SJME establishes this Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy to maintain academic integrity, originality of scholarly work, manuscript confidentiality, transparency in the publication process, and the quality of editorial and peer-review procedures. This policy applies to Authors, Editors, and Reviewers involved in the publication process of SJME.

1. Use of AI by Authors

Authors may use AI technologies as supporting tools in the preparation of manuscripts, provided that such use is responsible and does not replace the authors’ intellectual contribution, scholarly judgment, or accountability.

AI may be used, for example, to assist with grammar correction, sentence structure, readability, translation, or language editing. If AI is used substantively in manuscript preparation, data analysis or interpretation, coding or programming, image generation, or other activities that may influence the scientific content of the manuscript, authors must transparently disclose such use.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

• the accuracy of the information and data presented;
• the originality of the manuscript;
• the accuracy and validity of citations and references;
• ensuring the absence of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism;
• compliance with research and publication ethics; and
• all content submitted to SJME.

2. Disclosure of AI Use by Authors

Authors must clearly disclose the use of AI tools when such tools have contributed substantially to the preparation or development of the manuscript.

The disclosure should, at a minimum, identify the name or type of AI tool used, explain the purpose for which it was used, and specify the part of the manuscript or stage of the research and writing process in which AI was involved.

The use of AI solely for basic spelling, grammar, and language editing may be exempt from disclosure, provided that it does not affect the scientific substance of the manuscript.

Authors are responsible for carefully reviewing and verifying all AI-generated outputs, as AI systems may produce inaccurate information, fabricated or invalid references, biased content, or statements that cannot be scientifically substantiated.

3. AI Cannot Be Listed as an Author

AI applications, systems, or technologies must not be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts submitted to or published in SJME.

Authorship may only be attributed to individuals who meet accepted criteria for scholarly authorship and who can take responsibility for the content of the manuscript.

AI systems cannot fulfill essential authorship responsibilities, including approving the final version of a manuscript, declaring conflicts of interest, responding to questions regarding the integrity of the work, or assuming accountability for the published content.

4. Use of AI by Editors

Editors may use AI technologies for limited administrative or technical assistance in journal management, provided that such use does not replace human academic judgment or editorial decision-making.

AI must not be used as the sole basis for determining whether a manuscript should be accepted, revised, or rejected.

All editorial decisions remain the responsibility of the Editors and must be based on scholarly evaluation, journal policies, reviewers’ assessments, and applicable publication ethics standards.

Editors must also maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and all information obtained during the editorial process.

5. Prohibition of AI Use by Reviewers

Reviewers are prohibited from using generative AI applications in the peer-review process when such use involves uploading, copying, entering, or otherwise transferring a manuscript or any part of a manuscript into an AI system.

This prohibition includes the use of AI to:

• analyze the scientific content of a manuscript;
• evaluate the scholarly quality of an article;
• identify the strengths or weaknesses of a manuscript;
• formulate recommendations regarding editorial decisions;
• generate or draft peer-review comments; or
• upload or enter the entire manuscript or any part of it into an AI application.

This restriction is intended to protect manuscript confidentiality, authors’ intellectual property rights, data security, and the integrity of the peer-review process.

Reviewers remain personally and professionally responsible for all comments, evaluations, and recommendations submitted to the Editors.

6. Manuscript Confidentiality

Manuscripts undergoing editorial evaluation and peer review must be treated as confidential documents.

Authors, Editors, and Reviewers must not enter confidential materials, personal data, protected research data, unpublished manuscripts, or other sensitive information into AI applications when such actions could result in the storage, reuse, processing, disclosure, or dissemination of the information by third parties.

Maintaining manuscript confidentiality remains the responsibility of all parties involved in the publication process.

7. AI Must Not Replace Scientific Judgment

AI technology may only serve as a supporting tool and must not replace:

• scientific reasoning;
• interpretation of research findings;
• verification of research data;
• methodological evaluation;
• scholarly assessment;
• authorship responsibility; or
• editorial decision-making.

All substantive scientific and editorial decisions must be made by responsible human contributors.

8. Responsibility for Originality and Research Integrity

The use of AI by Authors or Editors does not remove or reduce their individual responsibility for the originality, accuracy, confidentiality, transparency, and integrity of manuscripts and editorial decisions.

Authors remain responsible for any plagiarism, misinformation, fabricated references, data manipulation, copyright infringement, or other violations of academic and publication integrity resulting from the use of AI technologies.

The use of AI must therefore comply with recognized principles of responsible research and publication ethics.

9. Violations of the AI Use Policy

If SJME identifies the use of AI that does not comply with this policy, the Editorial Team reserves the right to take appropriate action according to the nature and severity of the violation.

Such actions may include requesting clarification or revision from the authors, suspending the editorial process, rejecting the manuscript, retracting a published article, or taking other appropriate measures in accordance with established principles of publication ethics.

By submitting a manuscript to SJME, authors acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to comply with this Artificial Intelligence Use Policy and accept full responsibility for adherence to all applicable requirements.