Generative AI policies

Generative AI Policy

The International Journal of Agriculture and Animal Production (IJAAP) recognises that generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly available to researchers, authors, reviewers, and editors. This policy sets out IJAAP's expectations for the transparent and responsible use of such tools throughout the publication process.

  1. Use in Manuscript Preparation

Authors may use AI-assisted writing tools solely to improve the language clarity, grammar, and readability of their manuscripts. Such use is permitted only under direct human oversight. Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy and integrity of all AI-assisted content, as AI tools may produce plausible but incorrect, incomplete, or biased text.

Authors must disclose any use of generative AI tools in a dedicated 'Use of AI Assistance' statement in the manuscript (placed after the Acknowledgements section), specifying the tool used and the nature of its use. Failure to disclose constitutes a breach of publication ethics.

AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship requires accountability, intellectual responsibility, and the ability to consent to submission — criteria that AI systems cannot fulfil.

  1. Use in Figures and Images

The use of generative AI to create, alter, enhance, or manipulate figures, photographs, or images in submitted manuscripts is not permitted, except where the AI processing itself constitutes part of the documented research methodology (e.g., AI-based image analysis in precision agriculture). In such cases, the methods section must describe the AI tools, versions, and parameters used in sufficient detail to allow replication.

  1. Use in the Peer Review Process

Peer reviewers must treat submitted manuscripts as confidential documents. Uploading any portion of a manuscript to a generative AI tool during the review process may breach author confidentiality and is prohibited. Reviewers are expected to provide their own original, independent scientific assessment.

  1. Use by Editors

Editors must similarly treat manuscripts and all associated correspondence as strictly confidential. Generative AI tools must not be used to assist in editorial decision-making. All editorial judgements must reflect independent, human reasoning and must comply with IJAAP's ethical standards.

  1. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as the landscape of AI tools and scholarly publishing norms evolves. Questions regarding this policy may be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at editor.ijaap@gmail.com.