1. Purpose

This policy is established to ensure transparency, uphold scientific integrity, and ensure compliance with international publication ethics standards, specifically those of the Committee on Publication  Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). These regulations apply to all Authors, Reviewers, and Editors involved in the publication process at IJLDR.

 

2. Scope and Definition

"AI tools" refer to any machine learning-based systems or software, whether free or paid, online or offline, used to process, compose, modify, or analyze text, data, visuals, or any other content within a manuscript.

 

3. Guidelines for Use

 A. Authors

Permitted (Mandatory Disclosure): AI may be used for grammatical correction, translation (provided academic meaning is preserved), reference formatting, and initial data sorting. Technical details  regarding the tools used must be disclosed in the "Methods" section, and operational logs must be retained for at least three years.

Permitted (Restricted): Any references generated by AI must be manually verified for accuracy. Conceptual ideas assisted by AI must be acknowledged in the "Acknowledgments" section.

Prohibited: AI must not be used to draft core manuscript content (e.g., Introduction, Results, Discussion), fabricate or manipulate data/images, attribute authorship to an AI tool, or conduct literary research that cannot be independently verified by human researchers.

Declaration: Authors are required to submit an "AI Usage Declaration Form" upon manuscript submission and assume full legal responsibility for copyright compliance regarding AI-generated content.

B. Reviewers

Permitted: AI may be used to assist in literature searches and to improve the clarity of review comments.

Prohibited: AI must not be used to draft complete review reports, influence editorial decisions (accept/reject), or upload any part of a confidential manuscript to an AI platform, as this poses a severe risk to data confidentiality and intellectual property.

C. Editors

Permitted: AI may be used for format screening and initial similarity detection, provided that final assessments are confirmed by the editor. Editors must register any AI tools used with the Editorial Board.

Prohibited: Editorial decisions must not be based solely on AI suggestions, nor should AI be used in the handling of academic misconduct investigations.

 

4. Non-Compliance and Appeals

Non-Compliance: Failure to disclose AI usage or violation of these prohibited activities will result in the rejection of the manuscript. Repeat offenders may be barred from submitting to the journal for a period of 1 to 3 years. Reviewers and Editors found in violation will be removed from their respective positions.

Appeals: Parties contesting a decision may submit a written appeal to the Journal’s Academic Ethics Committee within 15 working days of receiving notice of the sanction.

 

5. Policy Updates and Transparency

This policy is reviewed annually. Any revisions will be communicated to relevant stakeholders via email and published on the journal's official website, accompanied by a documented version history.

 

6. Contact Information

For inquiries or to report potential ethical breaches regarding AI usage, please contact:

Email: ijldr.nsc@gmail.com

Phone: +6289678245946