Generative AI Use” (Effective from Vol. 36 No. 4, December 2025)
If generative AI or AI-assisted tools were used at any stage of manuscript preparation, authors must include a dedicated section titled:
Declaration of Generative AI Use
This statement should appear at the end of the manuscript, before the references, and must include:
- The AI tool(s) used (e.g., ChatGPT).
- The specific purpose of use (e.g., language polishing).
- A statement confirming that the authors reviewed, verified, and edited all outputs.
Example acceptable statement:
“During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] [Ex: ChatGPT (OpenAI, model GPT-5.1)] for [REASON] [Ex: language editing and text improvement]. After using this tool, the author(s) thoroughly reviewed and revised the generated content, taking full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the final manuscript.”
If no AI tools were used, authors must state:
“The author(s) declare that no generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”

6. Data Privacy and Confidentiality
Authors, reviewers, and editors must not upload unpublished manuscripts, peer review reports, or confidential editorial information into AI tools that store or reuse user inputs. Only tools that clearly state no data retention may be used for supporting tasks.

7. Policy Violation
Failure to disclose GenAI use or use of GenAI for prohibited activities is considered scientific misconduct. Such violations may result in immediate rejection of the manuscript, retraction of a published article, and/or a ban on future submissions to the Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science.

8. Policy Updates
To address the rapid pace of GenAI development, Al-Mustansiriyah Journal of Science will review this policy semi-annually. Updates reflect the latest ethical standards in scholarly publishing, ensuring continued research credibility.