Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Tools Policy

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Tools Policy

The Journal of Integrated Sciences and Agriculture (JISA) recognizes the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI, and AI-assisted technologies in scientific research and scholarly communication. As an international, multidisciplinary journal covering agricultural, environmental, biological, engineering, computational, social, and health sciences, JISA supports responsible technological innovation while maintaining rigorous standards of scientific integrity, transparency, originality, and human accountability.

JISA permits limited use of AI-assisted technologies for language editing, formatting, and appropriate technical assistance. AI must not replace human authorship, scientific judgment, accountability, or ethical responsibility. This policy should be read together with JISA's Ethics Policy, Peer Review Policy, Research Integrity policies, and other applicable journal requirements. JISA follows a double-blind peer-review system and requires at least two independent expert reviewers for suitable manuscripts.

1. For Authors

Authors may use AI-assisted technologies for limited and responsible purposes such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language correction; improving clarity and readability; translation and language assistance; formatting and presentation; appropriate technical or administrative assistance that does not replace scientific judgment.

AI tools must not be used to generate, fabricate, manipulate, or substantively determine scientific content or research findings. In particular, authors must not use AI to fabricate or manipulate experimental or observational data; generate false or misleading scientific results; fabricate images, figures, datasets, references, or citations; generate unsupported scientific conclusions; replace human scientific interpretation and judgment; conceal plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other misconduct; and replace qualified human authors.

AI systems cannot be listed as authors. Authorship must remain with individuals who meet the journal's authorship requirements and who can take responsibility for the work. Any substantive or disclosed use of AI-assisted technology must be transparently reported in the manuscript. At minimum, the disclosure should identify the tool and explain its purpose.

A suitable statement is:

AI Use Disclosure: The authors used (please mention the name of AI tool) for language editing and/or grammar improvement. The authors reviewed and verified all AI-assisted output and remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and content of the manuscript.

Authors remain responsible for verifying every AI-assisted output. Attention should be given to fabricated references, inaccurate statements, unsupported claims, statistical errors, inappropriate interpretations, and disciplinary or contextual biases.

AI-generated content must not substitute for the use of original scientific literature. Authors must independently verify and cite the original sources supporting their arguments, methods, findings, and conclusions.

Authors must not upload confidential, unpublished, proprietary, personal, identifiable, or otherwise sensitive research information to public or unauthorized AI systems. The use of AI does not reduce or transfer the author's responsibility for originality, research ethics, data integrity, proper attribution, or compliance with JISA's publication policies.

Any inappropriate or undisclosed AI use that contributes to research or publication misconduct may be investigated under JISA's existing ethics and research-integrity procedures. JISA already prohibits fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, duplicate publication, and other forms of research misconduct.

2. For Reviewers

JISA's peer-review process is double-blind, and reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality of manuscripts and associated materials. Reviewers must not upload manuscripts or confidential manuscript materials to public or unauthorized generative AI systems. This includes manuscripts and supplementary files; unpublished datasets; tables and figures; experimental or observational results; confidential reviewer correspondence; editorial communications; and information that could identify authors or research participants.

Reviewers should not use generative AI to generate or substantially write their peer-review reports. Scientific peer review requires independent expert assessment and judgment. Reviewers remain responsible for assessing, as appropriate: scientific validity and methodological rigor; originality and significance; data and analytical methods; interpretation of results; theoretical or conceptual contribution; interdisciplinary relevance; ethical and research-integrity issues; and clarity and reproducibility.

AI-assisted language correction of a reviewer's own comments may be used only where confidentiality is fully protected, and no confidential manuscript material is submitted to the AI system. AI must never independently determine a review recommendation or editorial outcome. Recommendations concerning acceptance, revision, or rejection remain the responsibility of the reviewer and, ultimately, the authorized JISA editorial decision-maker.

Reviewers must continue to comply with JISA requirements concerning confidentiality, conflicts of interest, professional conduct, evidence-based assessment, and timely completion of reviews. JISA specifically requires reviewers to disclose conflicts, protect unpublished information, and provide objective, constructive, and timely evaluations.

3. For Editors and the Journal

JISA may use AI-assisted and automated technologies for appropriate technical, administrative, and editorial-support functions, provided that these technologies are used responsibly and remain subject to human oversight. Appropriate applications may include manuscript formatting and technical checks; workflow and administrative support; reference and metadata checking; similarity/plagiarism screening; detection of potential duplicate submissions; routine quality-control procedures; and language or formatting assistance during production.

Automated tools may assist editors in identifying potential concerns, but AI-generated or automated results must not by themselves establish research misconduct or determine an editorial outcome. For example, a similarity or AI-detection signal may warrant further examination, but the editor must consider the underlying material, context, evidence, and the author's explanation before taking consequential action.

AI or automated systems must not independently make decisions concerning manuscript acceptance or rejection; major or minor revision; reviewer selection or evaluation; research misconduct; plagiarism; ethical approval; authorship disputes; and corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions.  Editors must not upload confidential manuscripts, unpublished scientific information, reviewer reports, reviewer identities, author information, or sensitive editorial communications to public or unauthorized generative AI platforms.

All consequential editorial decisions must remain under human editorial oversight. The Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Section Editors, and other authorized editors remain accountable for decisions made on behalf of JISA. Where AI-assisted technologies materially affect editorial or publishing processes, JISA may require appropriate documentation, oversight, and transparency concerning their use.

JISA will periodically review and update this policy in response to developments in artificial intelligence, scientific publishing, research ethics, data protection, and international scholarly standards.