Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

INTEGRATED (Journal of Information Technology and Vocational Education) recognizes the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in academic research and publishing. This policy outlines the acceptable and ethical use of generative AI tools for editors, reviewers, and authors, ensuring transparency, confidentiality, and scholarly integrity.

1. Policy for Editors

1.1 Policy Overview and Responsibilities
Editors serve as the guardians of scientific quality and must exercise independent professional judgment that cannot be delegated to AI technologies. Editors are responsible for maintaining confidentiality, objective evaluation, and editorial independence.

1.2 Manuscript Confidentiality and Data Protection
Editors are strictly prohibited from uploading, processing, or inputting submitted manuscripts—or any portion of them—into unapproved generative AI systems. This measure protects the author’s intellectual property and prevents data privacy violations. Confidentiality extends to review reports, editorial correspondence, and decision letters.

1.3 Decision-Making Restrictions
Generative AI tools must not be used to analyze, evaluate, or determine the acceptance or rejection of manuscripts. Academic decisions require human expertise and contextual understanding that AI cannot replicate.

1.4 Oversight of Author AI Usage
Editors will review author disclosures regarding AI usage (e.g., language editing) while maintaining focus on scientific validity, methodology, and educational value. Suspected violations of the AI policy should be handled in accordance with COPE guidelines.

1.5 Publisher-Approved Technologies
Secure, publisher-approved tools may be utilized under professional supervision strictly for administrative screening, workflow optimization, or plagiarism detection, without compromising content integrity.

2. Policy for Reviewers

2.1 Reviewer Confidentiality Requirements
Reviewers must treat all submitted manuscripts as strictly confidential documents. Reviewers are prohibited from uploading any manuscript text, tables, figures, or supplementary materials into public or external generative AI tools.

2.2 Prohibition on AI-Generated Review Reports
Review reports must represent the reviewer's own critical thinking and expertise. Reviewers must not process manuscripts or draft review comments through AI tools for paraphrasing, evaluation, or report generation. Reviewers remain personally accountable for the content of their reports.

2.3 Independent Scientific Evaluation
Evaluating scientific soundness, methodology, and originality requires expert human reasoning. AI tools must not influence or generate scientific evaluations.

2.4 Suspected Misuse Reporting
If a reviewer suspects undisclosed or unethical AI usage in a manuscript, they must report their concerns directly to the Editor-in-Chief rather than using unverified third-party AI detection software.

2.5 Compliance
Breaches of confidentiality or improper reliance on AI tools may result in the reviewer’s removal from the reviewer panel and notification to their home institution.

3. Policy for Authors

3.1 Responsible AI-Assisted Writing
Authors may use AI technologies to assist with language polishing, grammar correction, or improving readability. However:

The use of AI tools must be explicitly declared in the manuscript prior to the Reference section.
Authors must thoroughly review, verify, and take full responsibility for all AI-assisted language output.
AI tools cannot be listed as an author or co-author under any circumstances, as authorship requires accountability and human contribution.

3.2 Restrictions on Visual and Graphical Content
Generative AI tools must not be used to generate, alter, or manipulate figures, data charts, or images. Standard visual adjustments (e.g., brightness or contrast) are permissible only if they do not obscure, remove, or misrepresent the original data.

3.3 Research-Driven AI Applications
If AI models, machine learning algorithms, or automated processing tools form part of the research methodology itself (e.g., in computer science, educational analytics, or engineering studies), authors must comprehensively document the methodology, including model architecture, software versions, and parameters used.

3.4 Compliance and Enforcement
Failure to disclose AI usage or unauthorized AI manipulation may result in manuscript rejection, article retraction, or editorial sanctions. For any questions regarding this policy, authors may contact [email protected].