Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy

The Journal of Nexural Intelligence (NEXURAL) recognizes that generative artificial intelligence (Generative AI) technologies may support researchers, authors, reviewers, and editors in certain aspects of scholarly communication. However, their use must be transparent, responsible, ethical, and subject to full human oversight.

This policy applies to generative AI systems, large language models, AI-assisted writing tools, image generators, coding assistants, automated data-analysis tools, and other technologies capable of generating or substantially modifying text, images, data, computer code, audio, or other scholarly content.

1. General Principles

The use of Generative AI must not compromise:

  • the originality and integrity of scholarly work;

  • the accuracy and reliability of research findings;

  • the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;

  • the protection of personal, institutional, and research data;

  • compliance with copyright, licensing, and research ethics requirements; and

  • the accountability of authors, reviewers, and editors.

Human authors remain fully responsible for all content submitted to and published by NEXURAL, regardless of whether Generative AI tools were used during the research or manuscript preparation process.

2. Generative AI and Authorship

Generative AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of a manuscript.

Authorship requires the ability to:

  • make substantial intellectual contributions;

  • approve the final version of the manuscript;

  • take responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the work;

  • respond to questions regarding the research; and

  • disclose and manage potential conflicts of interest.

Generative AI systems cannot fulfil these responsibilities and therefore do not meet the criteria for authorship.

All individuals listed as authors must take full responsibility for any content produced, revised, translated, analysed, or suggested using Generative AI tools.

3. Permitted Uses by Authors

Authors may use Generative AI tools for limited supporting purposes, including:

  • improving grammar, spelling, readability, and language clarity;

  • assisting with translation, provided that the authors verify the accuracy of the translation;

  • suggesting alternative wording or manuscript structure;

  • supporting computer programming or code debugging;

  • assisting with preliminary data exploration;

  • generating search terms or keywords for literature searches; and

  • supporting other administrative or technical tasks that do not replace the authors’ intellectual contribution.

The use of Generative AI does not reduce the authors’ responsibility to verify all information, references, calculations, code, interpretations, and conclusions included in the manuscript.

4. Uses Requiring Disclosure

Authors must disclose the use of Generative AI when the technology has materially contributed to the preparation or development of the manuscript.

Disclosure is required when Generative AI has been used to:

  • generate or substantially rewrite manuscript content;

  • assist in developing research questions, hypotheses, or methodological procedures;

  • generate, modify, or analyse research data;

  • produce computer code used in the research;

  • create tables, figures, diagrams, graphical abstracts, images, or illustrations;

  • support statistical analysis or interpretation;

  • translate substantial portions of the manuscript; or

  • perform other activities that may influence the scientific content of the work.

Minor use limited exclusively to spelling, grammar, formatting, or basic language correction does not normally require a formal disclosure.

5. AI Use Disclosure Statement

When disclosure is required, authors must include a statement in the manuscript, preferably in the Methods, Acknowledgements, or a dedicated section entitled “Declaration of Generative AI Use.”

The disclosure should identify:

  • the name and version of the AI tool;

  • the developer or provider of the tool;

  • the purpose for which the tool was used;

  • the sections or research activities affected by its use; and

  • the procedures used by the authors to verify the generated output.

An example disclosure statement is:

During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [name and version of the AI tool] developed by [provider] for [specific purpose]. The authors reviewed, verified, and edited all AI-generated outputs and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the final manuscript.

Failure to disclose substantial use of Generative AI may be considered a breach of publication ethics.

6. Accuracy and Verification

Generative AI systems may produce inaccurate, incomplete, biased, fabricated, or misleading information. They may also generate references, quotations, datasets, or factual claims that do not exist.

Authors must independently verify:

  • factual statements;

  • citations and bibliographic references;

  • quotations;

  • mathematical calculations;

  • statistical results;

  • computer code;

  • research interpretations;

  • legal or ethical claims; and

  • all other AI-generated content.

Authors must not submit fabricated references, invented data, false quotations, or unverifiable information generated by AI systems.

7. Originality, Plagiarism, and Copyright

Authors must ensure that the use of Generative AI does not result in plagiarism, inappropriate paraphrasing, copyright infringement, or unauthorized reproduction of third-party content.

AI-generated content must not be assumed to be original, copyright-free, or legally reusable.

Authors are responsible for:

  • verifying the originality of the manuscript;

  • obtaining permission for copyrighted material where required;

  • ensuring compliance with applicable licenses;

  • properly citing all relevant sources; and

  • avoiding the reproduction of protected content generated or imitated by AI systems.

The journal may screen manuscripts using plagiarism-detection and other research-integrity tools.

8. AI-Generated Images, Figures, and Multimedia

The use of Generative AI to create or substantially modify images, figures, illustrations, graphical abstracts, audio, video, or other multimedia content must be clearly disclosed.

AI-generated or AI-modified visual content must not:

  • misrepresent research findings;

  • alter, obscure, remove, or fabricate research evidence;

  • create misleading scientific representations;

  • infringe copyright, privacy, or personality rights; or

  • be presented as authentic experimental or observational data.

For research involving image processing, computer vision, medical imaging, remote sensing, or similar fields, legitimate AI-based image analysis must be fully described in the methodology, including the software, model, parameters, validation procedures, and limitations.

Purely decorative AI-generated images may be rejected when their origin, copyright status, or relevance cannot be adequately verified.

9. Generative AI in Data Analysis and Computer Code

When Generative AI is used to generate, modify, debug, or analyse computer code, authors must:

  • review and test the code;

  • confirm that the code performs as intended;

  • verify the validity of all resulting outputs;

  • disclose material AI assistance;

  • document the relevant software or AI tool; and

  • retain sufficient records to support reproducibility.

Authors remain responsible for errors, security vulnerabilities, licensing issues, fabricated functions, biased outputs, or invalid analyses produced by AI-assisted code.

Generative AI must not be used to fabricate, manipulate, or selectively alter research data.

10. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Authors must not upload confidential, sensitive, personally identifiable, proprietary, copyrighted, or restricted research information to publicly accessible Generative AI platforms unless they have explicit authorization and appropriate safeguards.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • unpublished research data;

  • participant information;

  • interview transcripts;

  • medical or educational records;

  • institutional documents;

  • confidential agreements;

  • copyrighted manuscripts;

  • proprietary datasets; and

  • materials subject to ethical or legal restrictions.

Authors must comply with applicable privacy laws, research ethics approvals, informed-consent agreements, institutional policies, and data-protection requirements.

11. Use of Generative AI by Reviewers

Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of manuscripts and the peer-review process.

Reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts, manuscript excerpts, supplementary files, figures, data, or confidential editorial correspondence into public Generative AI systems.

Generative AI must not replace the reviewer’s independent critical evaluation, scientific judgment, or responsibility.

Limited AI assistance may be used for language correction or organizing the reviewer’s own notes only when:

  • manuscript confidentiality is fully protected;

  • no confidential manuscript content is shared with an unauthorized system;

  • the reviewer independently verifies the output; and

  • the use complies with the reviewer’s institutional and legal obligations.

Reviewers must disclose significant use of Generative AI in preparing a review report when such use may have influenced the substance of the evaluation.

The reviewer remains fully responsible for the accuracy, fairness, professionalism, and integrity of the review.

12. Use of Generative AI by Editors

Editors must not upload confidential manuscripts, reviewer reports, author correspondence, or editorial records into public Generative AI systems.

Generative AI must not be used as the sole basis for:

  • determining manuscript acceptance or rejection;

  • evaluating scientific novelty;

  • assessing methodological validity;

  • selecting reviewers;

  • identifying ethical violations; or

  • making other substantive editorial decisions.

Editorial decisions must be made by qualified human editors based on the manuscript, peer-review reports, journal policies, and established scholarly standards.

AI-assisted administrative tools may be used for routine editorial support, provided that confidentiality, data protection, fairness, and human oversight are maintained.

13. Prohibited Uses

NEXURAL prohibits the use of Generative AI to:

  • fabricate or manipulate research data;

  • generate false research findings;

  • invent references, quotations, participants, experiments, or sources;

  • conceal plagiarism or inappropriate text reuse;

  • impersonate authors, reviewers, editors, or research participants;

  • produce fraudulent peer-review reports;

  • manipulate images in a scientifically misleading manner;

  • circumvent ethical approval, informed consent, or data-protection requirements;

  • generate discriminatory, harmful, deceptive, or unlawful content;

  • replace substantive human authorship or scholarly judgment; or

  • interfere with the integrity of the editorial and peer-review process.

14. Accountability and Research Integrity

Authors are fully accountable for the entire submitted manuscript, including all AI-assisted or AI-generated content.

A disclosure of AI use does not remove responsibility for:

  • factual errors;

  • fabricated information;

  • invalid analysis;

  • biased interpretations;

  • plagiarism;

  • copyright infringement;

  • ethical violations; or

  • harm resulting from the published content.

The corresponding author is responsible for ensuring that all co-authors are aware of and agree with the declared use of Generative AI.

15. Investigation and Sanctions

When undisclosed, misleading, or unethical use of Generative AI is suspected, NEXURAL may request:

  • a detailed explanation of how the AI tool was used;

  • copies of prompts or relevant interaction records;

  • original data and analysis files;

  • source code;

  • evidence of human verification;

  • ethics approval documentation; or

  • corrections to the disclosure statement.

Depending on the nature and severity of the issue, the journal may take actions including:

  • requesting manuscript revision;

  • rejecting the manuscript;

  • suspending the editorial process;

  • notifying the authors’ institutions;

  • publishing a correction or expression of concern;

  • retracting the published article; or

  • applying other measures consistent with the journal’s publication ethics policies.

16. Policy Updates

Generative AI technologies and related ethical standards continue to develop rapidly. NEXURAL may revise this policy periodically to reflect technological developments, legal requirements, publication ethics standards, and best practices in scholarly communication.

Authors, reviewers, and editors are responsible for consulting the most recent version of this policy before participating in the journal’s publication process.