Generative AI Policy

For authors

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in scientific writing

Please note this policy only refers to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyze and draw insights from data as part of the research process.

Where authors use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process, these technologies should only be used to improve readability and language of the work. Applying the technology should be done with human oversight and control and authors should carefully review and edit the result, because AI can generate authoritative-sounding output that can be incorrect, incomplete or biased. The authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.

Authors are required to disclose any use of AI or AI-assisted technologies in the preparation, and editing of their manuscript within the Author Ethics Statement. This declaration will not be published in the article but will be kept on record by the Editorial Board to ensure transparency, uphold the integrity of the publication process, and maintain compliance with the terms of use of the respective tools or technologies.

Authors should not list AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author, nor cite AI as an author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans. Each (co-) author is accountable for ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved and authorship requires the ability to approve the final version of the work and agree to its submission. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that the work is original, that the stated authors qualify for authorship, and the work does not infringe third party rights, and should familiarize themselves with our Ethics in Publishing policy before they submit.

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in figures, images, and artwork

We do not permit the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts. This may include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable if and as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Image forensics tools or specialized software might be applied to submitted manuscripts to identify suspected image irregularities.

The only exception is if the use of AI or AI-assisted tools is part of the research design or research methods (such as in AI-assisted imaging approaches to generate or interpret the underlying research data, for example in the field of biomedical imaging). If this is done, such use must be described in a reproducible manner in the methods section. This should include an explanation of how the AI or AI-assisted tools were used in the image creation or alteration process, and the name of the model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer. Authors should adhere to the AI software’s specific usage policies and ensure correct content attribution. Where applicable, authors could be asked to provide pre-AI-adjusted versions of images and/or the composite raw images used to create the final submitted versions, for editorial assessment.

The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the production of artwork such as for graphical abstracts is not permitted. The use of generative AI in the production of cover art may in some cases be allowed, if the author obtains prior permission from the journal editor and publisher, can demonstrate that all necessary rights have been cleared for the use of the relevant material, and ensures that there is correct content attribution.

For reviewers

Reviewers must treat all manuscripts and materials received for peer review as strictly confidential documents. Under no circumstances should a manuscript, in whole or in part, be uploaded, copied, or processed using generative AI or AI-assisted technologies for the purpose of analysis, summarization, or content evaluation. Such actions may violate author confidentiality, proprietary rights, and data protection regulations, particularly if the manuscript contains sensitive, unpublished, or personally identifiable information.

AI technologies may only be used in a limited and minor capacity, such as for grammar checks or language refinement, and must never involve uploading the full content of the manuscript. Reviewers must exercise caution to ensure that the confidentiality of the manuscript is maintained at all times.

This confidentiality obligation also applies to peer review reports. Reviewers are prohibited from uploading their full review reports into AI tools unless used strictly for minor technical adjustments (e.g., language polishing). Any such limited use must be clearly disclosed to the Editorial Board upon submission of the review report.

If a reviewer uses AI technology solely for minor technical support (such as grammar checks or minor language editing), this use must be disclosed to the Editorial Board of Istinbath Journal when submitting the review report. Such disclosures will be recorded internally by the journal but will not be made public, ensuring transparency while preserving the confidentiality of the peer review process.

Violations of this policy, including the unauthorized use of AI for content analysis, review drafting, or full-text processing, may result in serious sanctions, including removal from the reviewer database, formal notification to the reviewer’s affiliated institution, or other actions as determined by the Editorial Board of Istinbath Journal.

For editors

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the journal editorial process

A submitted manuscript must be treated as a confidential document. Editors should not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into a generative AI tool as this may violate the authors’ confidentiality and proprietary rights and, where the paper contains personally identifiable information, may breach data privacy rights.

This confidentiality requirement extends to all communication about the manuscript including any notification or decision letters as they may contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or the authors. For this reason, editors should not upload their letters into an AI tool, even if it is just for the purpose of improving language and readability.

Peer review is at the heart of the scientific ecosystem and Elsevier abides by the highest standards of integrity in this process. Managing the editorial evaluation of a scientific manuscript implies responsibilities that can only be attributed to humans. Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies should not be used by editors to assist in the evaluation or decision-making process of a manuscript as the critical thinking and original assessment needed for this work is outside of the scope of this technology and there is a risk that the technology will generate incorrect, incomplete or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The editor is responsible and accountable for the editorial process, the final decision and the communication thereof to the authors.

Our states that authors are allowed to use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process before submission, but only to improve the language and readability of their paper and with the appropriate disclosure, as per our instructions in Authors Guidance. Editors can find such disclosure at the bottom of the paper in a separate section before the list of references. If an editor suspects that an author or a reviewer has violated our AI policies, they should inform the publisher.