As advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) continue to evolve rapidly, IJoC is committed to ensuring responsible, ethical use of AI in research and publishing. We will regularly review and update this policy to align with technological and ethical developments. This policy should be read together with the journal’s Guide for Authors, Guide for Reviewers, Peer Review Policy, and Research & Publication Ethics. In the event of any inconsistency, the stricter requirement regarding research integrity, confidentiality, and accountability shall apply.

1. AI Authorship

AI tools, including Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, do not meet the criteria for authorship under IJoC guidelines. Authorship requires accountability for the entirety of the work, which cannot be fulfilled by AI. Therefore, AI cannot be listed as an author on any manuscript.

• Disclosure:  The use of AI tools in manuscript preparation that goes beyond minor spelling, grammar, punctuation, or non-substantive language polishing must be transparently declared in the manuscript in the Methods section, Acknowledgments, or another clearly identifiable section, as appropriate. This includes AI assistance in drafting, translation, summarization, coding, data analysis, or other substantial contributions.
• AI-Assisted Copy Editing: Autonomous content generation by AI that substitutes for the authors’ original scholarly judgment is not permitted. Authors must not rely on AI-generated text, analysis, references, tables, figures, or interpretations without human verification and full responsibility. Authors must verify the accuracy of any AI-assisted output, including facts, citations, quotations, code, and analytical results, before submission.
• Accountability: Human authors are fully responsible for the integrity of the manuscript and must ensure that any AI-generated content aligns with their original work and reflects their intellectual contributions.

2. Generative AI Images

IJoC prohibits the use of AI-generated images and videos in submitted works due to unresolved legal and ethical concerns surrounding copyright and research integrity.

• Exceptions: AI-generated images may be considered only when they are essential to the scholarly purpose of the manuscript, including manuscripts that directly address AI technologies, and when their provenance, legal right of use, and method of generation are clearly documented. Such cases will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the editors.
  
• Non-Generative AI: The use of AI tools for enhancing, combining, or modifying existing images (such as non-generative machine learning tools) must be disclosed in the image caption. Editors will review these cases individually to ensure compliance with ethical guidelines.
  
• Image Types Covered: This policy applies to generative images such as illustrations, scientific diagrams, and editorial art. Text-based figures such as tables, flow charts, and basic graphs that do not involve AI-based image generation are exempt from this policy. Authors must not use generative AI to create or alter images, videos, or graphical elements in a way that fabricates, obscures, removes, or exaggerates research findings.

3. AI Use by Peer Reviewers

The integrity of the peer review process is paramount, and we recognize the essential role of expert human judgment. IJoC currently prohibits reviewers from uploading submitted manuscripts, figures, tables, supplementary files, or review reports into external generative AI tools due to concerns over confidentiality, privacy, accuracy, and ethical integrity.

• Declaration: If any permitted AI tools are used to assist in the review process, such as limited language correction or technical checking that does not disclose manuscript content to external systems, reviewers must disclose this confidentially to the handling editor..
  
• Human Accountability: Peer reviewers are responsible for the content of their evaluations, and AI-generated content is not permitted as a replacement for human expertise.

4. Ethical AI Use in Research

Researchers using AI for data analysis, simulations, or other parts of the research process must ensure that AI models are transparent, reproducible, and free from bias. Researchers must provide details about the algorithms, data sources, and AI tools used to ensure that the methods are verifiable and ethical.

• Data Transparency: Authors must share the code, datasets, and algorithms used in their research where possible, aligning with field standards for transparency and reproducibility.
  
• Bias and Integrity: AI systems used in research should be evaluated for biases, and authors must report steps taken to mitigate any potential ethical issues.

5. AI Use by Editors

Editors must preserve the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and related correspondence. Editors must not upload manuscripts, figures, tables, supplementary files, reviewer reports, or decision letters containing confidential manuscript content into external generative AI tools unless the journal has expressly approved a secure system with appropriate confidentiality protections.

If editors use AI tools to assist with editorial work, including language editing, correspondence drafting, reviewer suggestion, plagiarism or integrity screening, or workflow support, the editor remains fully responsible for all editorial judgments, communications, and decisions.

AI tools may be used only as decision-support tools and must not replace editorial judgment regarding manuscript suitability, peer review outcomes, ethical concerns, or final acceptance or rejection.

Editors should disclose internally, according to journal workflow, any material use of AI in manuscript evaluation or editorial correspondence.

Editors should ensure that any AI-assisted screening or evaluation does not introduce unfair bias, compromise confidentiality, or undermine the journal’s double-blind peer review process.

The journal may use appropriate tools to help detect fabricated, manipulated, plagiarized, or AI-altered content, but any concerns identified by such tools must be assessed by a human editor before action is taken.