Policy Statement

The rise of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies has triggered these policies, which content creators are expected to use increasingly. This policy is adopted from COPE AI Policy. These policies aim to provide greater transparency and guidance to authors, reviewers, editors, readers, and contributors. MESI will monitor this development and will adjust or refine policies when appropriate.

For Authors

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing
Please note that this policy only refers to the writing process and not to the use of AI tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process.

Where authors use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, these technologies should only be used to improve the readability and language of the work. Applying the technology should be done with human oversight and control, and authors should carefully review and edit the result because AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. The authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.

Authors should disclose in their manuscript the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies, and a statement will appear in the published work. Declaring the use of these technologies supports transparency and trust between authors, readers, reviewers, editors and contributors and facilitates compliance with the terms of use of the relevant tool or technology.

Authors should not list AI, AI-assisted technologies, or AI citations as authors or co-authors. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans. Each (co-)author is accountable for ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved, and authorship requires the ability to approve the final version of the work and agree to its submission. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that the work is original, that the stated authors qualify for authorship, and that the work does not infringe third-party rights. They should also familiarise themselves with our Ethics in Publishing policy before submitting.

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in figures, images and artwork
We do not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts. This may include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or colour balance are acceptable if and only if they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Image forensics tools or specialised software might be applied to submitted manuscripts to identify suspected image irregularities.

The only exception is if the use of AI or AI-assisted tools is part of the research design or research methods (such as in AI-assisted imaging approaches to generate or interpret the underlying research data, for example, in the field of biomedical imaging). If this is done, such use must be described in a reproducible manner in the methods section. This should include an explanation of how the AI or AI-assisted tools were used in the image creation or alteration process, and the name of the model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer. Authors should adhere to the AI software's specific usage policies and ensure correct content attribution. Where applicable, authors could be asked to provide pre-AI-adjusted versions of images and/or the composite raw images used to create the final submitted versions for editorial assessment.

Generative AI or AI-assisted tools are not permitted for producing artwork, including graphical abstracts. The use of generative AI in the production of cover art may in some cases be allowed if the author obtains prior permission from the journal editor and publisher, can demonstrate that all necessary rights have been cleared for the use of the relevant material, and ensures that there is correct content attribution.

For Reviewers

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the journal peer review process
When a researcher invites another researcher to review their paper, they must treat the manuscript as a confidential document. Reviewers should not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into a generative AI tool, as such actions may violate the authors' confidentiality and proprietary rights and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, may breach data privacy rights.

This confidentiality requirement extends to the peer review report, as it may contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or the authors. For this reason, reviewers should not upload their peer review report to an AI tool, even to improve language and readability.

Peer review is at the heart of the scientific ecosystem, and AE abides by the highest standards of integrity in this process. When people review a scientific manuscript, they take on responsibilities that only they can fulfil. Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies should not be used by reviewers to assist in the scientific review of a paper, as the critical thinking and original assessment needed for peer review are outside of the scope of this technology, and there is a risk that the technology will generate incorrect, incomplete or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The reviewer is responsible and accountable for the content of the review report.

AI author policy states that authors are allowed to use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process before submission, but only to improve the language and readability of their paper and with the appropriate disclosure, as per our instructions in the Guide for Authors. Reviewers can locate such disclosure at the bottom of the paper in a separate section before the list of references.

For Editor

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the journal editorial process
A submitted manuscript must be treated as a confidential document. Editors should not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into a generative AI tool, as doing so may violate the authors' confidentiality and proprietary rights and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, may breach data privacy rights.

This confidentiality requirement extends to all communication about the manuscript, including any notification or decision letters, as they may contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or the authors. For this reason, editors should not upload their letters to an AI tool, even just to improve language and readability.

Peer review is at the heart of the scientific ecosystem, and IJELP abides by the highest standards of integrity in this process. Managing the editorial evaluation of a scientific manuscript implies responsibilities that can only be attributed to humans. Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies should not be used by editors to assist in the evaluation or decision-making process of a manuscript, as the critical thinking and original assessment needed for this work are outside of the scope of this technology, and there is a risk that the technology will generate incorrect, incomplete or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The editor manages the editorial process, makes the final decision, and communicates it to the authors.

IJELP's AI author policy states that authors are allowed to use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process before submission, but only to improve the language and readability of their paper and with the appropriate disclosure, as per our instructions in IJELP's Guide for Authors. Editors can locate such disclosure at the bottom of the paper in a separate section before the list of references. If an editor suspects that an author or a reviewer has violated our AI policies, they should inform the publisher.