Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) and AI-assisted technologies ("AI tools") are increasingly being adopted in research and scholarly publishing. These technologies can assist researchers throughout the research and manuscript preparation process by improving efficiency, enhancing language quality, organizing content, supporting coding activities, generating visualizations, and facilitating literature exploration. At the same time, their use requires clear standards to ensure transparency, research integrity, accountability, and responsible scholarly communication.

The APTISI Transactions on Technopreneurship (ATT) supports the responsible use of AI tools while recognizing that human expertise, scientific judgment, and ethical responsibility must always remain central to the research and publication process.

These policies provide guidance for authors, reviewers, and editors regarding the acceptable use of Generative AI. ATT will periodically review and update these policies as AI technologies, publishing practices, and international standards continue to evolve.

For Authors

1. The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation

   Authors may use AI tools to assist with manuscript preparation, including improving grammar, language quality, readability, content organization, translation, coding assistance, and literature exploration. AI tools may also support authors in generating summaries or identifying potential research directions.

   However, AI tools must never replace the authors' own scientific reasoning, interpretation of findings, critical evaluation, originality, or intellectual contribution.

   Authors remain fully responsible and accountable for every aspect of the submitted manuscript.

   This includes responsibility for:

   1. Verifying the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of all AI-generated content;
   2. Carefully reviewing all citations and references generated by AI systems, as these may be inaccurate or fabricated;
   3. Ensuring that all scientific interpretations, conclusions, and discussions represent the authors' own scholarly judgment;
   4. Preventing plagiarism, copyright infringement, fabricated data, manipulated images, or misleading statements;
   5. Protecting confidential, proprietary, or unpublished research materials when using AI services; and
   6. Ensuring that AI-assisted content complies with all publication ethics and research integrity standards.
2. Responsible Use of AI Tools

   Authors should carefully review the privacy policy, licensing terms, and conditions of any AI tool before using it.

   Authors are encouraged to use AI systems that provide appropriate safeguards for confidentiality, intellectual property, and data privacy. Unpublished manuscripts, confidential datasets, or sensitive information should not be uploaded to AI platforms that may retain, reuse, or use submitted content for model training without adequate protection.

   Human oversight is required throughout the entire manuscript preparation process.

3. Disclosure

   Transparency is essential.

   Authors must disclose any substantive use of Generative AI during manuscript preparation in a separate section entitled “Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation.”

   The declaration should include:

   1. The name of the AI tool;
   2. The developer, if applicable;
   3. The purpose of its use; and
   4. Confirmation that the manuscript was reviewed, revised, and approved by the authors.
4. Authorship

   Generative AI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Only human authors may assume responsibility for:

   1. The integrity of the research;
   2. Approval of the final manuscript;
   3. Responses to editorial and reviewer comments;
   4. Compliance with publication ethics; and
   5. Copyright and licensing agreements.
5. AI-Generated Figures, Images, and Visual Materials

   AI-generated images may only be used for explanatory or illustrative purposes when they do not represent original research findings.

   AI tools must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, or alter research data, experimental results, medical images, microscopy images, or any other scientific evidence.

   When AI is used to create explanatory figures, flowcharts, conceptual frameworks, or graphical illustrations, authors should disclose the AI tool used within the figure caption and in the AI declaration.

For Editors

Editors are responsible for maintaining the integrity, fairness, confidentiality, and quality of the editorial process.

Editors should not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished research materials into AI systems that cannot guarantee appropriate confidentiality protections.

AI tools may be used to support editorial workflows, including:

1. Language improvement;
2. Technical manuscript screening;
3. Metadata verification;
4. Plagiarism support;
5. Reviewer identification; and
6. Administrative workflow assistance.

However, AI tools must never replace editorial judgment.

All editorial decisions, including acceptance, revision, or rejection, must be made independently by the responsible editor.

Editors remain fully accountable for every editorial decision communicated by the journal.

Policy Updates

Generative AI technologies continue to evolve rapidly. Accordingly, ATT will periodically review and revise this policy to reflect developments in scholarly publishing, research integrity, and internationally recognized best practices.

Authors, reviewers, and editors are encouraged to consult the latest version of this policy before participating in the publication process.

References

This policy has been developed with consideration of internationally recognized guidance, including:

1. STM: Recommendations for a Classification of AI Use in Academic Manuscript Preparation.
2. Elsevier: The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Writing and Peer Review.
3. WAME: Chatbots, Generative AI, and Scholarly Manuscripts.