Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
The National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology (NJPPP) recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI), including generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), chatbots, AI-assisted writing tools, image-generation systems, coding assistants, and other AI technologies, can support various aspects of scholarly research and publication.
At the same time, the use of AI raises important concerns relating to accuracy, originality, plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, copyright, confidentiality, privacy, transparency, authorship, and research integrity.
This policy establishes the principles governing the responsible and transparent use of AI in manuscripts submitted to and published by NJPPP and applies, as relevant, to authors, reviewers, editors, editorial board members, and editorial staff.
1. General Principles
AI-assisted technologies may be used when their use is appropriate, responsible, transparent, and consistent with research and publication ethics.
The following principles apply:
AI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.
Human authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of their work.
Authors must critically evaluate and verify AI-generated or AI-assisted material before submission.
AI must not be used to fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or misrepresent research data, results, images, references, or other scientific evidence.
AI-assisted material must not introduce plagiarism, copyright infringement, or misleading information.
The use of AI must not compromise the confidentiality of unpublished manuscripts, research data, personal information, patient information, or other confidential material.
Material or substantive use of AI should be disclosed in accordance with this policy.
Editorial and peer-review decisions remain the responsibility of human editors and reviewers.
This policy is informed by recognized principles and guidance concerning responsible AI use in scholarly publishing, including relevant guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
2. Acceptable Use of AI by Authors
Authors may use AI-assisted technologies for appropriate purposes, including:
spelling, grammar, punctuation, and language correction;
improving clarity, readability, and organization;
translation and language assistance;
suggesting wording or manuscript structure;
generating ideas or preliminary outlines;
assisting with literature-search strategies;
assisting with coding or programming, provided the resulting code is independently checked and validated;
assisting with data analysis or visualization, provided the methods, outputs, and conclusions are independently verified;
assisting with the preparation or improvement of figures or graphical abstracts where scientifically appropriate and permitted by applicable requirements.
The use of AI for these purposes does not transfer responsibility for the manuscript from the authors to the AI system.
3. AI-Generated or Substantively AI-Assisted Content
Authors should exercise particular caution when AI is used to generate or substantially modify scientific or scholarly content.
AI systems may generate inaccurate, incomplete, biased, misleading, or fabricated information, including references that do not exist.
Authors are therefore responsible for independently verifying, as applicable:
scientific statements and factual claims;
references and citations;
numerical results;
statistical analyses;
tables and figures;
interpretation of findings;
conclusions;
quotations and attributions; and
information concerning human participants, patients, animals, or other research subjects.
AI-generated output must not be accepted uncritically or treated as an authoritative source.
4. AI and Authorship
AI systems, including ChatGPT and other generative AI applications, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.
Authorship requires the ability to take responsibility and accountability for the published work. AI systems cannot independently fulfill these responsibilities, disclose conflicts of interest, provide ethical accountability, or respond appropriately to questions concerning the integrity of the work.
All listed authors must meet the journal's authorship requirements and remain responsible for the entire manuscript, including any content produced or modified with AI assistance.
5. Disclosure of AI Use
Authors should disclose material or substantive use of AI in the preparation, analysis, generation, or presentation of a manuscript.
The disclosure should identify:
the AI tool or system used;
the purpose for which it was used; and
where relevant, the nature or extent of its contribution.
For example:
Artificial Intelligence Disclosure: During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [name of AI tool] for [language editing/translation/data analysis/figure preparation/etc.]. The authors reviewed and verified the AI-assisted material and take full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the submitted work.
When AI is used for data analysis, statistical procedures, image generation or substantive modification, coding, or other scientific procedures, the authors should describe its use in the relevant Methods or equivalent section where appropriate.
Routine use of conventional spelling, grammar, or formatting software that does not generate substantive scholarly content generally does not require a separate AI disclosure.
6. AI-Generated Images and Figures
The use of generative AI to create, substantially modify, or enhance images, figures, graphical abstracts, or other visual material must be disclosed when it is material to the submitted work.
AI must not be used to create or manipulate scientific images in a manner that misrepresents research findings.
In particular, authors must not use AI to:
fabricate experimental images;
add or remove experimental findings;
alter microscopy, radiography, histology, electrophoresis, or other scientific images in a misleading manner;
generate apparently authentic experimental results that did not occur; or
otherwise manipulate visual evidence in a manner that could mislead readers.
Authors remain responsible for ensuring that AI-assisted visual material complies with copyright, licensing, ethical, and research-integrity requirements.
Editors may request information concerning the original source and processing history of an image or figure.
7. AI in Research, Data Analysis, and Coding
AI may be used as a research or analytical tool when scientifically justified and appropriately validated.
Where AI materially contributes to research analysis, authors should provide sufficient information to understand its role, including, where relevant:
the AI system, model, or software used;
version or model information;
the purpose of its use;
relevant parameters or prompts where scientifically necessary;
the data processed;
validation and quality-control procedures; and
how AI-generated outputs were independently evaluated.
Authors remain responsible for the accuracy and reproducibility of analyses assisted by AI.
AI-generated code must be reviewed, tested, and validated by appropriately qualified researchers before being used to generate scientific results.
8. Fabrication, Falsification, and Misrepresentation
The use of AI to fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or misrepresent research constitutes a serious breach of publication ethics.
Examples include:
fabricated data or experimental observations;
fabricated references or quotations;
invented statistical results;
manipulated scientific images;
false descriptions of research methods or procedures;
presenting AI-generated material as evidence of research that was not actually conducted; or
other misleading representations of scientific findings.
Such conduct may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or other appropriate editorial action under the journal's publication ethics policies.
9. Plagiarism, Copyright, and Intellectual Property
Authors remain responsible for ensuring that AI-assisted content does not infringe copyright or other intellectual property rights.
Authors should:
verify the originality of submitted content;
provide appropriate citations and attribution;
obtain permission where required;
avoid reproducing protected material without authorization; and
verify that AI-generated references are genuine and accurately cited.
AI-generated material does not replace the requirement to identify and cite the original scientific literature.
10. Confidentiality and Sensitive Information
Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff must exercise particular caution when using AI systems.
Unpublished manuscripts, confidential peer-review materials, proprietary information, personal data, patient information, identifiable research-participant information, or other confidential material must not be uploaded to public or third-party AI systems unless appropriate confidentiality, privacy, and data-protection safeguards are in place and such use is permitted.
The confidentiality of the editorial and peer-review process must be maintained at all times.
11. AI Use by Peer Reviewers
Reviewers must not use AI systems in a manner that compromises the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts or peer-review materials.
Reviewers should not upload manuscripts, manuscript excerpts, unpublished data, figures, tables, or confidential reviewer information into public or third-party AI systems unless adequate confidentiality protections are assured and such use is permitted by the journal.
AI may assist a reviewer with limited tasks where appropriate, but it must not replace the reviewer's independent scientific judgment.
Reviewers remain responsible for the content and recommendations of their review reports.
12. AI Use by Editors and Editorial Staff
Editors and editorial staff may use appropriate AI-assisted tools for limited administrative or editorial purposes, provided that their use does not compromise confidentiality, editorial independence, research integrity, or authors' rights.
AI may assist with tasks such as language editing, formatting, administrative processing, or identification of potential issues.
However:
AI must not independently make substantive editorial decisions;
acceptance, rejection, retraction, and other major editorial decisions remain under human responsibility; and
confidential manuscript and reviewer information must be protected.
13. Editorial Screening and AI Detection
NJPPP may use appropriate software and AI-assisted technologies as part of manuscript screening, quality control, plagiarism or similarity assessment, image screening, and research-integrity assessment.
The journal uses the AI Content Detector powered by Winston as one of the tools that may be used to assess manuscripts for potential AI-generated or AI-assisted content.
AI-detection results are screening indicators only. They are not, by themselves, conclusive evidence of inappropriate AI use, plagiarism, academic misconduct, or research misconduct.
AI-detection technologies may produce both false-positive and false-negative results. Consequently, editors will interpret such results in the context of the manuscript and other available evidence.
Where screening raises a reasonable concern, the editorial team may:
request clarification from the authors;
request disclosure of AI use;
examine the manuscript and supporting material;
conduct additional editorial or research-integrity assessment; or
take other appropriate action under the journal's policies.
A high AI-detection score does not by itself establish misconduct, and a low score does not establish that AI was not used.
Final editorial decisions remain the responsibility of the journal's editors and will not be determined solely by an automated AI-detection score.
14. Failure to Disclose Material AI Use
Failure to disclose material AI use when disclosure is required may constitute a breach of the journal's publication policies.
Where appropriate, the editors may request an explanation or additional disclosure from the authors.
Depending on the circumstances, possible actions may include:
requesting clarification;
requiring additional disclosure;
requesting manuscript revision;
rejection of a manuscript;
publication of a correction or clarification;
expression of concern; or
retraction of a published article in serious cases.
The action taken will depend on the nature, extent, and seriousness of the concern.
15. Responsibility of Authors
By submitting a manuscript to NJPPP, authors confirm that they:
have reviewed the complete manuscript;
accept responsibility for the submitted work;
have appropriately disclosed material AI use where required;
have verified AI-assisted scientific content;
have verified references and citations;
have not used AI to fabricate or falsify research;
have protected confidential and sensitive information;
have complied with applicable copyright and intellectual-property requirements; and
remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and ethical compliance of the manuscript.
16. Editorial Discretion
NJPPP reserves the right to request additional information concerning the use of AI during submission, peer review, production, or after publication.
Authors may be asked to provide information concerning:
the AI tool or system used;
the purpose of its use;
the nature and extent of its contribution;
relevant prompts or parameters where scientifically necessary;
the source or processing history of AI-assisted images; or
validation and verification procedures.
Such requests are intended to support transparency, research integrity, and appropriate editorial assessment.
17. Post-Publication Concerns
If credible concerns concerning AI use arise after publication, NJPPP may investigate the matter in accordance with its publication ethics and post-publication policies.
Depending on the findings, the journal may issue a correction, clarification, Expression of Concern, retraction, or other appropriate editorial notice.
18. Policy Updates
AI technologies and standards for responsible AI use in scholarly publishing continue to evolve. NJPPP may periodically review and update this policy to reflect developments in research integrity, publication ethics, copyright, privacy, data protection, and scholarly publishing.
Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members are expected to comply with the version of the policy applicable to their involvement in the publication process.
19. Applicable Guidance
This policy is informed by recognized principles and recommendations concerning responsible AI use in scholarly publishing, including relevant guidance from the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
NJPPP will continue to monitor developments in responsible AI use and scholarly publishing standards and may update this policy as appropriate.
