Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

1. Purpose and Scope

META: Journal of Science and Technological Education recognises the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI technologies, such as large language models (LLMs), in academic research, writing, and publishing workflows. While AI tools may offer legitimate support for certain technical tasks, their use raises important concerns regarding research integrity, transparency, accountability, and authorship.

This Artificial Intelligence Policy is established to ensure that any use of AI technologies in the submission, review, and publication process is conducted responsibly, ethically, and transparently. The policy aligns with international standards and best practices set by DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science (Clarivate), and COPE, and applies to authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff involved with the journal.

2. Core Principles of Responsible AI Use

META: Journal of Science and Technological Education adopts the following principles governing the use of AI technologies:

2.1 Human Accountability

All scholarly work must remain under full human responsibility. Authors, reviewers, and editors are solely accountable for the accuracy, originality, ethical integrity, and scholarly merit of all content. AI tools cannot assume responsibility, accountability, or legal ownership of academic work.

2.2 Transparency and Disclosure

Any use of AI tools in the preparation or processing of a manuscript must be openly and clearly disclosed. Transparency is essential to maintain trust in scholarly communication.

2.3 Research Integrity and Originality

The use of AI must not compromise the originality, validity, or reliability of research findings, nor violate ethical research standards.

2.4 Non-Authorship of AI

AI tools and systems must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship is strictly limited to human contributors who meet established authorship criteria.

3. Permitted Uses of Artificial Intelligence

Authors may use AI tools only as supportive or assistive technologies, provided that human intellectual contribution remains dominant. Permitted uses include, but are not limited to:

Language editing and proofreading, such as improving grammar, spelling, clarity, and academic writing style, without altering the scholarly meaning or arguments.
Reference management and formatting, including assistance with citation styles and bibliography organisation.
Plagiarism and similarity checking, conducted by authors prior to submission to ensure originality.
Technical data assistance, such as data organisation, coding support, statistical calculations, or data visualisation, provided that:
- The research design, interpretation, and conclusions are produced and validated by the authors.
- AI tools do not generate or manipulate research results.

The use of AI must not replace critical thinking, scholarly judgment, or academic creativity.

4. Prohibited Uses of Artificial Intelligence

The following practices are strictly prohibited and constitute serious breaches of publication ethics:

Generation of core scholarly content, including research questions, hypotheses, literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, methodologies, results, discussions, or conclusions.
Fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of data, images, research findings, or citations using AI tools.
Automated or ghost authorship, where AI tools substantially replace human intellectual contribution.
Undisclosed use of AI, particularly when AI-generated text or outputs materially influence the manuscript.
Generation of fictitious or inaccurate references through AI tools.

Any manuscript found to involve these practices will be subject to immediate editorial action.

5. Disclosure Requirements

In accordance with DOAJ and Scopus transparency standards, authors must comply with the following disclosure requirements:

Any use of AI tools must be clearly stated in:
- the Acknowledgements section, or
- a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Statement.
Authors must specify:
- the name of the AI tool,
- the version (if applicable), and
- the purpose for which it was used (e.g., language editing, data analysis).
Authors must explicitly confirm that AI tools were not used to generate the core intellectual content of the manuscript.

Failure to disclose AI use may result in rejection, correction, or retraction of the published article.

6. Ethical and Legal Considerations

Authors are responsible for ensuring that AI use complies with:

Academic integrity and responsible research conduct
Copyright, intellectual property, and licensing regulations
Data protection, confidentiality, and privacy standards

Any AI-assisted content involving plagiarism, copyright infringement, ethical misconduct, or misuse of data will be handled in accordance with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

7. Editorial and Peer Review Policy

All submissions to META: Journal of Science and Technological Education undergo rigorous initial editorial screening and double-anonymous peer review. Editors and reviewers may assess the appropriateness, transparency, and ethical implications of AI use as part of their evaluation.

The use of AI tools does not influence editorial decisions and does not lower the academic or ethical standards applied during peer review.

8. Compliance and Sanctions

Non-compliance with this Artificial Intelligence Policy may result in one or more of the following actions:

Rejection of the manuscript
Request for revision or clarification
Publication of corrections or expressions of concern
Retraction of published articles
Notification to authors’ affiliated institutions in cases of serious misconduct

All actions will follow COPE-recommended procedures.

9. Policy Review and Updates

This Artificial Intelligence Policy will be reviewed periodically to reflect developments in AI technologies, evolving ethical standards, and updated requirements from DOAJ, Scopus, Web of Science, and COPE.