Generative AI policies

Policy on the Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

The International Journal of Agriculture and Animal Production (IJAAP) recognises that generative AI and AI-assisted tools are increasingly used in scholarly work. This policy sets out how authors, reviewers and editors of IJAAP may use such tools. IJAAP will review and update this policy as the technology and community norms evolve.

  1. Authors — writing

Generative AI and AI-assisted tools may be used only to improve the language and readability of a manuscript, under full human oversight. The author(s) remain entirely responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of the work, because such tools can produce confident but incorrect, incomplete or biased text. Authors must disclose any use of these tools in a dedicated statement in the manuscript (for example, under “Declaration of Generative AI Use”), naming the tool and describing how it was used. AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors, as authorship carries responsibilities that only humans can hold.

  1. Authors — figures, images and artwork

The use of generative AI to create or alter figures, images or artwork is not permitted, except where AI image generation or analysis is itself part of the study’s methodology. In that case, the use must be described reproducibly in the Methods, including the tool name, version and settings, and the editor may request the original, pre-AI images. Routine adjustments of brightness, contrast or colour that do not obscure or remove information remain acceptable.

  1. Reviewers

Manuscripts and review reports are confidential. Reviewers must not upload any part of a manuscript, or their review report, into a generative AI tool, as this can breach the authors’ confidentiality and data-protection rights. The critical assessment required for peer review must be performed by the reviewer; AI tools must not be used to generate the scientific evaluation. The reviewer is accountable for the content of the report.

  1. Editors

Editors must likewise treat submissions and all related correspondence as confidential and must not upload them into AI tools. Editorial evaluation and decision-making must be carried out by the editor; generative AI must not be used to make or substitute for editorial decisions. The editor remains accountable for the process, the decision and its communication to authors.

Questions about this policy may be sent to the editorial office at ijaap@hmjournals.com.