Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

01 Use of AI by Authors

Authors may use AI tools for language editing, grammar correction, translation, brainstorming, outlining, coding assistance, and other appropriate supporting tasks. AI must not replace the authors' intellectual contribution, critical thinking, or independent scholarly judgment.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that:

• All factual statements, references, quotations, calculations, and research findings are verified.
• AI-generated content is critically evaluated and revised before submission.
• The manuscript complies with research ethics and publication standards.
• AI use does not result in fabricated data, misleading claims, plagiarism, or false attribution.
• Confidential, personal, or unpublished information is not entered into AI systems without appropriate authorization and safeguards.

02 Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose generative AI use when it makes a substantive contribution to manuscript preparation, research design, data analysis, interpretation, substantial text generation or rewriting, or the creation or material modification of figures and other research materials.

Routine spelling correction, basic grammar checking, and standard reference-management functions generally do not require disclosure, unless the tool performs substantive generative or analytical work.

A disclosure should identify the AI tool, its purpose, and the relevant stage of the research or manuscript preparation. Where appropriate, methodological use of AI should also be described in the manuscript's methodology section.

03 Prohibited and Unacceptable Uses

AI use is unacceptable when it misrepresents scholarly work, compromises research integrity, or violates applicable ethical standards. Examples include:

• Listing an AI system as an author.
• Fabricating or falsifying data, research findings, references, quotations, or evidence.
• Presenting generated material as empirical findings when it does not represent actual research.
• Creating deceptive images or manipulating research evidence.
• Submitting nonexistent or unverified references as genuine sources.
• Using AI to conceal plagiarism or misrepresent the originality of a manuscript.
• Uploading confidential manuscripts or peer-review materials to external AI services without appropriate authorization and safeguards.
• Violating privacy, copyright, research ethics, or applicable law through AI use.

04 Use of AI by Editors

Editors may use AI tools for appropriate administrative or language-related assistance. Editorial decisions, including decisions on peer review, acceptance, revision, and rejection, must remain under human control.

• Editors must exercise independent editorial judgment.
• AI-generated assessments must not be the sole basis for editorial decisions.
• Manuscripts and confidential editorial correspondence must be protected.
• AI-generated information must be checked before it is used in editorial communications or decisions.
• Potential bias, errors, and conflicts of interest must be considered.

05 Use of AI by Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, unpublished data, figures, and review materials. Such materials must not be uploaded to external AI systems unless the journal has explicitly authorized the use and appropriate confidentiality safeguards are in place.

AI must not replace the reviewer's independent critical assessment. Reviewers remain responsible for the accuracy, fairness, relevance, and professionalism of their reports. Material AI assistance in preparing a review should be disclosed when required by the journal's review procedures.

06 AI-Generated Images, Figures, and Data

Authors must disclose the use of AI to generate or materially modify images, figures, visualizations, or other research materials. The disclosure should identify the tool and explain its role.

Generated or modified materials must not distort or fabricate research evidence. Simulated or AI-generated data must be appropriately identified and must not be misrepresented as observations or measurements obtained from actual participants, fieldwork, or experiments.

07 Authorship, Copyright, and Originality

AI tools cannot meet the requirements for authorship because they cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of scholarly publications. Human authors must satisfy JMEC's authorship criteria and accept responsibility for the submitted work.

AI assistance does not exempt authors from the journal's requirements concerning plagiarism, copyright, research ethics, and publication misconduct. Authors must verify the originality, provenance, and permitted use of submitted materials.

08 Editorial Assessment and Policy Violations

JMEC may request clarification, supporting documentation, or additional disclosure when concerns arise regarding AI use, authorship, originality, accuracy, confidentiality, or research integrity.

Depending on the circumstances and available evidence, the journal may request corrections, require additional disclosure, reject a manuscript, suspend editorial consideration, or take appropriate post-publication action under its publication ethics and correction and retraction policies.

AI-detection results must not be treated as conclusive proof of misconduct on their own. Editorial decisions should consider the broader evidence and, where appropriate, allow authors to respond to the concerns raised.

09 Human Accountability and Transparency

AI tools may assist scholarly work, but they do not replace human responsibility. Authors are accountable for their manuscripts, editors for editorial decisions, and reviewers for their assessments and reports.

JMEC is committed to transparency, confidentiality, appropriate human oversight, and the responsible use of emerging technologies. This policy may be reviewed periodically as AI technology and scholarly publishing practices evolve.