Generative AI Policy

1. Introduction

The Applied Systems and Technologies Journal (ASTJ) recognizes the increasing role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) and AI-assisted technologies in research, scholarly communication, software development, data analysis, and academic publishing.

Generative AI technologies, including large language models (LLMs), multimodal AI systems, AI-assisted search tools, code-generation systems, and other content-generation technologies, can provide valuable assistance to researchers and authors. Such technologies may support activities including idea generation, literature organization, language improvement, coding assistance, data-analysis support, and the development of research materials.

However, the use of Generative AI also introduces important risks concerning research integrity, accuracy, authorship, intellectual property, confidentiality, privacy, bias, and accountability.

ASTJ therefore supports the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies while maintaining the principle that human authors, editors, and reviewers remain responsible for scholarly work and editorial decisions.

This policy is informed by international recommendations and publishing practices concerning the responsible use of Generative AI in scholarly publishing, including guidance from the STM Association, Elsevier, and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

ASTJ may periodically revise this policy in response to developments in Generative AI technologies, scholarly publishing practices, applicable laws, and research-integrity standards.

2. General Principles

The use of Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in connection with manuscripts submitted to ASTJ should follow these principles:

Human Accountability. Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Human authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, interpretation, and conclusions of their work.
Transparency. Substantive use of Generative AI in manuscript preparation or research should be appropriately disclosed.
Verification. AI-generated or AI-assisted content must be critically reviewed and verified by the authors.
Confidentiality and Privacy. Confidential, unpublished, personal, proprietary, or otherwise restricted information must not be submitted to external AI systems without appropriate authorization and safeguards.
Intellectual Property. Users of AI tools are responsible for ensuring that their use of AI does not infringe copyright, intellectual property, licensing, confidentiality, or other applicable rights.
Human Oversight. Generative AI should support human scholarly judgment rather than replace it.
Research Integrity. Generative AI must not be used to fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or misrepresent research data, results, references, images, software experiments, or other scholarly evidence.

3. Policy for Authors

3.1 Permitted Uses of Generative AI

ASTJ permits authors to use Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies responsibly for activities such as:

generating and exploring research ideas;
brainstorming research questions and research approaches;
improving grammar, spelling, language, and readability;
improving manuscript structure and organization;
assisting authors writing in a second or additional language;
organizing or classifying literature;
supporting literature searches;
assisting with programming and software development;
explaining programming concepts and technical approaches;
generating code suggestions;
debugging and refactoring code;
assisting with test-case development;
supporting data-analysis workflows;
assisting with documentation and technical writing; and
other supportive activities that do not replace the authors' scholarly judgment.

When AI is used as part of the research methodology rather than merely for manuscript preparation, its use should be described in sufficient detail in the Methods section to allow appropriate evaluation and reproducibility.

4. Human Responsibility for AI-Assisted Work

Authors remain fully responsible for their manuscript regardless of whether Generative AI was used during its preparation.

Authors must:

critically review AI-generated content;
independently verify factual claims;
verify references and citations;
ensure that cited sources actually exist and support the claims made;
verify mathematical, statistical, and technical information;
validate AI-assisted code and software implementations;
correct errors, hallucinations, omissions, and biases;
ensure compliance with copyright and intellectual property requirements; and
ensure that the final manuscript satisfies ASTJ's standards of research integrity.

AI-generated output must not be submitted as verified scholarly content without appropriate human review.

5. Disclosure of Generative AI Use

Authors must disclose substantive use of Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in preparing their manuscript or conducting research.

The disclosure should identify:

the name of the AI tool or service;
the version or model, where reasonably identifiable;
the purpose for which the tool was used; and
the nature or extent of human review and oversight.

ASTJ recommends that authors include a dedicated section entitled:

Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

This declaration should normally be placed immediately before the References. When Generative AI forms part of the research methodology, the relevant methodological details should also be included in the Methods section.

Recommended declaration:

During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [NAME OF AI TOOL/SERVICE, VERSION/MODEL] for [DESCRIBE PURPOSE]. The authors reviewed and edited the output generated by the tool and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and final content of the published work.

Basic spelling, punctuation, and grammar checking generally does not require a separate declaration when the use does not involve substantive generation, rewriting, or restructuring of the manuscript. However, authors should disclose AI use when it materially contributes to the content, structure, analysis, or presentation of the manuscript.

6. Generative AI and Authorship

Generative AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and similar technologies, must not be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts submitted to ASTJ.

Authorship requires responsibilities that AI systems cannot assume, including responsibility for the content, approval of the final manuscript, accountability for research integrity, and responsibility for copyright, licensing, and publication agreements.

Only human researchers who can assume these responsibilities may be identified as authors.

7. Prohibited and Unacceptable Uses

Authors must not use Generative AI in ways that compromise research integrity.

Examples include:

submitting AI-generated text without appropriate human review;
fabricating or inventing research results;
generating false experimental findings;
fabricating references or citations;
presenting AI-generated information as verified evidence;
manipulating research data or results;
concealing plagiarism through AI-generated rewriting;
using AI to fabricate research participants, experiments, observations, or measurements;
misrepresenting AI-generated material as original human research without appropriate disclosure;
using AI-generated content that infringes copyright or other intellectual property rights;
uploading confidential or restricted information to AI systems without authorization;
generating misleading research images or figures; and
using AI in a manner that violates applicable laws, research ethics, institutional requirements, or ASTJ publication policies.

Such use may result in editorial investigation and appropriate action under the journal's publication ethics procedures.

8. Generative AI and Research Data

Generative AI must not be used to fabricate or falsify research data.

Where synthetic data generated using AI are legitimately part of a research methodology, authors must:

clearly identify the data as synthetic;
explain the method used to generate the data;
describe the AI model or tool where relevant;
provide appropriate parameters or methodological details where necessary;
explain the rationale for using synthetic data;
evaluate the limitations and potential biases of the generated data; and
ensure that conclusions are supported by appropriate evidence.

Synthetic data must never be presented as real-world observations, measurements, survey responses, experimental results, or other empirical data when they were not actually collected or observed.

9. Generative AI, Images, Figures, and Visual Materials

Authors must disclose substantive use of Generative AI in creating or modifying images, figures, diagrams, graphical abstracts, or other visual materials when such use is permitted.

AI-generated or AI-assisted visual materials must not:

fabricate research findings;
alter research evidence in a misleading manner;
remove relevant features from research images;
introduce features that were not present in the original evidence;
misrepresent experimental results;
violate copyright or licensing restrictions; or
create a false impression concerning the origin or authenticity of research evidence.

For scientific images, experimental images, screenshots used as research evidence, or other evidence-based visual materials, the integrity of the original evidence must be preserved.

AI-assisted image processing must be scientifically justified and appropriately described where it affects the interpretation of research results.

ASTJ may request original or unprocessed materials when necessary to assess research integrity.

10. Generative AI in Programming and Software Development

As a journal covering applied systems and technologies, ASTJ recognizes that AI-assisted programming can be a useful component of software development and research.

Authors may use AI tools for:

code generation;
code completion;
debugging;
code explanation;
refactoring;
test generation;
documentation;
programming-language conversion;
software architecture exploration; and
development of prototypes.

However, authors remain responsible for verifying the resulting software and code.

Authors should ensure that AI-assisted code:

correctly implements the methodology described in the manuscript;
produces reproducible results where applicable;
does not contain malicious or unintended functionality;
does not introduce avoidable security vulnerabilities;
complies with relevant software licenses;
does not improperly reproduce copyrighted code; and
is adequately tested and validated.

Where AI-assisted programming materially contributes to the research methodology, authors should disclose the use of the AI tool and describe its role in the Methods, Implementation, or Experimental Setup section, as appropriate.

11. AI-Assisted Data Analysis

Authors may use Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to support data-analysis activities.

Such use may include:

generating analysis code;
explaining statistical procedures;
assisting with data transformation;
suggesting visualization approaches;
identifying potential analytical errors; and
assisting with interpretation of computational procedures.

However, AI-generated analysis must be independently verified.

Authors remain responsible for selecting appropriate analytical methods, validating statistical assumptions, checking calculations, validating generated code, interpreting results appropriately, and ensuring that conclusions are supported by the actual data.

12. Use of Generative AI by Peer Reviewers

Manuscripts submitted to ASTJ are confidential.

Peer reviewers must not upload unpublished manuscripts or confidential manuscript materials into public or external Generative AI systems.

This prohibition includes:

complete manuscripts;
manuscript sections;
figures;
tables;
supplementary materials;
datasets provided for review;
reviewer comments;
confidential author information; and
other materials obtained through the peer-review process.

Such use may compromise confidentiality, intellectual property, privacy, and the rights of authors.

Peer reviewers must independently conduct their scholarly evaluation and remain responsible for the accuracy, fairness, and integrity of their review.

13. Limited AI Use by Peer Reviewers

Subject to confidentiality requirements, reviewers may use appropriately secured and authorized AI tools for limited supportive purposes, such as improving the grammar or readability of their own review comments.

Reviewers must not use AI to replace their own scientific judgment or to conduct the substantive evaluation of a manuscript.

If AI is used substantively in preparing the review report, the reviewer should inform the editor.

14. Use of Generative AI by Editors

ASTJ editors must maintain strict confidentiality throughout the editorial and peer-review process.

Editors must not upload unpublished manuscripts or confidential manuscript materials into public or external Generative AI systems.

This includes manuscripts, manuscript excerpts, figures and tables, supplementary materials, datasets, reviewer reports, author correspondence, editorial correspondence, and other confidential information obtained through the editorial process.

Editors remain responsible for all editorial decisions.

Generative AI must not be used to independently determine whether a manuscript should be accepted or rejected, whether a manuscript is scientifically valid, whether a manuscript requires revision, or the final editorial decision.

AI tools may provide limited administrative or language assistance where appropriate, provided that confidential manuscript information is protected.

15. Confidentiality, Privacy, and Data Protection

Before using a Generative AI tool, users should review the relevant provider's terms of service, privacy policy, data-retention practices, and intellectual property provisions.

Users should consider whether the service:

retains submitted information;
uses submitted information for model training;
shares information with third parties;
provides appropriate confidentiality safeguards;
permits the intended use of generated output; and
complies with applicable data-protection requirements.

Authors, editors, and reviewers must not submit confidential, unpublished, personal, proprietary, or restricted information to AI systems unless they have appropriate authorization and safeguards.

16. Verification of AI-Generated References

Generative AI systems can generate inaccurate, incomplete, outdated, or fabricated references.

Authors are responsible for independently verifying all references generated or suggested by AI tools.

Particular attention should be given to author names, article titles, journal names, publication years, volume and issue information, page numbers, DOI information, URLs, and whether the cited source actually supports the statement made.

AI-generated references must never be included in a manuscript solely because they appear plausible.

17. Editorial Review of AI Use

ASTJ may request clarification regarding the use of Generative AI in a submitted or published manuscript.

Authors may be asked to provide:

the name and version of the AI tool;
a description of how the tool was used;
relevant methodological information;
information regarding human verification;
original research materials; or
clarification concerning authorship and contribution.

Failure to disclose substantive AI use, deliberate misrepresentation of AI-generated content, fabrication of research material, or other misuse of Generative AI may result in editorial action.

Depending on the circumstances, editorial actions may include requesting clarification, requesting revision, requiring additional documentation, additional peer review, rejection of a manuscript, publication of a correction, retraction of a published article, or other actions consistent with ASTJ's publication ethics policies.

18. Responsibility for Compliance

By submitting a manuscript to ASTJ, authors confirm that:

the manuscript complies with this Generative AI Policy;
all substantive AI use has been appropriately disclosed;
AI-generated information has been reviewed and verified;
the authors remain responsible for the final content;
no AI system has been listed as an author;
confidential information has not been improperly submitted to external AI systems; and
the manuscript complies with ASTJ's research integrity and publication ethics requirements.

19. Continuous Review of the Policy

Generative AI technologies and their applications in research and publishing are evolving rapidly.

ASTJ will periodically review this policy to reflect developments in Generative AI technologies, research integrity standards, copyright and intellectual property law, privacy and data-protection requirements, scholarly publishing practices, and recommendations from recognized scholarly publishing organizations.

The latest version of the policy published on the official ASTJ website shall apply to manuscripts submitted under that version of the policy.

20. References and International Guidance

This policy has been informed by international guidance and recommendations concerning the responsible use of Generative AI in scholarly publishing, including: