Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Tools Policy

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Tools Policy

The Journal of Agricultural Policy and Transformation (AgriPaT) recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI and large language models (LLMs), can support researchers and publishing professionals in activities such as language improvement, data processing, literature discovery, and administrative tasks. At the same time, the use of AI must not compromise research integrity, authorship, confidentiality, transparency, or accountability. AgriPaT therefore requires that the use of AI and automated tools remain subject to appropriate human oversight and that authors, reviewers, and editors remain fully responsible for their scholarly and editorial decisions.

1. For Authors

Authors may use AI and automated tools to assist with language correction, grammar, spelling, formatting, translation, or other routine editorial tasks. Where generative AI is used substantially in preparing, analysing, interpreting, or presenting a manuscript beyond straightforward language correction, editing, or formatting, authors must disclose its use in an appropriate statement in the manuscript. The disclosure should identify the tool used, its purpose, and, where relevant, the extent of its contribution. AI tools must not be listed as authors or credited with authorship, because they cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, or ethical aspects of a manuscript. Authors remain fully responsible for all content submitted to AgriPaT, including text, data, analyses, references, figures, tables, interpretations, and conclusions produced or assisted by automated tools. Authors must independently verify AI-generated information because such tools may produce inaccurate, incomplete, biased, fabricated, or misleading information, including nonexistent or incorrect references. Generative AI should not be cited as an authoritative source or as a substitute for the original scholarly literature. Authors must ensure that confidential, personal, proprietary, unpublished, or otherwise sensitive research information is not entered into public or unapproved AI systems. The use of AI does not reduce or transfer the author's responsibility for originality, plagiarism, research integrity, ethical compliance, or appropriate attribution. Undisclosed or inappropriate use of AI that results in plagiarism, fabricated information, manipulated data, false references, or other forms of research misconduct may be investigated under AgriPaT's publication-ethics policies.

2. For Reviewers

Peer reviewers must protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and all information obtained through the peer-review process. Reviewers must not upload or submit manuscripts, unpublished data, tables, figures, supplementary materials, reviewer comments, or other confidential content to public or unauthorized generative AI systems for the purpose of generating a review, analysing the manuscript, or obtaining editorial recommendations. Reviewers must not use generative AI to prepare, replace, or substantially generate their peer-review report because AI-generated assessments may introduce errors, bias, inappropriate recommendations, fabricated references, superficial comments, or breaches of confidentiality. Reviewers remain personally responsible for the accuracy, fairness, originality, and scholarly quality of their review. Where an AI or automated tool is used for limited language correction or formatting of a review, such use must not involve disclosure of confidential manuscript content and should be disclosed to the editorial office when appropriate. Reviewers must continue to declare conflicts of interest, maintain anonymity and confidentiality, and provide independent, evidence-based, constructive, and timely assessments. Any automated assistance must remain subordinate to the reviewer's own expert judgment and must never determine the recommendation to accept, revise, or reject a manuscript.

3. For Editors and the Journal

Editors must ensure that AI and automated tools are used responsibly, transparently, securely, and with meaningful human oversight throughout the editorial process. Editors must not use public or unauthorized generative AI systems to process confidential manuscripts, unpublished research, reviewer identities, reviewer reports, or other sensitive editorial information. Generative AI must not independently generate or determine editorial decisions, reviewer assessments, ethical findings, or recommendations concerning acceptance, revision, rejection, misconduct, or retraction. Editors may use appropriately approved automated tools for administrative and editorial support, including manuscript screening, text similarity checking, reference or formatting checks, workflow management, and other routine quality-control activities, provided that such tools are appropriately tested and their use is subject to human verification. Automated detection of plagiarism, AI-generated content, image manipulation, duplicate publication, or other research-integrity concerns must not by itself constitute evidence of misconduct; an editor or designated member of the editorial team must review the evidence and, where necessary, seek clarification from the authors before taking action. Any routine use of AI or automated tools by AgriPaT or its publisher that materially affects editorial or publishing processes should be appropriately disclosed. The journal will maintain human oversight of all consequential editorial decisions and will ensure that the use of AI does not compromise confidentiality, fairness, editorial independence, peer-review integrity, or the accuracy of the scholarly record. AgriPaT may update this policy as AI technologies, scholarly publishing standards, and recognized publication-ethics practices evolve.