Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

Purpose

This policy sets out guidelines for the transparent, ethical, and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in manuscripts submitted to Latitude Xero. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, as well as in the processes of peer review and editorial management.

The policy is based on the international principles and recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and on good practices in scientific publishing.

Scope

This policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, editorial assistants, and other participants involved in the journal's editorial process.

Definitions

Content assisted or generated by artificial intelligence is understood to be any text, image, figure, table, code, data analysis, multimedia material or any other content produced in whole or in part using AI tools, regardless of the level of intervention, revision or subsequent editing carried out by the author.

Using AI-generated images

Images, figures, illustrations, graphics or visualisations generated in whole or in part using artificial intelligence tools must meet the following requirements:

  • Any AI-generated image must be expressly indicated in the caption, indicating the tool used and, where applicable, its version.
  • The authors assume full responsibility for the content, accuracy, authenticity and possible ethical or legal implications arising from the use of AI-generated images.
  • The journal may reject images or figures whose content cannot be adequately verified, presents inconsistencies, misleads or violates the rights of third parties.

Authorship and prohibition of citing AI as a source

Artificial intelligence tools may not appear as authors or co-authors of scientific manuscripts, because they lack intellectual responsibility, scientific validation capacity, academic criteria and ethical attribution over the content generated.

All human authors shall take full responsibility for the originality, completeness, proofreading, accuracy, and scientific quality of content assisted or generated using AI tools.

The formulation of the research problem, the methodological design, the critical analysis, the interpretation of results, the academic discussion and the conclusions must correspond exclusively to human authorship.

Likewise, it is prohibited to cite artificial intelligence tools as bibliographic sources, academic references or scientific support for substantive statements. The primary and secondary sources used must correspond to verifiable and adequately referenced scientific documents.

Maximum threshold and mandatory reporting

Manuscripts sent to Latitude Xero. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research may not exceed 20% of content assisted or generated by artificial intelligence, in accordance with the evaluation criteria and detection tools used by the journal.

Any use of AI tools must be mandatorily declared in a specific section of the manuscript or during the submission process, including applications related to:

  • Style correction.
  • Translation.
  • Grammar editing.
  • Generation of images, graphs or figures.
  • Assistance in programming or code development.
  • Data organization, processing, or analysis.
  • Partial generation of textual content.
  • Preparation of diagrams, tables or complementary materials.

It will not be necessary to declare the use of basic spell checkers or bibliographic reference managers such as Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote or other similar tools intended exclusively for the management of citations and references.

The deliberate omission of the use of artificial intelligence tools when appropriate may constitute an ethical misconduct and lead to the rejection of the manuscript, the suspension of the editorial process or the adoption of post-publication measures, in accordance with the editorial and ethical policies of the journal.

Declaration Requirements

The use of artificial intelligence tools must be indicated in a clear, transparent and verifiable manner in the following sections:

Cover letter

Authors must include a general statement on the use of artificial intelligence tools during the preparation of the manuscript, specifying the scope of their use and the activities carried out with the support of these tools.

Methodology or corresponding section

The manuscript must specify, where applicable:

  • Name and version of the tool used.
  • Specific purpose of use.
  • Sections of the manuscript in which artificial intelligence was used.
  • Participation of the author in the review, validation, supervision and editing of the generated content.
  • Measures taken to verify the accuracy, reliability and relevance of information produced by AI.

The statement shall be sufficiently detailed to ensure the transparency of the process of preparing the scientific work.

Peer Review

Reviewers must maintain absolute confidentiality about the manuscripts evaluated and may not upload, share or partially or totally process the documents submitted for review on generative artificial intelligence platforms or other external systems that may compromise the confidentiality of the information.

In addition, reviewers should not use AI tools to generate evaluation reports, issue opinions or substitute for the scientific, academic, methodological and critical analysis required during the peer review process.

The responsibility for the scientific evaluation shall lie exclusively with the professional and academic judgment of the appointed reviewer.

AI editorial use

The Latitude Xero editorial team. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research may use artificial intelligence tools only for technical, administrative, or editorial support activities that do not compromise the academic integrity, scientific ethics, confidentiality, or transparency of the editorial process.

These tools can be used for tasks related to:

  • Preliminary linguistic correction.
  • Standardization of formats.
  • Technical verification of metadata.
  • Support in administrative and editorial processes.
  • Optimizing editorial workflows.

In no case will AI tools replace editorial decision-making, scientific evaluation, or academic judgment by editors and reviewers.

Consequences of non-compliance

Failure to declare AI use, non-compliance with the limits set by the journal, or inappropriate use of artificial intelligence tools may result in one or more of the following measures:

  • Rejection of the manuscript.
  • Suspension of the editorial process.
  • Request for additional corrections or clarifications.
  • Post-publication corrections.
  • Expressions of concern.
  • Partial or total retraction of the article.
  • Other editorial and ethical measures in accordance with the guidelines of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Policy Update

This policy may be reviewed and updated periodically in accordance with technological, scientific, ethical and regulatory developments related to the use of artificial intelligence in research and scientific communication.

Authors, reviewers, and editors should always consult the current version of this policy before participating in any stage of the journal's editorial process.

Latitude Xero. Journal of Multidisciplinary Research reaffirms its commitment to the responsible, transparent and ethical use of artificial intelligence, promoting scientific integrity, academic honesty and the quality of the publications it disseminates