Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy

Journal of SPHERES, published by Synergy Publication, is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, responsible research practices, and ethical scholarly publishing. This policy outlines the acceptable use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools during manuscript preparation in accordance with recommendations from the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

The policy applies to all manuscripts submitted to JSPHERES across its interdisciplinary areas, including education, philosophy, ethics, history, sociology, culture, economics, politics, arts, linguistics, psychology, geography, and related fields.

1. Permitted Uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

Authors may use AI-assisted tools (such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, QuillBot, DeepL Write, or similar technologies) only for limited editorial, language, organizational, or supportive purposes. Acceptable uses include:

  • Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language improvement.
  • Enhancing readability, clarity, and academic expression without altering the author's intended meaning, arguments, interpretations, or conclusions.
  • Formatting assistance and manuscript organization.
  • Assistance with brainstorming, outlining, or structuring ideas that remain subject to the authors' independent scholarly analysis and judgment.
  • Support for improving presentation of interdisciplinary research without replacing scholarly reasoning.

AI assistance must not replace the author's intellectual contribution, critical thinking, disciplinary expertise, originality, or responsibility for the submitted manuscript.

2. Prohibited Uses of Artificial Intelligence

AI tools must not be used to:

  • Generate original research arguments, philosophical interpretations, historical analyses, theoretical frameworks, policy discussions, psychological interpretations, or scholarly conclusions without substantial human intellectual contribution.
  • Conduct literature reviews, source evaluation, archival analysis, fieldwork interpretation, or evidence synthesis without author verification and critical assessment.
  • Create, manipulate, fabricate, or falsify research data, educational materials, historical evidence, archival records, images, maps, tables, figures, or analytical outputs.
  • Generate false citations, references, quotations, bibliographic information, or academic sources.
  • Replace scholarly judgment, disciplinary expertise, or author accountability.
  • Assist reviewers, editors, or editorial board members with confidential peer-review materials unless explicitly authorized by the journal.

Use of AI tools in these ways constitutes a violation of publication ethics and may result in rejection of the manuscript or further editorial action.

3. Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must provide a clear and transparent disclosure whenever AI tools have been used during manuscript preparation.

An AI Usage Disclosure Statement should be included in the Acknowledgements section or another appropriate section of the manuscript, explaining:

  • The name of the AI tool(s) used.
  • The specific purpose of AI assistance, such as language editing, formatting, organization, or other permitted support.
  • The extent of AI involvement in manuscript preparation.

Artificial Intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors under any circumstances. Authorship is limited to individuals who have made genuine intellectual contributions and who accept full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and ethical compliance of the manuscript.

4. Use of Generative AI Tools

If generative AI technologies (including ChatGPT or similar large language models) are used, authors must:

  • Clearly disclose their use within the manuscript.
  • Review, verify, and revise all AI-assisted content before submission.
  • Ensure that all educational theories, philosophical arguments, historical claims, cultural interpretations, statistical information, references, and conclusions are accurate and supported by reliable scholarly sources.
  • Provide additional information about AI use if requested during editorial evaluation.

Failure to disclose the use of generative AI tools may result in rejection of the manuscript or appropriate post-publication action.

5. Author Responsibility

Regardless of AI assistance, authors remain fully responsible for:

  • The originality, accuracy, and integrity of all submitted content.
  • Verification of facts, references, quotations, datasets, archival materials, interpretations, and analytical claims.
  • Ensuring AI-assisted text does not introduce plagiarism, fabricated references, misinformation, bias, or unsupported conclusions.
  • Compliance with all JSPHERES policies and accepted standards of research and publication ethics.

The use of AI tools does not transfer responsibility from authors to software developers, AI providers, or automated systems.

6. AI Content Screening and Editorial Assessment

During the editorial evaluation process, submitted manuscripts may be assessed using available AI-content screening technologies alongside expert editorial judgment.

If editorial assessment indicates that more than 20% of the manuscript appears to consist of AI-generated content without sufficient original scholarly contribution, appropriate disclosure, or meaningful author involvement, the manuscript may be:

  • Rejected before external peer review; or
  • Returned to the authors for clarification, revision, and possible resubmission at the discretion of the editorial team.

AI-detection tools are used only as supplementary indicators and do not independently determine editorial decisions. Final decisions are based on comprehensive evaluation of originality, scholarly contribution, research quality, transparency, ethical compliance, and author accountability.

Undisclosed or excessive dependence on AI-generated content may be considered a violation of the journal's Publication Ethics, Plagiarism Policy, and Editorial Policies.

7. Non-Compliance and Ethical Violations

Failure to disclose AI use, submission of misleading AI-generated content, fabricated sources, or excessive reliance on AI technologies may result in one or more of the following actions:

  • Immediate rejection of the manuscript.
  • Withdrawal or retraction of a published article where applicable.
  • Notification of the author's institution, research organization, or funding body in cases of serious misconduct.
  • Restriction of future submissions to JSPHERES or other journals published by Synergy Publication depending on the severity of the violation.

8. Policy Review and Updates

This Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy will be reviewed periodically to reflect developments in AI technologies, interdisciplinary research practices, international publishing standards, and guidance issued by organizations such as COPE and WAME.

Authors are encouraged to consult the latest version of this policy before submitting manuscripts. Questions regarding acceptable AI use may be directed to the JSPHERES editorial office prior to submission.