Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

The Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology (JWMAP), owned, managed, and published by KODISA Foundation, recognizes that generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies are increasingly used in academic writing, scientific analysis, data processing, programming, visualization, and research communication.

JWMAP publishes research within the broad field of Environmental, Occupational, and Human Wellbeing Sciences, including environmental exposure and health, occupational health and safety, human physiology and measurable wellbeing, applied psychology and human factors related to health and safety, health/environment/safety technologies, climate and community resilience, and emerging scientific applications such as wearables, AI-based risk prediction, exposomics, and precision prevention.

Accordingly, JWMAP does not prohibit the scientifically appropriate use of AI or machine-learning methods in research. However, the use of generative AI must not compromise scientific validity, originality, transparency, confidentiality, research ethics, authorship accountability, data integrity, copyright, or publication ethics.

This policy applies to authors, editors, reviewers, and other persons involved in the editorial and publication process.

Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies include large language models, generative image systems, multimodal AI systems, code-generation tools, and comparable technologies, including but not limited to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and similar systems.

2. Policy for Authors

2.1 Permitted Uses for Manuscript Preparation

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

• improving grammar, readability, and language expression;
• translating manuscript text;
• polishing or editing author-generated text;
• improving clarity, organization, or presentation;
• checking consistency of terminology or structure; and
• assisting with formatting or other non-substantive aspects of manuscript preparation.

Generative AI may assist authors, but it must not replace human scholarly judgment or responsibility.

All AI-assisted content must be carefully reviewed, revised, verified, and approved by the authors before submission.

The authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, scientific validity, ethical compliance, citations, references, interpretation, and final content of the manuscript.

Routine spelling or grammar-checking functions that do not generate substantive new content generally do not require a separate AI disclosure.

2.2 Use of AI, Machine Learning, and Computational Methods in Research

The use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, predictive modeling, automated classification, wearable-data analysis, sensor-data analysis, and other computational methods is permitted when such methods are scientifically appropriate to the research question.

This includes research involving, for example:

• environmental or occupational risk prediction;
• health and safety monitoring;
• physiological or behavioral data analysis;
• wearable or sensor-based assessment;
• human-factor analysis;
• exposure assessment;
• image or signal analysis;
• predictive prevention models;
• AI-supported health, environmental, or safety technologies; and
• other scientifically validated applications consistent with the Aims and Scope of JWMAP.

When AI or machine-learning methods constitute part of the scientific methodology, authors must describe them adequately in the Research Methods section.

Where applicable, authors should report:

• the model, algorithm, software, or AI system used;
• software or model version, where relevant;
• data sources and data-preparation procedures;
• model development or training procedures;
• validation or testing procedures;
• performance measures;
• relevant parameter settings;
• procedures used to reduce bias, error, or overfitting; and
• sufficient information to permit scientific evaluation and, where reasonably possible, reproducibility.

The legitimate use of AI or machine learning as a scientific research method should not be confused with the use of generative AI to write or fabricate scientific content.

2.3 Prohibited Uses

Authors must not use generative AI tools to:

• fabricate research data, observations, participants, experiments, measurements, or results;
• invent unobserved data or conceal missing data;
• generate false, misleading, or unverifiable findings;
• fabricate citations, references, quotations, sources, or evidence;
• cite AI-generated output as a substitute for an original scholarly source;
• misrepresent AI-generated analysis as independently produced human analysis;
• replace the authors’ scientific reasoning, interpretation, or scholarly judgment;
• generate substantive scientific claims that have not been independently verified by the authors;
• manipulate research images, figures, signals, charts, or datasets in a manner that changes or misrepresents the underlying scientific information;
• conceal inappropriate image or data manipulation;
• violate copyright or other intellectual-property rights;
• disclose confidential, sensitive, identifiable, personal, proprietary, or unpublished research information to unauthorized external AI systems; or
• use AI in a manner that violates applicable research ethics, privacy requirements, informed-consent requirements, or data-protection obligations.

Scientifically justified statistical procedures for handling missing data, such as predefined imputation methods, are not prohibited merely because computational tools are used. Such procedures must be methodologically justified and transparently reported.

2.4 Authorship

Generative AI systems and AI-assisted technologies cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authorship requires human accountability for the integrity of the work, the ability to approve the final manuscript, responsibility for the validity of the research, and the ability to respond to questions concerning the work.

AI systems cannot fulfill these responsibilities.

Only human contributors who satisfy the journal's authorship requirements may be listed as authors.

Authors remain responsible for all AI-assisted material appearing in their manuscript.

2.5 Disclosure of Generative AI Use

Authors must disclose material use of generative AI when such technology has been used in:

• manuscript drafting or substantive rewriting;
• translation;
• substantial language editing;
• generation or modification of code;
• data processing or analysis;
• creation of synthetic materials or content;
• generation of conceptual images or illustrations;
• preparation of tables or visual materials; or
• other substantive research or manuscript-preparation activities.

The disclosure should identify, where applicable:

• the name of the AI system or tool;
• the version used, if available;
• the purpose for which it was used;
• the extent of its use;
• how the output was reviewed or verified; and
• confirmation that the authors take full responsibility for the final work.

The disclosure should normally appear under the heading:

Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

An example statement is:

“During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used ChatGPT [version, if available] for English-language editing and improvement of readability. The authors subsequently reviewed, revised, and verified all AI-assisted content and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, scientific integrity, and final content of the manuscript.”

For research-related use, an appropriate statement may be:

“Generative AI-assisted tools were used for [coding/data processing/other specified purpose]. The specific procedures and validation methods are described in the Research Methods section. All outputs were independently reviewed and verified by the authors, who take full responsibility for the research and the final manuscript.”

Authors who did not use generative AI may state:

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

A declaration of non-use is not required unless specifically requested by the journal.

2.6 Accuracy of Citations and References

Authors are responsible for independently verifying every citation and reference included in the manuscript.

References suggested or generated by AI tools must not be included unless the authors have confirmed that:

• the source actually exists;
• the bibliographic information is correct;
• the cited source supports the statement for which it is cited; and
• the source has been consulted or appropriately verified by the authors.

Fabricated, nonexistent, misattributed, or materially inaccurate references may constitute a serious publication-ethics concern.

2.7 Protection of Research Data and Confidential Information

Authors must not enter confidential or protected information into external generative AI systems when doing so may compromise confidentiality, privacy, informed consent, intellectual property, contractual obligations, or data-protection requirements.

Protected information may include:

• identifiable participant information;
• confidential health or physiological data;
• unpublished datasets;
• occupational or workplace records;
• proprietary industrial information;
• confidential environmental or exposure data;
• sensitive images or recordings;
• confidential institutional information; and
• data subject to ethics approval, restricted access, or data-use agreements.

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that their use of AI complies with applicable ethical approvals, informed-consent provisions, institutional requirements, and relevant laws or regulations.

3. Visual Materials, Images, Figures, Tables, and Data

Generative AI must not be used to fabricate or materially misrepresent scientific images, measurements, figures, charts, tables, datasets, or other research outputs.

Image or signal processing that forms part of a legitimate scientific methodology is permitted when:

• the procedure is scientifically justified;
• the same standards are applied consistently;
• relevant methods are reported;
• the processing does not selectively conceal, create, remove, or distort research information; and
• the resulting material accurately represents the underlying data.

Routine adjustments made for presentation, such as reasonable changes to brightness, contrast, resolution, or layout, must not alter the scientific meaning of the original material.

AI-generated conceptual illustrations, graphical abstracts, or non-data-based schematic figures may be considered when they do not represent themselves as experimental evidence or original research data and when their AI-assisted creation is appropriately disclosed.

AI-generated or AI-modified material must never be presented in a manner that could reasonably cause readers to believe that fabricated content represents genuine empirical observations.

4. Computer Code and AI-Assisted Programming

Authors may use generative AI tools to assist with computer programming or code development.

Where AI-assisted code contributes materially to data processing, statistical analysis, modeling, simulation, or other scientific results, authors must:

• review and validate the code;
• verify that the code performs the intended analysis correctly;
• take full responsibility for errors or biases;
• describe the computational procedure sufficiently in the Methods section; and
• disclose material use of generative AI where appropriate.

AI-generated code must not be accepted without human verification merely because the code executes successfully.

Where code availability is scientifically relevant, authors are encouraged to provide sufficient information to support reproducibility, subject to ethical, legal, privacy, and intellectual-property limitations.

5. Policy for Editors

5.1 Confidentiality

Editors must maintain strict confidentiality regarding submitted manuscripts, supplementary materials, reviewer reports, author information, unpublished research findings, editorial correspondence, and editorial deliberations.

Editors must not upload confidential manuscript or peer-review material to external generative AI systems.

This includes:

• complete manuscripts;
• manuscript excerpts;
• unpublished data;
• tables or figures;
• supplementary files;
• author-identifying information;
• reviewer reports;
• confidential editorial correspondence; and
• unpublished editorial decisions.

Such disclosure may compromise confidentiality, intellectual-property rights, privacy, research ethics, or the integrity of peer review.

5.2 Editorial Decision-Making

Editorial decisions must be made by qualified human editors.

Generative AI must not independently:

• determine whether a manuscript is within the scope of the journal;
• evaluate scientific quality or methodological adequacy;
• assess research integrity;
• determine the significance or originality of a manuscript;
• evaluate reviewer reports;
• recommend acceptance, revision, or rejection; or
• make final editorial decisions.

Editors remain fully responsible for all editorial judgments and decisions.

Editors may request clarification from authors when AI use appears undisclosed, excessive, unclear, scientifically inappropriate, or inconsistent with this policy.

When AI use raises concerns regarding data integrity, image integrity, citations, originality, confidentiality, copyright, or research ethics, the editor may request supporting materials, data, code, methodological clarification, revision, or other appropriate documentation.

5.3 Limited Language Assistance for Editors

Editors may use generative AI for limited language improvement of their own non-confidential editorial communications, provided that no confidential manuscript content, unpublished findings, reviewer information, author-identifying information, or protected editorial information is entered into the AI system.

Editors remain responsible for all communications issued in the name of the journal.

6. Policy for Reviewers

6.1 Confidentiality of Peer Review

Submitted manuscripts and all materials associated with peer review are confidential.

Reviewers must not upload to external generative AI systems:

• manuscripts or manuscript excerpts;
• tables, figures, images, or supplementary materials;
• unpublished data;
• author-identifying information;
• confidential research findings; or
• other materials obtained through the peer-review process.

The confidentiality requirement applies regardless of whether the reviewer intends to use AI for summarization, translation, analysis, or drafting.

6.2 Human Responsibility for Peer Review

Peer review requires independent scholarly judgment, subject-matter expertise, critical analysis, and accountability.

Reviewers must not use generative AI to replace their own assessment of a manuscript.

Generative AI must not independently be used to:

• evaluate scientific quality;
• assess methodology;
• assess novelty or significance;
• summarize confidential manuscript content for the purpose of replacing the reviewer's own reading;
• generate substantive peer-review reports;
• determine the strengths or weaknesses of the research;
• recommend acceptance, revision, or rejection; or
• make other peer-review judgments on behalf of the reviewer.

Reviewers are personally responsible for the accuracy, fairness, confidentiality, and scholarly integrity of their reviews.

6.3 Limited Language Assistance for Reviewers

Reviewers may use generative AI solely for limited language polishing of review comments that they have independently written, provided that the text supplied to the AI system contains no manuscript content, author-identifying information, unpublished research information, confidential data, or other protected material.

If confidentiality cannot be fully preserved, generative AI must not be used.

7. Editorial Investigation of AI-Related Concerns

JWMAP may request additional information when there is reasonable concern that generative AI has been used inappropriately or contrary to this policy.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may request:

• original data;
• source data;
• statistical outputs;
• computer code;
• original images;
• ethics documentation;
• citation verification;
• information concerning the AI system used;
• an explanation of the extent of AI involvement; or
• other materials necessary to evaluate the integrity of the research.

The presence of AI-generated or AI-assisted content alone does not automatically establish research misconduct.

Editorial assessment should consider the nature, extent, transparency, scientific validity, and consequences of the AI use.

8. Consequences of Policy Violations

Failure to comply with this policy may result in appropriate editorial or publication action.

Depending on the seriousness and stage of the case, such actions may include:

• request for explanation or clarification;
• correction of inaccurate information;
• request for manuscript revision;
• rejection before publication;
• suspension of editorial consideration while concerns are investigated;
• correction or other post-publication notice;
• expression of concern;
• retraction;
• referral to the Editorial Board;
• notification of the authors' institution, funding body, or other relevant authority in serious cases; or
• restrictions on future submissions where justified under the journal's research and publication ethics policies.

Actions will be determined according to the evidence, seriousness of the issue, effect on the reliability of the scholarly record, and applicable JWMAP publication-ethics procedures.

9. Relationship with Other JWMAP Policies

This policy should be read together with the journal's policies and author instructions concerning:

• authorship and contributor responsibilities;
• research and publication ethics;
• conflicts of interest;
• ethics approval and informed consent;
• data availability;
• image and data integrity;
• plagiarism and originality;
• corrections and retractions;
• confidentiality and peer review; and
• manuscript preparation and submission.

Where generative AI is used as part of the scientific methodology, the relevant procedures must also be reported in the Research Methods section.

Where generative AI is used in manuscript preparation or other reportable activities, the required information should also be provided in the Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies.

10. Policy Updates

Generative AI technologies and their scientific, ethical, legal, and publication implications continue to evolve.

JWMAP may revise this policy when necessary to reflect developments in research methodology, research ethics, publication ethics, privacy, copyright, data governance, or relevant technologies.

Authors, reviewers, and editors should consult the current version of this policy when preparing, reviewing, or evaluating manuscripts.

11. Contact

Questions regarding this policy or individual cases may be directed to:

Professor Woo-Taeg KWON
Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology (JWMAP)
KODISA Foundation
Email: awtkw@eulji.ac.kr