Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is present and active in academic activities, necessitating the establishment of guidelines for its use in academic publications to maintain ethics, integrity, transparency, and quality of publications. Despite the presence of AI, researchers should retain the primary role. The objective of these guidelines is to guide authors, reviewers, and researchers on the responsible and ethical use of AI tools in their publications.

Authors and co-authors are responsible for the content of their studies, including parts generated by AI tools. UNINOVE's Portal of Journals (PPU) emphasizes that authors should write based on their own ideas, experiences, readings, and professional learning, clearly and cohesively. Any deviation from this must be explicitly and transparently disclosed. We do not accept or publish documents authored solely by AI. The use of AI to fabricate or distort primary research data is unacceptable. AI tools do not meet authorship requirements as they cannot assume moral or legal responsibilities, manage copyrights, or handle conflicts of interest.

Adhering to these guidelines is crucial for maintaining the integrity and credibility of published research, as well as contributing fairly and reliably to peers, science, and the public at large. The aim of these Guidelines is to ensure compliance with established ethical publishing standards for journals within UNINOVE's Portal of Journals (PPU), aligning with recommendations from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authors and co-authors of articles are responsible for ensuring that: 

  • The content is original;
  • There are no concerns regarding potential similarity resulting in plagiarism or self-plagiarism;
  • All relevant sources are cited;
  • All statements in the article regarding hypotheses, interpretations, results, conclusions, limitations, and study implications represent the authors' and co-authors' own ideas;
  • There is no inappropriate use of images without proper legal rights.

 Non-compliance with these Policy Guidelines will be considered methodological adulteration, contributions, and results. PPU may notify the authors' institution(s), and the journal may reject, retract (post-publication), or issue an editorial notice regarding the article.

Examples of Permissions for AI Use: 

  • Translation and Language Correction: AI tools are useful for translating texts into different languages and correcting grammar, punctuation, and style errors, especially for non-native authors.
  • Transcription: They can be used to transcribe interviews or spoken content.
  • Programming Assistance: AI tools assist in correcting and adjusting programming commands.
  • Research: They can serve as efficient search tools to gather relevant information and references.

These applications are considered supportive tools to increase productivity and ensure clarity and accuracy in academic writing. However, it is crucial that the use of such tools is transparently declared in the study.

Examples of Restrictions on AI Use: 

  • Authorship: AI tools should not be credited as authors in academic articles. All content generated by AI must be attributed to a responsible human author.
  • Content Creation: Using AI to generate significant portions of the study, such as developing arguments, conducting data analysis, or interpreting results, is not permitted.
  • Data Analysis: Data analysis or result interpretation should be performed by researchers and not by AI.

Security and Confidentiality (Peer Review):

Avoid including confidential data in AI tools, as some platforms may store and use this data. Maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of research data is crucial. By following these guidelines, researchers can use AI tools appropriately, maintaining ethical standards and the integrity of academic publications. Reviewers should not use AI to issue their reviews. Any use of AI in evaluation should be clearly disclosed in the evaluation form.

Declaration of Use:

When AI tools are used in research and study preparation, authors must explicitly declare their use. This declaration should be included in the methodology section or a similar section of the academic work, such as the Acknowledgments for article types without a Methods section.

Specifically, authors should inform: 

  • Which AI tools were used: Include the version of the tools, as these can change rapidly in terms of scope and accuracy, and for what purpose they were employed.
  • How the tools were used: Include details about prompts, context of use, and date.

Additionally, it is necessary to acknowledge and declare potential limitations and biases of the AI tools used. If the information is extensive, it is recommended to include only the essentials in the main text, referencing the complete content in an appendix.

References

COPE - Committee on Publication Ethics. Recuperado de https://publicationethics.org/cope-position-statements/ai-author

Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Administración - Universidad Nacional Del Sur. Lineamientos de uso de inteligencia artificial generativa en trabajos académicos. Bahía Blanca - Argentina, 22 de mayo de 2024.

PLOS ONE. Ethical Publishing Practice: Artificial intelligence (AI) tools in peer review. Recupeado de https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/ethical-publishing-practice#loc-ethical-peer-review

PLOS ONE. Ethical Publishing Practice: Artificial Intelligence Tools and Technologies. Recupeado de https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/ethical-publishing-practice#loc-ethical-peer-review

Taylor & Francis. (2023). Taylor & Francis Clarifies the Responsible use of AI Tools in Academic Content Creation. Recuperado de https://newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/taylor-francis-clarifies-the-responsible-use-of-ai-tools-in-academic-content-creation/