AI Usage Policy

This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy is intended to safeguard transparency, accountability, confidentiality, scientific integrity, and human responsibility in article writing, editorial processes, and peer review.
This policy applies to authors, the Editorial Team, and Reviewers, with due regard to the principles of authorship, human responsibility, transparency, and the use of AI tools as described in the COPE Position Statement: Authorship and AI Tools and other relevant scholarly publication ethics guidelines.

1. Use of AI by Authors

1. Authors may use AI tools to assist in preparing scholarly articles, provided that such use is responsible and transparent and remains under the authors’ supervision and responsibility.
2. AI tools, including generative AI, large language models (LLMs), chatbots, and similar applications, may not be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot fulfil the responsibilities and accountability required of a scholarly author.
3. The use of AI in preparing an article must be disclosed transparently. If AI is used, authors must identify the tool and, where available, the version used, as well as the purpose of its use.
4. Every article must include an AI Usage Statement indicating whether generative AI was used in preparing the article.
5. AI must not be used to replace scientific judgment, intellectual contribution, critical analysis, interpretation of research results, or the authors’ responsibility for the article’s content.
6. AI must not be used to create, fabricate, falsify, or manipulate research data, experimental results, images, spectra, chromatograms, test results, documentation, information, or scientific references that cannot be verified. The use of AI to generate or modify scientific material must comply with the research methodology, ethical requirements, and applicable journal policies.
7. Authors must examine and verify all AI-generated output before using it in an article, including factual accuracy, reference sources, scientific interpretations, methods, research results, discussion, language, and other information.
8. Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, validity, scientific integrity, references, and ethical compliance of the entire article, including any sections drafted, translated, summarized, or edited with AI assistance.
9. Authors must safeguard confidentiality and data protection. Personal data, patient information, medical records, research-subject data, confidential information, unpublished material, and other protected information must not be entered into AI systems where doing so could violate privacy, confidentiality, copyright, intellectual property rights, research-subject consent, or applicable ethical requirements.
10. AI must not be used to disguise plagiarism, distort research results, generate fictitious references, or mislead readers about the methods, results, or scientific contributions of the authors.

 

2. Use of AI by the Editorial Team

1. The Editorial Team is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of manuscripts, research data, author identities, correspondence, peer-review results, and all information obtained during the editorial process.
2. AI must not be used to replace scientific judgment, substantive assessment, or editorial decision-making concerning a manuscript.
3. Decisions to accept, revise, or reject a manuscript must be made by humans on the basis of academic quality, methodological validity, relevance of the research results, peer-review outcomes, alignment with Pharmademica’s focus and scope, scientific integrity, and applicable editorial policies.
4. If the Editorial Team uses AI for supporting functions that do not replace scientific judgment or editorial decision-making, such use must be responsible and transparently disclosed in accordance with the role and purpose of the AI tool.
5. The Editorial Team’s use of AI does not remove its responsibility for confidentiality, the integrity of the editorial process, the accuracy of its work, or the decisions made.
6. The Editorial Team must not enter or upload all or part of an unpublished manuscript, research data, tables, images, spectra, chromatograms, supporting documents, correspondence, or other confidential information into an AI application if doing so could expose or transfer confidential information, personal data, or intellectual property to unauthorized parties.
7. Any use of AI for editorial functions must take into account data security, manuscript confidentiality, journal policies, and applicable data-protection requirements.

 

3. Use of AI by Reviewers

Reviewers must conduct reviews independently, based on their competence, expertise, and scientific judgment. Under this Pharmademica policy, the use of AI tools to conduct or support substantive assessments of manuscripts under review is prohibited.
This prohibition includes:
1. using AI to analyze, assess, evaluate, interpret, or summarize a manuscript as part of the review process;
2. using AI to draft, revise, or generate review comments, recommendations, reports, or decisions;
3. entering or uploading all or part of a manuscript into an AI application;
4. entering manuscript text, research data, tables, images, spectra, chromatograms, appendices, or supporting materials into an AI application; and
5. transferring some or all responsibility for the review to an AI system.
This policy is intended to protect manuscript confidentiality, authors’ intellectual property rights, reviewer independence, and the integrity of the peer-review process. All comments, recommendations, and assessments of a manuscript remain the responsibility of the reviewer.

 

4. AI Usage Statement

Every article published by Pharmademica must include an AI Usage Statement in a clearly identifiable section of the article. The statement must specify whether generative AI tools were or were not used in preparing the article.
If AI was used, the statement must at least identify the tool and, where available, the version used, as well as the purpose of its use. Authors remain responsible for checking and verifying all output used in the article.
Example when AI is used:
AI Usage Statement: The authors used [name and version of the AI tool] for [purpose, e.g., grammar correction, translation, or language editing]. All output used was checked and verified by the authors. The authors take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, validity, and integrity of the entire article.
Example when AI is not used:
AI Usage Statement: The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence tools were used in preparing this article.
The use of non-generative tools for spelling and grammar checks or reference management does not need to be declared as the use of generative AI, unless required by the journal’s policy or other applicable requirements.

 

5. Responsibility and Handling of Violations

The use of AI does not relieve authors, the Editorial Team, or reviewers of their responsibility for originality, accuracy, confidentiality, scientific integrity, and compliance with publication ethics within their respective roles.
Violations of this policy may include:
1. failure to disclose AI use when disclosure is required;
2. listing AI as an author or co-author;
3. using AI to generate or manipulate data, images, research results, or scientific information that cannot be substantiated;
4. using fictitious references or sources that cannot be verified;
5. breaching manuscript confidentiality, privacy, or intellectual property rights;
6. using AI to conduct or support a substantive assessment of a manuscript under review; and
7. using AI to disguise plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, or other breaches of scientific integrity.
If a suspected violation is identified, the Editorial Team may request clarification, a statement, information, or supporting documents necessary to assess the nature and severity of the issue.
Suspected violations will be handled in accordance with Pharmademica’s Publication Ethics Policy, procedures for addressing breaches of scientific integrity, and relevant publication ethics guidelines. Any action taken must consider the available evidence, the severity of the violation, the author’s right to provide clarification, and the principles of fairness and transparency.

 

6. Policy Review

Pharmademica may periodically review and update this policy to reflect developments in AI technology, best practices in scholarly publishing, and applicable publication ethics guidelines. Any policy changes will be announced on the journal’s official website.
This policy applies to all parties involved in the publication process of articles in Pharmademica: Journal of Pharmacy and Nutrition.