AI Policy

1. Introduction

The International Journal of Economics (IJEC) recognizes the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in academic research and writing. When used responsibly, AI can enhance clarity, efficiency, and accessibility. However, the use of AI also presents challenges to research integrity, originality, and accountability .

This policy establishes clear guidelines for the ethical and transparent use of AI tools by all parties involved in the publication process authors, reviewers, and editors to uphold the high standards of scholarship that IJEC is committed to disseminating .

2. Guiding Principles

IJEC supports the responsible use of AI-assisted technologies based on the following core principles:

  • Human Primacy: The intellectual contribution, scientific reasoning, interpretation of data, and conclusions must remain the sole responsibility of the human author(s). AI tools are supportive instruments and must never replace the author's critical thinking or scholarly judgment .

  • Transparency: The use of AI tools in the research and writing process must be clearly and explicitly disclosed .

  • Accountability: Authors are fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, integrity, and ethical compliance of their entire manuscript, regardless of whether AI tools were used in its preparation .

  • Confidentiality: The confidentiality of the peer-review process must be strictly maintained. Manuscripts and review materials must not be uploaded into any AI platform that may compromise this confidentiality or breach data privacy .

3. Policy for Authors

3.1. Acceptable Uses of AI
Authors may use AI tools for tasks that enhance the manuscript's quality without compromising its intellectual core. Acceptable uses include:

  • Improving grammar, spelling, and overall academic writing style and readability .

  • Assisting with language polishing and translation.

  • Organizing manuscript structure or generating preliminary outlines .

3.2. Unacceptable Uses of AI
The use of AI in the following ways is strictly prohibited and constitutes a breach of academic integrity:

  • Listing an AI system as a co-author or author of a manuscript . Authorship requires accountability and intellectual responsibility that only a human can assume.

  • Generating substantial parts of the manuscript, including the core research content, analysis, or conclusions .

  • Creating, fabricating, or falsifying data, research results, or citations .

  • Generating or manipulating images, figures, or other visual elements to misrepresent scientific evidence .

  • Using AI to bypass plagiarism checks or other editorial safeguards .

3.3. Mandatory Disclosure
Any use of generative AI tools beyond basic spelling and grammar checkers must be declared . Authors are required to include a statement in a dedicated section titled "Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process," placed before the References section .

The statement must include:

  1. The name of the AI system/tool used.

  2. The purpose and extent of its use.

  3. A confirmation that the authors have thoroughly reviewed, edited, and verified all AI-generated content and assume full responsibility for the final manuscript.

Example Declaration:

"During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL, e.g., ChatGPT 4] solely to improve the language and readability of the manuscript. After utilizing this tool, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article."

If no AI tools were used, a simple statement such as "Nothing to disclose" is sufficient .

4. Policy for Editors and Reviewers

4.1. Confidentiality
The peer-review process is strictly confidential. Editors and reviewers must never upload a submitted manuscript, their review comments, or any associated materials into an AI tool . Doing so risks violating the authors' confidentiality and intellectual property rights, as the content may be retained and used by the AI provider without permission.

4.2. Use in Evaluation
Reviewers must base their assessment and recommendations solely on their own professional expertise. AI tools must not be used to generate or significantly contribute to the peer-review report .
Editors may use AI-assisted technologies only for limited, low-level editorial support, such as detecting potential plagiarism or identifying obvious inconsistencies that require further human investigation . All final editorial decisions remain the exclusive responsibility of the journal's Editorial Board.

5. Enforcement and Violations

IJEC maintains a zero-tolerance policy for research misconduct involving AI-assisted technologies, including but not limited to fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and unethical image manipulation . Any violation of this policy will be handled in accordance with the journal's publication ethics guidelines and may result in immediate rejection of the manuscript, retraction of a published article, or other appropriate editorial actions.

6. Policy Review

This AI policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as necessary to reflect advancements in AI technology and evolving best practices in scholarly publishing, ensuring IJEC remains a valuable resource for scientific knowledge and applied research

7. Conclusion

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the writing of this manuscript is limited to a maximum of 20% of the total content, strictly for grammar checking, limited paraphrasing, or preliminary reference searching, and all final outputs must be fully verified and solely responsible for by the author(s).