The Journal of Social Transformation and Community Engagement (JSTCE) recognizes the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including generative AI and large language models, in academic research, writing, editing, and scholarly publishing.

JSTCE permits the responsible use of AI tools as supporting technologies, provided that their use does not compromise academic integrity, research originality, confidentiality, transparency, or the rights of authors, research participants, reviewers, and other stakeholders.

1. Use of AI by Authors

Authors may use AI-assisted tools for appropriate purposes, including:

• improving grammar, spelling, language, and academic style;
• assisting with brainstorming and developing research ideas;
• supporting literature exploration;
• assisting with translation;
• helping organize or summarize information;
• supporting coding, data processing, or technical tasks; and
• other legitimate research-support activities.

However, authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scholarly validity of their manuscripts.

AI tools must not be used to:

• fabricate or falsify research data;
• generate fictitious references or citations;
• manipulate research findings;
• create misleading research evidence;
• plagiarize or reproduce copyrighted material without appropriate permission;
• misrepresent AI-generated content as original human scholarship; or
• replace the author's intellectual responsibility for the manuscript.

2. Disclosure of Generative AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI tools when such tools have made a substantive contribution to the development or preparation of the manuscript.

The disclosure should identify:

• the name of the AI tool or system;
• the purpose for which it was used; and
• the extent or nature of its contribution.

For example:

The authors used [name of AI tool] for language editing and improving the clarity of the manuscript. The authors reviewed and verified all AI-assisted outputs and remain fully responsible for the final content.

Routine use of basic spelling, grammar, or reference-management software does not necessarily require disclosure unless it involves substantive generative AI assistance.

3. AI Cannot Be an Author

AI tools, including ChatGPT and other generative AI systems, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts submitted to JSTCE.

Authorship requires intellectual responsibility and accountability for the research and manuscript. These responsibilities cannot be assigned to an AI system.

Authors who use AI tools remain responsible for verifying all AI-assisted content, including facts, interpretations, references, quotations, citations, and research claims.

4. Accuracy and Verification

AI-generated information may contain inaccurate, incomplete, biased, or fabricated content. Therefore, authors must independently verify all information produced or assisted by AI tools before including it in a manuscript.

In particular, authors must carefully verify:

• bibliographic references;
• quotations;
• factual claims;
• statistical information;
• research findings;
• theoretical interpretations; and
• citations and source attribution.

The use of AI does not reduce the author's responsibility for scholarly accuracy.

5. AI and Peer Review

Because JSTCE applies a double-blind peer-review process, reviewers must protect the confidentiality of manuscripts assigned to them.

Reviewers must not upload, paste, or otherwise submit unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, or confidential manuscript content to publicly accessible generative AI tools or other external AI systems when doing so could compromise confidentiality, intellectual property, or the integrity of the peer-review process.

AI tools must not be used as a substitute for the reviewer's independent scholarly judgment. The reviewer remains fully responsible for the content and recommendations contained in the review.

If a reviewer is uncertain whether an AI tool can be safely used in connection with a manuscript, the reviewer should consult the editorial office before using it.

6. AI in Editorial and Publishing Processes

The editorial team may use appropriate AI-assisted technologies for limited administrative or technical purposes, such as:

• language and formatting assistance;
• workflow support;
• metadata organization;
• identifying potential reviewers;
• similarity or text-overlap screening; and
• other administrative functions where appropriate.

However, AI systems will not independently determine the acceptance, rejection, or publication of a manuscript.

Final editorial decisions remain the responsibility of qualified human editors. AI-assisted recommendations must be subject to appropriate human oversight and verification.

7. AI and Similarity Checking

AI-based tools and similarity-detection systems may assist editors in identifying potential text overlap or other concerns. However, a similarity score or automated AI detection result does not by itself constitute evidence of plagiarism or academic misconduct.

Editors will assess potential cases of plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other misconduct based on the context and relevant evidence.

JSTCE recognizes that automated AI-detection technologies have limitations and therefore does not use an AI-detection score as the sole basis for rejecting a manuscript.

8. Research Data and Confidential Information

Authors, reviewers, and editors must not submit confidential, sensitive, personal, or unpublished research data to AI systems when doing so may compromise privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, or ethical obligations.

Particular caution is required when research involves community members, vulnerable populations, personal information, institutional data, or culturally sensitive knowledge, which are especially relevant to the scope of JSTCE.

Authors remain responsible for complying with applicable ethical requirements, informed-consent procedures, data-protection obligations, and institutional policies.

9. Transparency and Academic Integrity

The use of AI must never be used to conceal plagiarism, fabricate evidence, manipulate findings, or misrepresent authorship.

JSTCE expects authors to maintain transparency concerning substantive AI assistance and to ensure that AI use does not undermine the originality and scholarly contribution of their work.

Failure to disclose substantive AI use or misuse of AI may be considered a violation of the journal's Publication Ethics Policy.

10. Editorial Discretion

JSTCE may update this policy as AI technologies, scholarly publishing standards, and ethical guidance continue to evolve.

The journal will prioritize human accountability, academic integrity, transparency, confidentiality, and responsible use of technology in all AI-related activities.

The principles of this policy are informed by internationally recognized publication-ethics considerations, including guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) regarding AI and peer-review processes.