Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automated Tools Policy

The International Journal of Medical and All Body Health Research (IJMABHR) recognizes the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI, large language models (LLMs), and other automated tools in research, manuscript preparation, peer review, editorial workflows, and publication processes.

This policy establishes transparent requirements for the responsible use and disclosure of AI and automated tools by authors, peer reviewers, editors, and the journal/publisher.

AI and automated tools may assist academic and publishing workflows, but they do not replace human responsibility, editorial judgment, peer review, or ethical decision-making.

Authors may use generative AI and other automated tools in connection with manuscript preparation, provided that such use is responsible, transparent, and consistent with research-integrity and publication-ethics requirements.

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI when it has been used in preparing the article beyond straightforward language correction, editing, or formatting.

Examples of uses that should be disclosed include, but are not limited to:

1. generating substantial text or sections of the manuscript;
2. generating or substantially developing summaries, interpretations, or explanations;
3. generating or substantially modifying analytical or research-related content;
4. generating or substantially modifying tables, figures, images, or other manuscript content; and
5. other substantive uses of generative AI that materially contribute to the preparation of the manuscript.

Straightforward use of automated tools for basic language correction, spelling, grammar, editing, or formatting does not by itself require disclosure under this policy.

Where disclosure is required, authors should clearly state the use of the AI or automated tool and describe its role in the preparation of the manuscript.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and appropriateness of all content submitted to IJMABHR, including content produced or assisted by AI or other automated tools.

Authors must independently verify the validity and accuracy of AI-generated or AI-assisted information before including it in a manuscript.

Authors are responsible for checking, where applicable:

1. factual accuracy;

2. scientific accuracy;

3. references and citations;

4. interpretation of data;

5. statistical or analytical claims;

6. originality and potential duplication;

7. ethical and legal compliance; and

8. compliance with the journal's author and publication policies.

AI-generated content must not be submitted without appropriate human verification and author responsibility.

The use of AI does not transfer responsibility for the manuscript from the authors to the AI tool, software provider, editor, reviewer, or journal.

Generative AI systems, AI tools, chatbots, software, or automated systems cannot be credited or listed as authors or co-authors of a manuscript submitted to IJMABHR.

Authorship requires human responsibility for the work, including responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and accountability of the manuscript.

Authors remain responsible for identifying the appropriate human authors and contributors in accordance with the journal's authorship requirements.

Generative AI tools should not be treated as authoritative scholarly sources and must not be cited as a source or reference in place of the original scholarly or authoritative source.

Authors should verify information obtained through AI tools against appropriate primary or authoritative sources and cite those original sources where applicable.

AI-generated references, citations, quotations, factual claims, or bibliographic information must be independently verified by the authors before inclusion in a manuscript.

Peer reviewers must protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and all associated materials received during the peer-review process.

Peer reviewers must not use use generative AI tools to generate, draft, or create peer-review assessments, reviewer reports, recommendations, or substantive evaluations of confidential manuscripts.

Reviewers should not upload or submit confidential manuscript content, unpublished data, figures, tables, reviewer materials, or other confidential information to generative AI systems where doing so could compromise confidentiality, intellectual property, privacy, or the integrity of the peer-review process.

Limited use of AI or automated tools for language editing or rewriting may be acceptable where appropriate, provided that confidentiality is maintained and such use is disclosed to the journal/editor where required.

The final peer-review assessment and recommendation must remain the reviewer's own independent judgment.

Editors must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, unpublished research, and other confidential editorial information.

Editors should not use generative AI tools to generate or replace substantive editorial assessments, peer-review decisions, or ethical determinations concerning submitted manuscripts.

Editors may use appropriate automated tools for limited administrative, language-editing, or workflow-support purposes where confidentiality and publication-ethics requirements are maintained.

Any use of automated or AI-assisted tools by editors must not replace independent editorial judgment.

The final editorial decision remains the responsibility of the editor.

IJMABHR may use automated tools to assist with manuscript screening, publication-integrity checks, and editorial workflows.

Such tools may include automated systems used to assist with:

1. text similarity and plagiarism screening;

2. detection or assessment of potential duplication;

3. identification of potential image or figure manipulation;

4. identification of possible undeclared generative AI use;

5. other relevant publication-integrity checks; and

6. reviewer identification or reviewer suggestions.

The journal may also use automated tools for appropriate administrative or publishing-related purposes where necessary.

The use of automated tools does not mean that automated results are treated as final findings.

All automated tools used by IJMABHR are treated as screening or decision-support tools only.

Automated alerts, scores, flags, or recommendations do not independently determine:

1. rejection of a manuscript;

2. acceptance of a manuscript;

3. peer-review outcomes;

4. ethical misconduct;

5. plagiarism or duplication;

6. image manipulation;

7. undeclared AI use; or

8. reviewer selection.

Where an automated tool identifies a potential issue, an editor or authorized journal staff member will review and verify the relevant information before an editorial or publication decision is made.

The journal maintains a human-in-the-loop approach to the use of automated tools.

Final editorial, ethical, peer-review, and publication-integrity decisions remain the responsibility of qualified human editors or authorized journal personnel.

IJMABHR may use automated tools to assist with identifying or suggesting potential peer reviewers.

Automated reviewer recommendations are not automatically accepted.

Before inviting a reviewer, the editor independently assesses the reviewer's:

1. subject expertise;

2. suitability for the manuscript;

3. independence;

4. potential conflicts of interest;

5. relevant academic or professional background; and

6. ability to provide an appropriate and objective review.

The final decision to invite a reviewer remains with the editor.

The journal will use automated tools only where they are considered appropriate for the relevant publishing or editorial purpose.

Automated tools used routinely by the journal should be appropriately evaluated or tested for their intended purpose, including consideration of their limitations and the possibility of inaccurate or incomplete results.

Automated tools are not assumed to be infallible.

Where an automated result may affect an editorial or publication-integrity matter, appropriate human verification is required before action is taken.

IJMABHR will disclose the routine use of automated tools that materially support manuscript screening, publication-integrity checks, reviewer identification, or other relevant editorial processes.

The journal will maintain transparency regarding the role of automated tools and will not represent automated outputs as independent human editorial or ethical determinations.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and journal staff must take appropriate care when using AI or automated tools to ensure that confidential, unpublished, personal, sensitive, or proprietary information is not improperly disclosed.

Confidential manuscript materials should not be entered into an external generative AI system where such use could compromise confidentiality or the rights of authors, reviewers, research participants, or other parties.

The use of AI and automated tools must comply with applicable confidentiality, privacy, intellectual-property, research-ethics, and publication-ethics requirements.

AI and automated tools must not be used to circumvent the journal's research-integrity, authorship, peer-review, or publication-ethics requirements.

The use of AI does not excuse or reduce responsibility for:

1. plagiarism;

2. fabrication or falsification of data;

3. manipulation of images or figures;

4. duplicate or redundant publication;

5. inaccurate or fabricated references;

6. undisclosed conflicts of interest;

7. unethical research practices; or

8. other forms of publication misconduct.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and journal staff remain responsible for complying with the journal's applicable policies.

Artificial Intelligence and automated tools may assist with specific publishing and editorial workflows, but they do not replace human judgment.

Final responsibility for editorial decisions, peer-review decisions, publication-integrity assessments, ethical determinations, and publication decisions remains with the journal's editors or authorized human personnel.