AI Ethics & Procedure

Policy on the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in scholarly publishing.

1. Policy Statement

The International Journal of Education and Vocational Studies (IJEVS) recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies can support scholarly research, academic writing, editing, translation, data analysis, and other research activities.

IJEVS permits responsible use of AI-assisted tools provided that such use does not compromise research integrity, originality, transparency, confidentiality, authorship, intellectual property, or the reliability of the scholarly record.

2. Human Responsibility and Accountability

Authors remain fully responsible for the content of their manuscripts, regardless of whether AI-assisted technologies have been used.

• Authors must verify the accuracy of AI-assisted content.
• Authors must verify all references, citations, quotations, data, and factual claims.
• Authors are responsible for the originality and integrity of the submitted work.
• AI-generated errors, fabricated references, unsupported claims, or misleading information must not be included.
• AI tools cannot assume responsibility for the research or publication.

3. AI Cannot Be an Author

Authorship requires human accountability and responsibility for the scholarly work. Authors must meet the journal's authorship and contributorship requirements. AI tools may assist authors but cannot accept responsibility for the manuscript, disclose conflicts of interest, approve the final version, or take responsibility for the integrity of the research.

4. Acceptable Uses of AI

Subject to appropriate verification and disclosure where applicable, AI-assisted technologies may be used for legitimate scholarly support, including:

• Language improvement, grammar, spelling, and readability.
• Translation or language assistance.
• Assistance with brainstorming or developing research ideas.
• Assistance with coding or programming, provided the resulting code is verified.
• Data analysis support, where the methods and results are independently verified.
• Formatting or organizational assistance.
• Other editorial or research-support activities that do not replace scholarly judgment.

5. AI Use in Manuscript Preparation

Authors who use AI to generate or substantially modify manuscript content must carefully review and verify the resulting material before submission.

AI-generated text must not be used to conceal plagiarism, duplicate publication, fabricated information, or other forms of research misconduct. Authors must ensure that AI-assisted content is consistent with the actual research conducted and the evidence presented.

6. Disclosure of AI Use

Authors should disclose the use of AI-assisted technologies when the technology has made a substantive contribution to the development or preparation of the manuscript.

Routine spelling, grammar, or formatting assistance may not require a detailed disclosure when it does not materially affect the intellectual content of the work. Authors should nevertheless remain responsible for the final text.

7. Prohibited or Unethical Uses

AI-assisted technologies must not be used to:

• Fabricate or falsify research data, results, images, references, or evidence.
• Generate false citations or bibliographic information.
• Manipulate research results or scholarly evidence.
• Generate content intended to misrepresent the authors' own scholarly contribution.
• Conceal plagiarism or duplicate publication.
• Impersonate authors, reviewers, editors, or other scholarly participants.
• Disclose confidential, private, or unpublished information to AI systems without appropriate authorization.
• Violate copyright, intellectual property, privacy, or applicable research regulations.

8. Confidentiality and Sensitive Information

Authors, reviewers, and editors must exercise caution when entering unpublished manuscripts, confidential peer-review materials, personal information, proprietary research data, or other sensitive information into third-party AI systems. Confidential materials must not be disclosed or processed in a manner that violates applicable confidentiality, privacy, ethical, or contractual obligations.

9. AI Use by Reviewers

Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and peer-review materials. Reviewers should not upload unpublished manuscripts, confidential reviewer reports, or sensitive information to external AI systems unless such use is explicitly permitted and consistent with confidentiality requirements.

Reviewers remain responsible for the accuracy, fairness, and originality of their review comments. AI tools must not replace the reviewer's independent scholarly judgment.

10. AI Use by Editors

Editors may use appropriate AI-assisted technologies for limited administrative or editorial support where confidentiality, privacy, security, and editorial independence are protected. AI systems must not independently make final decisions concerning acceptance, rejection, retraction, or other substantive editorial actions.

11. AI-Generated Images, Figures, and Data

AI-generated or AI-assisted images, figures, diagrams, datasets, or other research materials must be clearly identified where their use could affect the interpretation, originality, or integrity of the research.

Authors must ensure that such materials do not misrepresent experimental observations, research results, participants, or other evidence. Any applicable copyright, licensing, disclosure, and research-ethics requirements must be observed.

12. AI and Research Integrity

The use of AI does not reduce the authors' obligations concerning plagiarism, originality, authorship, data integrity, citation accuracy, research ethics, conflict-of-interest disclosure, or intellectual property. Any misuse of AI that results in research or publication misconduct may be handled under the journal's Publication Ethics and Plagiarism Policy.

13. Editorial Procedure for Suspected AI Misuse

When the editorial team identifies a credible concern regarding inappropriate AI use, the following procedure may be applied:

1. Initial assessment — The editor reviews the concern and available evidence.
2. Author clarification — The authors may be asked to explain how AI tools were used.
3. Evidence review — The editorial team assesses the manuscript, disclosures, sources, data, and relevant documentation.
4. Editorial decision — Appropriate action is determined based on the severity and circumstances.
5. Post-publication action — If misconduct is confirmed after publication, the journal may issue a correction, expression of concern, or retraction as appropriate.

14. Authors' Declaration

By submitting a manuscript to IJEVS, authors confirm that the manuscript represents their scholarly work and that any substantive use of AI-assisted technologies has been appropriately reviewed and disclosed.

15. Relationship with Publication Ethics

This policy forms part of the IJEVS publication ethics framework and should be read together with the journal's policies on plagiarism, authorship, peer review, conflicts of interest, research integrity, copyright and licensing, corrections, and retractions.

IJEVS AI Ethics Principles