ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE POLICY

Sapiens Scientific Evolution (SEC) (ISSN: 3072-8193) recognizes the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including generative artificial intelligence systems, Large Language Models (LLMs), machine learning applications, data mining techniques, and other computational tools employed in scientific research, data analysis, and scholarly communication.

The journal promotes the responsible, ethical, transparent, and accountable use of these technologies in accordance with the principles of scientific integrity, editorial transparency, academic responsibility, and Open Science advocated by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and other internationally recognized standards for scholarly publishing.

The use of artificial intelligence does not replace human responsibility. Authors, reviewers, and editors retain full responsibility for the scientific content, analyses, evaluations, and editorial decisions associated with the publication process.

1. Use of Artificial Intelligence by Authors

Permitted Uses

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools for legitimate research and manuscript preparation activities, including:

  • Grammar, spelling, and language correction.
  • Improvement of writing quality and textual clarity.
  • Academic translation and language editing.
  • Manuscript organization and formatting.
  • Programming, data processing, and data analysis.
  • Preparation of scientific visualizations.
  • Methodological applications involving machine learning, artificial intelligence, data mining, predictive modeling, or computational analysis.
  • Processing of environmental, territorial, socioeconomic, or geospatial data when such applications form part of the study design.

Transparency and Disclosure of Use

Any use of artificial intelligence tools beyond basic language correction must be explicitly disclosed by the authors.

Such disclosure should include, where applicable:

  • Name of the tool used.
  • Developer organization or company.
  • Version or model employed.
  • Specific purpose of use.
  • Stage of the research or publication process in which the tool was utilized.

This information may be provided in the Methods section, Acknowledgments, or in a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Statement.

2. Responsibility for Scientific Content

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, reproducibility, and scientific validity of all submitted content, regardless of whether artificial intelligence tools were used to generate, assist, or modify any part of the work.

The use of AI does not exempt authors from responsibility regarding:

  • Methodological errors.
  • Incorrect interpretations.
  • Misleading or inaccurate information.
  • Nonexistent or inaccurate references.
  • Significant omissions.
  • Biases arising from algorithms or models employed.
  • Data fabrication, falsification, or manipulation.
  • Conclusions not supported by the evidence presented.

3. Authorship

Artificial intelligence tools do not meet the internationally recognized authorship criteria established by the ICMJE.

Therefore:

  • AI systems may not be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts.
  • AI systems cannot assume intellectual, ethical, or legal responsibility for published work.
  • AI systems cannot sign authorship declarations, conflict of interest disclosures, or copyright agreements.
  • AI systems cannot be held accountable for scientific findings, conclusions, or interpretations.

Authorship is restricted exclusively to natural persons capable of assuming public responsibility for the scientific content of a publication.

4. Integrity of Data, Images, and Results

Authors must ensure that the use of artificial intelligence does not improperly alter data, evidence, results, or research conclusions.

The following practices are prohibited:

  • Generating fictitious data or nonexistent results.
  • Fabricating experiments, observations, or datasets.
  • Manipulating results to alter their scientific interpretation.
  • Creating nonexistent or inaccurate bibliographic references.
  • Presenting AI-generated information as genuine empirical evidence.
  • Misleading manipulation of images, maps, figures, or graphical materials.
  • Presenting simulated outputs without clearly identifying their simulated nature.

All references cited in manuscripts must correspond to real, verifiable, and accessible sources.

5. Use of AI within Research Methodologies

When artificial intelligence constitutes part of the methodological design of a study, authors must provide sufficient information regarding:

  • Algorithms, models, or AI systems used.
  • Training, calibration, or validation procedures, where applicable.
  • Data sources employed.
  • Variables analyzed.
  • Evaluation methods applied.
  • Quality-control procedures.
  • Methodological limitations associated with the use of AI.

The description should be sufficiently detailed to enable proper understanding, critical assessment, and reproducibility of the study by the scientific community.

6. Use of Artificial Intelligence by Reviewers

Confidentiality is a fundamental principle of the peer-review process.

Reviewers must not upload complete manuscripts, unpublished data, review reports, or any confidential editorial material to external AI platforms that may store, process, reuse, or learn from such content.

Reviewers may use AI tools only for limited linguistic or technical assistance concerning text they themselves have written, provided that editorial confidentiality is not compromised.

Reviewers remain fully responsible for:

  • The quality of their evaluations.
  • The accuracy of their comments.
  • The appropriateness of their recommendations.
  • The confidentiality of the material under review.

7. Use of Artificial Intelligence by Editors

Editors must preserve editorial independence, confidentiality, and scientific integrity throughout all stages of the editorial process.

Editors shall not submit confidential manuscripts or sensitive information to external AI systems capable of storing, processing, or reusing such content.

Artificial intelligence tools may be used solely for administrative or technical support purposes and shall never replace human editorial judgment.

All editorial decisions must be based on:

  • Scientific evaluations conducted by qualified reviewers.
  • Critical assessment by editors.
  • The journal’s ethical and editorial principles.
  • Applicable institutional policies and procedures.

8. Use of Automated Tools by the Journal

Sapiens Scientific Evolution may employ automated technologies to support activities related to:

  • Similarity and plagiarism detection.
  • Verification of bibliographic references.
  • Identification of potentially manipulated images.
  • Detection of possible editorial irregularities.
  • Editorial quality control.
  • Administrative management of manuscripts.
  • Support for indexing, interoperability, and digital preservation processes.

Outputs generated by such tools serve exclusively as supplementary information.

No editorial decision shall be made automatically or solely on the basis of artificial intelligence systems.

9. Non-Compliance with This Policy

Failure to comply with this policy may result in editorial actions proportional to the seriousness of the situation, including:

  • Requests for clarification.
  • Requests for correction.
  • Rejection of the manuscript.
  • Retraction of published articles.
  • Notification of academic institutions when appropriate.
  • Additional actions established under the journal’s ethical policies.

Final Statement

Sapiens Scientific Evolution promotes the responsible, transparent, and ethically grounded use of artificial intelligence as a tool supporting scientific research and scholarly communication.

The journal reaffirms that responsibility for the generation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and dissemination of scientific knowledge always rests with the individuals involved in the editorial process.

All applications of artificial intelligence must respect the principles of scientific integrity, transparency, reproducibility, academic accountability, and trustworthiness of the scholarly record, thereby contributing to rigorous research that advances sustainability, socioecological systems, territorial resilience, governance, and the sustainable transformation of territories and societies.