Generative AI Usage Policy

1. Introduction

The Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology (JWMAP), owned, managed, and published by KODISA Foundation, recognizes that generative artificial intelligence tools may be used to support certain limited aspects of academic writing, editing, translation, and research communication.

This policy provides guidance for authors, editors, and reviewers on the responsible use of generative AI tools while maintaining academic integrity, research ethics, confidentiality, originality, accountability, copyright compliance, and publication transparency.

Examples of generative AI tools include, but are not limited to, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Bard, Jasper AI, DALL-E, Midjourney, and other large language models or multimodal AI systems.

2. Policy for Authors

2.1 Permitted Uses

Authors may use generative AI tools for limited supporting purposes, such as:

• Improving grammar, readability, and language expression

• Translating or polishing manuscript text

• Organizing the presentation of author-generated content

• Checking clarity, consistency, or structure of the manuscript

However, all AI-assisted content must be carefully reviewed, verified, revised, and approved by the human authors.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, validity, citation, ethical compliance, and final content of the manuscript.

2.2 Prohibited Uses

Authors must not use generative AI tools to:

• Create or fabricate research data

• Substitute missing data

• Generate false, unverifiable, or misleading results

• Fabricate citations, references, sources, or evidence

• Replace the authors’ own analysis, interpretation, or scholarly judgment

• Generate core research content without rigorous human verification and responsibility

• Create, manipulate, or alter images, figures, charts, data tables, or other visual research outputs in a way that may misrepresent the research

• Produce abstracts or substantial sections of manuscripts without appropriate human authorship, verification, and disclosure

• Violate copyright, intellectual property rights, data protection, privacy, confidentiality, or research ethics

2.3 Authorship

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authorship requires human accountability, responsibility for the integrity of the work, the ability to approve the final manuscript, and the ability to respond to questions regarding the research. AI tools cannot meet these requirements.

Only human contributors who meet the journal’s authorship criteria may be listed as authors.

2.4 Disclosure Requirements

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI tools when such tools have been used in manuscript preparation, translation, editing, data processing, image generation, coding, or other research-related work.

The disclosure statement should specify:

• The name of the AI tool used

• The version of the tool, if available

• The purpose and extent of use

• Confirmation that all AI-assisted content was reviewed and verified by the authors

• Confirmation that the authors take full responsibility for the final manuscript

Example disclosure statement:

“The authors used ChatGPT-4 to improve the English language and readability of selected sections of this manuscript. All content was subsequently reviewed, revised, and verified by the authors, who take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the final manuscript.”

If no generative AI tool was used, authors may state:

“The authors declare that no generative AI tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”

2.5 Author Responsibilities

Authors who use generative AI tools must:

• Take full responsibility for all content in the manuscript

• Verify factual accuracy, citations, references, and claims

• Ensure that no fabricated or misleading information is included

• Ensure compliance with copyright and intellectual property standards

• Protect confidential, sensitive, personal, or unpublished data

• Disclose AI use transparently where required

• Ensure that AI use does not compromise research ethics or publication ethics

Authors should be aware that generative AI tools may produce inaccurate information, biased outputs, fabricated references, or misleading statements.

3. Policy for Editors

3.1 Confidentiality

Editors must maintain strict confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, decision letters, author information, editorial correspondence, and editorial discussions.

Editors must not upload submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, decision letters, author information, or any confidential editorial material to external generative AI tools or platforms.

Such use may violate author confidentiality, reviewer confidentiality, intellectual property rights, data protection rules, and publication ethics.

3.2 Editorial Responsibilities

Editors are responsible for evaluating disclosures of AI use by authors when relevant.

Editors may request additional information from authors if the use of generative AI appears excessive, unclear, undisclosed, or inappropriate.

Editors may reject manuscripts or request revision when AI use compromises originality, accuracy, research integrity, confidentiality, copyright, or ethical compliance.

Editors must not use generative AI tools to make editorial decisions, assess manuscript quality, summarize submitted manuscripts, evaluate reviewer reports, or generate decision recommendations.

3.3 Permitted Editor Use

Editors may use generative AI tools only for limited language improvement of their own editorial correspondence, provided that no confidential manuscript content, reviewer comments, author information, unpublished research content, or editorial decision details are included.

Editors remain fully responsible for all editorial communications and decisions.

4. Policy for Reviewers

4.1 Confidentiality

Reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts and all review-related materials as strictly confidential.

Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, manuscript excerpts, figures, tables, data, supplementary materials, author information, or review-related confidential information to generative AI tools.

Uploading manuscripts or confidential review materials to AI tools may violate confidentiality obligations, intellectual property rights, privacy rules, and peer-review policies.

4.2 Review Integrity

Peer review requires expert judgment, critical thinking, independent assessment, and scholarly responsibility. These responsibilities must be fulfilled by human reviewers.

Reviewers must not use generative AI tools to:

• Analyze manuscripts

• Summarize manuscript content

• Evaluate research quality

• Generate review comments

• Recommend acceptance, revision, or rejection

• Replace their own expert judgment

Reviewers are fully responsible and accountable for the content of their reviews.

4.3 Limited Language Assistance

Reviewers may use generative AI tools only for limited language polishing of their own original review comments, provided that no manuscript content, author information, unpublished data, confidential details, or identifiable information is included.

If confidentiality cannot be fully protected, reviewers must not use generative AI tools during the review process.

5. Visual Materials, Figures, Tables, and Data

Generative AI tools must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, or materially alter research images, figures, charts, tables, datasets, or other research outputs in a way that may misrepresent the research.

Traditional editing for clarity, such as adjusting brightness, contrast, resolution, color balance, or layout, may be acceptable when it does not alter, obscure, fabricate, or misrepresent the original research information.

Any use of AI tools in creating, editing, processing, or presenting visual materials, figures, charts, tables, data, or code must be disclosed where relevant.

6. Consequences of Policy Violations

Violations of this policy may result in editorial action, including:

• Request for clarification or correction

• Request for revision

• Rejection of the manuscript

• Correction, expression of concern, or retraction after publication

• Investigation by the Editorial Board

• Notification to the authors’ institutions or relevant authorities in serious cases

• Restriction of future submissions where appropriate

• Sanctions in accordance with JWMAP’s research and publication ethics policies

JWMAP may apply relevant research ethics and publication ethics procedures in accordance with the journal’s policies and applicable ethical guidelines.

7. Policy Updates

This policy may be reviewed and updated as generative AI technologies, legal standards, copyright issues, research ethics, and publication ethics continue to evolve.

Authors, editors, and reviewers are encouraged to check the current version of this policy before submission, review, or editorial decision-making.

8. Contact

For questions about this policy or specific cases, please contact:

KODISA Foundation Editorial Office
Email: kodisa@kodisajournals.org