Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools Policy

 

1. Introduction

Ibn Khaldoun Journal for Studies and Researches recognizes the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence technologies and automated tools, as well as their potential to support research, editorial, and scholarly publishing processes. At the same time, the journal recognizes the challenges associated with their use, particularly with regard to accuracy, originality, privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, and research integrity.

Accordingly, the journal adopts this policy to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated tools by authors, reviewers, and editors, while maintaining research integrity, editorial independence, confidentiality, and human responsibility throughout the publishing process.

This policy is based on the principles of transparency, research integrity, and international best practices in scholarly publishing, including relevant principles and guidance provided by DOAJ and COPE.

2. Scope of the Policy

This policy applies to the use of:

  • Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI).
  • Large Language Models (LLMs).
  • AI-powered chatbots.
  • AI-based translation tools.
  • Summarization and paraphrasing tools.
  • Text-generation tools.
  • AI-generated or AI-modified images and figures.
  • AI-based data analysis tools.
  • Automated tools used to detect textual similarity or AI-generated content.
  • Any other automated tools that may materially affect the preparation, review, editing, or publication of scholarly work.

3. Fundamental Principles

The journal adopts the following principles:

  1. Full Human Responsibility: Authors, reviewers, and editors remain fully responsible for the work or decisions they produce, regardless of the tools used.
  2. Transparency: Material use of artificial intelligence must be disclosed.
  3. AI Cannot Be an Author: No AI system or tool may be listed as an author or co-author.
  4. Human Verification: AI-generated outputs must be reviewed and verified by a human.
  5. Confidentiality: Confidential or unpublished materials must not be entered into AI tools in ways that could expose them to disclosure or unauthorized use.
  6. Research Integrity: AI must not be used to fabricate data, findings, references, evidence, or other scholarly content.
  7. No Replacement of Human Judgment: The journal does not rely solely on AI tools to make publication, rejection, or peer-review decisions.

These principles are consistent with current DOAJ requirements concerning disclosure, human responsibility, restrictions on the use of generative AI in peer-review reports, and human oversight of automated tools.

4. Use of Artificial Intelligence by Authors

The journal permits authors to use artificial intelligence tools responsibly in preparing scholarly manuscripts, provided that they comply with this policy.

4.1 Permitted Uses

Authors may use AI tools for:

  • Spelling and grammar checking.
  • Improving language and style.
  • Translation assistance.
  • Improving clarity and readability.
  • Assistance with organizing ideas.
  • Technical assistance with programming or data analysis, where appropriate to the research.
  • Assistance in exploring literature or identifying keywords, provided that all information and references are independently verified.

Routine use of basic language-editing, proofreading, or formatting tools does not necessarily require a separate disclosure, unless the use goes beyond ordinary correction or editing.

5. Uses That Require Disclosure

Authors must disclose the use of artificial intelligence when such use goes beyond:

Basic proofreading, editing, or formatting.

This includes, for example:

  • Generating portions of the manuscript.
  • Substantially rewriting or paraphrasing content.
  • Generating an abstract, discussion, or conclusions.
  • Analyzing data.
  • Creating or modifying scientific images or figures.
  • Generating code or analytical models that materially affect the research findings.
  • Using AI substantially in research design or interpretation of findings.

The disclosure should be clear and specific and should include, where appropriate:

  • Name of the AI tool.
  • Model or version, where available.
  • Purpose of use.
  • Nature of the use.
  • Sections or stages of the research in which the tool was used.

6. AI Use Disclosure Statement

Authors may include the following statement at the end of the manuscript, before the references, or in a separate section:

Artificial Intelligence Use Statement

The author(s) used [name of tool] for [description of use] during the preparation of this manuscript. The author(s) reviewed and verified all AI-generated outputs and remain fully responsible for the final content, accuracy, and originality of the manuscript.

If AI was not used materially:

Artificial Intelligence Use Statement: The author(s) did not use generative artificial intelligence tools in preparing this manuscript, except for basic language proofreading or formatting, where applicable.

7. Authors' Responsibility for AI Outputs

Authors remain fully responsible for:

  • Accuracy of information.
  • Accuracy of data.
  • Accuracy of references.
  • Originality of the manuscript.
  • Accuracy of citations.
  • Absence of fabricated information.
  • Absence of fabricated references.
  • Compliance with intellectual property rights.
  • Accuracy of findings and conclusions.

The use of an AI tool does not exempt authors from responsibility for any error, inaccuracy, or misleading content contained in the manuscript.

8. Artificial Intelligence Cannot Be an Author

The following, or any other AI tool, may not be listed as an author or co-author:

  • ChatGPT
  • Gemini
  • Claude
  • Copilot
  • Any other artificial intelligence system or tool.

All listed authors must be human and capable of assuming scientific, ethical, and legal responsibility for the work.

AI tools may not be used to circumvent authorship requirements or to conceal undisclosed human contributions.

9. Artificial Intelligence and Scholarly References

AI-generated outputs must not be treated as scholarly sources in themselves.

Authors must not use AI to generate nonexistent references or unverified bibliographic information.

Authors are responsible for verifying:

  • The existence of every reference.
  • Authors' names.
  • Source titles.
  • Publication details.
  • DOI information, where available.
  • The original source when making a citation.

Generative AI tools should not be cited as scholarly sources in place of the original sources.

10. Generation of Data and Research Findings

The use of AI to:

  • Fabricate research data.
  • Manipulate data in a misleading manner.
  • Generate findings that were not actually obtained.
  • Fabricate interviews, surveys, or participants.
  • Generate fictitious references.
  • Fabricate quotations.
  • Present AI-generated outputs as original research data without appropriate disclosure and verification.

is prohibited.

Such use may constitute research misconduct and will be addressed under the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy.

11. Images, Figures, and Visual Content

When AI is used to:

  • Generate an image.
  • Generate a figure.
  • Modify an image.
  • Produce an illustration.
  • Enhance a scientific image.

authors must disclose such use when it is material to the work.

AI use must not:

  • Misrepresent scientific data.
  • Remove significant elements from original data.
  • Add elements that were not present in the underlying data.
  • Violate the intellectual property rights of third parties.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that all images and figures comply with applicable copyright and intellectual property requirements.

12. Use of Artificial Intelligence by Reviewers

Because of the confidential nature of the double-blind peer-review process, reviewers must not use generative AI tools to prepare peer-review reports.

Reviewers are prohibited from:

  • Uploading the full manuscript to ChatGPT or similar tools.
  • Entering confidential portions of a manuscript into generative AI tools.
  • Using AI to generate a peer-review decision.
  • Using AI to analyze a manuscript in a manner that could disclose its contents.
  • Entering authors' personal information or unpublished information into external AI tools.

These restrictions are intended to protect manuscript confidentiality, authors' rights, and the integrity of the peer-review process.

13. Limited Use of Language Tools by Reviewers

Reviewers may, where necessary, use limited language-assistance or proofreading tools for their own review reports, provided that:

  • The confidential manuscript itself is not uploaded.
  • The identity of the authors is not disclosed.
  • AI is not used to generate the scientific judgment.
  • The reviewer remains fully responsible for the final review report.

14. Use of Artificial Intelligence by Editors

Editors may use automated or AI-assisted tools for certain administrative or technical purposes, including:

  • Data organization.
  • Assistance in identifying duplicate submissions.
  • Text-similarity checking.
  • Verification of article metadata.
  • Assistance in identifying technical issues.

However, AI must not replace human editorial judgment.

All such tools must operate under a:

Human-in-the-Loop

principle, whereby an editor or qualified staff member reviews and evaluates the output before any editorial action is taken.

15. AI Detection Tools

The journal may use automated tools to assist in detecting:

  • Textual similarity.
  • Duplication.
  • Potential plagiarism.
  • Potential AI-generated content.
  • Image manipulation or other integrity concerns.

However:

The journal does not regard the output of any automated detection tool as conclusive evidence of research misconduct.

Automated detection results may contain errors and therefore must be evaluated through:

Human Review + Contextual Assessment + Author Clarification, where necessary.

16. Artificial Intelligence in Reviewer Selection

The journal does not use artificial intelligence tools independently to make decisions concerning reviewer selection or assignment.

Technical tools may assist in:

  • Identifying potential experts.
  • Organizing the reviewer database.
  • Suggesting potential reviewers based on areas of expertise.

However:

The relevant editor must review and verify the suitability, expertise, independence, and potential conflicts of interest of any suggested reviewer before assignment.

17. Privacy and Data Protection

Authors, reviewers, and editors must not enter the following into external AI tools unless such use is authorized and fully consistent with confidentiality and data-protection requirements:

  • Unpublished manuscripts.
  • Personal data of research participants.
  • Confidential research data.
  • Non-public author information.
  • Peer-review reports.
  • Confidential editorial correspondence.

18. Violations of the AI Policy

If the journal identifies undisclosed or inappropriate use of artificial intelligence, it may take one or more of the following actions, depending on the nature and seriousness of the case:

  1. Request clarification from the author.
  2. Request an appropriate disclosure statement.
  3. Request revision or rewriting of relevant sections.
  4. Return the manuscript for further peer review.
  5. Suspend the publication process.
  6. Reject the manuscript.
  7. Initiate an investigation into research misconduct.
  8. Take appropriate post-publication action if the violation is discovered after publication.

All actions will be taken in accordance with the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy and applicable principles for handling research misconduct.

19. Disclosure of the Journal's Use of Automated Tools

The journal is committed to transparency regarding its routine use of automated tools in editorial and publishing processes.

Such tools may include:

  • Text-similarity checking tools.
  • Text-screening tools.
  • Data-management tools.
  • Duplicate-detection tools.
  • Tools that assist with editorial workflows.

The use of such tools does not constitute conclusive evidence of misconduct. Their outputs are used only as supporting evidence and remain subject to human review.

20. Policy Review and Updates

Ibn Khaldoun Journal for Studies and Researches reviews this policy periodically to reflect developments in artificial intelligence technologies and international best practices in scholarly publishing.

The journal reserves the right to update this policy when new technologies, risks, ethical considerations, or regulatory requirements emerge. Any updated version will be published on the journal's official website.

 

 

Ibn Khaldoun Journal for Studies and Researches permits the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools in scholarly research and manuscript preparation, provided that any use beyond basic proofreading, editing, or formatting is disclosed. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and final content of their manuscripts. AI tools may not be listed as authors or co-authors and should not be cited as scholarly sources.

Reviewers and editors must not use generative AI to prepare peer-review reports or editorial decisions, and confidential manuscripts or unpublished manuscript data must not be entered into generative AI tools. All automated tools used in editorial processes remain subject to appropriate human oversight.