AI Policy for Authors, Reviewers, and Editors

This journal follows the official STAR Scholars AI Policy Guidelines, and all authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to comply fully with the standards outlined below.

1. AI Policy for Authors

Authors are encouraged to use approved generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot) to enhance the clarity, organization, and global readability of their manuscripts. To maintain scholarly integrity, the following requirements must be met:

1.1 Citation and Reference Verification (Mandatory)

Authors must verify every citation and reference manually to ensure:

  • Accuracy of author names, titles, publication years, volumes, issues, and page numbers

  • Inclusion of valid and active URLs, DOIs, or permanent repository links

  • Consistency between in-text citations and the reference list

  • Correct metadata formatting for indexing and archiving

Authors must check references one-by-one prior to submission.

1.2 Required AI Use Disclosure

All authors must include an AI Use Statement in the Acknowledgment section stating:

  • Whether AI tools were used

  • The specific purpose (e.g., grammar, clarity, synthesis, or methodological assistance)

  • Confirmation that authors have reviewed and validated all AI-generated content

1.3 Author Responsibility

Authors remain fully responsible for:

  • The accuracy of all facts, interpretations, data points, and analyses

  • Correctness of all citations and metadata

  • Ethical use of AI in all parts of the manuscript

  • Ensuring that no AI-generated content compromises originality or research integrity

1.4 Restrictions on AI Use

  • Generative AI cannot create core scientific content, fabricate data, manipulate results, or alter images—unless such use is an explicit part of the research design and disclosed transparently.

  • AI systems cannot be credited as authors or co-authors under any circumstance.

1.5 Acceptable Additional Uses of AI

Authors may also use AI tools for:

  • Grammar and stylistic editing

  • Structuring literature reviews

  • Summarizing background materials

  • Improving readability for international audiences

All such uses must be disclosed.

2. AI Policy for Reviewers

2.1 Confidentiality

Manuscripts under review are confidential. Reviewers must not upload data tables or identifiable content into AI tools.

2.2 Acceptable AI Use

Reviewers may use AI to:

  • Organize notes

  • Draft emails or administrative templates

  • Improve clarity of feedback

2.3 Reviewer Responsibility

Reviewers may use generative AI tools to support their workflow, such as organizing notes, clarifying language, or drafting preliminary thoughts. However, all evaluative comments must be grounded in the reviewer’s own careful reading and professional judgment. Reviewers are required to verify all feedback against:

  • the content and context of the manuscript,

  • the journal’s aims and scope, and

  • the core components of scholarly writing, including the introduction, literature review, methodology, findings/discussion, and conclusions.

Final review reports must be entirely human-written, thoroughly verified, and reflect ethical, independent assessment. AI-generated text may not be submitted unless it has been fully reviewed, rewritten, and validated by the reviewer.

Reviewers are expected to judge quality independently.

3. AI Policy for Editors

3.1 Acceptable AI Use

Editors may use AI tools for:

  • Drafting communication with authors and reviewers

  • Initial screening of manuscripts

  • Organizing workflow or correspondence

3.2 Editorial Judgment

All decisions regarding acceptance, revision, or rejection must be made solely by qualified human editors.

3.3 Oversight and Reporting

Editors must:

  • Monitor for potential misuse of AI by authors or reviewers

  • Report suspected breaches of AI ethics to the Publisher or Editorial Board

  • Ensure transparency, fairness, and academic integrity in all editorial processes

4. Summary of Required Author Actions

Before submission, authors must:

  1. Use AI responsibly only for clarity, quality, or readability.

  2. Verify every citation and reference manually for accuracy and completeness.

  3. Ensure DOI/URL validity for all references.

  4. Add a mandatory AI disclosure statement in the Acknowledgment section.

  5. Take full responsibility for the accuracy of content, analysis, and data.

  6. Ensure no AI systems are listed as authors.

  7. Confirm that images and data have not been AI-generated or altered without disclosure.