In order to uphold high publishing standards and ensure the integrity, reliability, and transparency of scholarly publications, the Editorial Board fully endorses the position and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Its policy on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in scholarly communication and publishing also incorporates selected recommendations issued by other organisations, including Polish organisations such as the Association of Higher Education Publishers (Stowarzyszenie Wydawców Szkół Wyższych, SWSW) and international organisations such as STM Publishers. 

GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS 

Only a human being may be recognised as the author of a scholarly publication. AI tools, including chatbots and large language models, may not be listed as authors or co-authors of a publication because they do not meet the criteria for authorship, in particular as they cannot assume responsibility for the content of the work or manage copyright. 

The author bears full responsibility for the entire content of the manuscript, including any parts produced with the assistance of AI tools. The use of AI does not relieve the author of the obligation to ensure the accuracy, originality, and scientific integrity of the work. 

Acceptable Use of AI Tools 

The use of AI tools is permitted as support in the preparation of a manuscript, including, but not limited to: 

- language editing and stylistic improvement of the text; 

- translation of author-written text into another language; 

- organization of the manuscript structure and technical editing; 

- identification of potentially relevant literature (subject to mandatory verification by the author); 

- visualization of data based on actual research findings; 

- support for data analysis, provided that the author retains full methodological control over the process. 

Unacceptable Use of AI Tools 

The following practices are prohibited: 

- generating the entire manuscript or substantial parts of its scholarly content without a genuine intellectual contribution from the author; 

- generating fictitious references, citations, or bibliographic entries. 

Transparency and Disclosure 

Authors who use AI tools are required to fully and explicitly disclose such use. 

Information on the use of AI must be provided at the time of manuscript submission and included in the article in the declarations section. 

Authors should specify, in particular: 

- the name of the AI tool and its version or model; 

- the purpose of its use; 

- the scope of its application; 

- the parts of the manuscript in which AI was used. 

To verify authorship, the Editorial Board may request access to the prompts used in generating AI-assisted content. 

Content Verification and AI-Related Risks 

Authors are required to critically verify all content generated with the assistance of AI. Particular attention should be paid to the risks of: 

- generating false or inaccurate information (so-called "hallucinations"); 

- producing non-existent or incorrect bibliographic references; 

- reproducing biases and prejudices present in training data; 

- violating the principles of originality and giving rise to plagiarism. 

All data, citations, and references must be verified by the author before the manuscript is submitted. 

GUIDELINES FOR REVIEWERS 

Reviewers may not use AI tools to analyse, evaluate, interpret, or process submitted manuscripts or any part thereof. 

In particular, reviewers are prohibited from: 

- submitting all or part of a manuscript to AI tools; 

- using AI to prepare all or part of a review; 

- using AI to evaluate the scientific merit, methodology, research results, or conclusions presented in a manuscript; 

- submitting peer-review reports or any other confidential documents related to the review process to AI tools. 

The peer-review process is based on an independent and critical expert assessment, which must be conducted by the reviewer. The reviewer bears sole responsibility for the content, accuracy, and conclusions of the review. AI tools may not replace expert judgment or serve as the basis for recommendations regarding the acceptance, rejection, or revision of a manuscript. 

The confidentiality of the peer-review process also prohibits the disclosure of manuscript content or review reports to AI systems that may use such information for further model training or for purposes unrelated to the peer-review process. 

USE OF AI TOOLS BY EDITORS 

Submitted manuscripts are treated as strictly confidential. Editors may not use AI tools to analyse, process, edit, or otherwise handle submitted manuscripts, either in whole or in part. In particular, editors are prohibited from: 

- submitting all or part of a manuscript to AI tools; 

- using AI for editing, proofreading, translation, or any other form of manuscript preparation; 

- using AI to assess the scientific quality, methodological soundness, or suitability of a manuscript for publication; 

- submitting to AI tools any documents related to the editorial process, including correspondence with authors and reviewers, peer-review reports, or any other materials containing confidential information. 

This prohibition is intended to ensure the confidentiality of the editorial process, protect copyright, and, where applicable, safeguard personal data and other confidential information. 

Editors bear full responsibility for all decisions made throughout the editorial process and may not base such decisions on analyses or recommendations generated by AI tools.