Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

In alignment with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), International Journal of Research, Exploration & Knowledge (IJREK) strictly stipulates that Artificial Intelligence tools (including Large Language Models, generative AI chatbots, and automated writing systems) do not meet the criteria for academic authorship.

An author must be capable of taking legal and ethical accountability for the work, consenting to publication terms, approving the final proof, and managing potential copyright or conflict-of-interest declarations. Because AI systems cannot assume legal accountability, AI tools cannot be listed as an author, co-author, or cited as an authorial contributor.

The journal recognizes that AI technologies offer valuable computational and editorial capabilities when utilized transparently and ethically. Permissible applications include:

• Language & Grammar Editing: Using AI-assisted software to refine sentence structure, correct grammatical errors, and improve readability for non-native English scholars.
• Coding & Algorithm Optimization: Utilizing code generation assistants for syntax validation, routine scripting, or algorithmic benchmarking, provided all code is verified for correctness.
• Data Analysis & Visualization: Implementing established machine learning models or data processing pipelines as part of the core scientific methodology described in the paper.

Authors must explicitly declare any utilization of generative AI tools in the preparation of their manuscript. This disclosure must be positioned in a dedicated “AI and Generative Technologies Statement” in the manuscript's declaration section prior to the references.

If no AI tools were employed during manuscript preparation, authors should state: “The authors declare that no artificial intelligence or generative AI technologies were used in the drafting, preparation, or analysis of this manuscript.”

The following practices constitute academic misconduct and will result in immediate rejection or post-publication retraction:

• Fictitious Citations & Hallucinations: Generating or citing non-existent bibliographic references, fictitious journal articles, or fabricated DOIs produced by generative models.
• Data Fabrication: Utilizing AI systems to synthesize fraudulent experimental datasets, counterfeit sensor readings, or synthetic survey outcomes represented as real-world data.
• Undisclosed Co-Writing: Generating entire sections of literature review, results discussion, or conclusions using AI without explicit author disclosure.
• AI-Generated Synthetic Imagery: Submitting AI-generated synthetic images or figures represented as authentic experimental micrographs, scientific captures, or real photographic evidence.

Manuscripts submitted to IJREK are privileged, proprietary, and confidential documents.

• Peer Reviewers: Referees are strictly prohibited from uploading manuscripts, abstracts, reviewer prompts, or evaluation rubrics into public or external generative AI systems. Doing so violates author copyright, breaches confidentiality, and risks exposing unpublished intellectual property.
• Handling Editors: Editorial decisions regarding manuscript desk acceptance, revision requirements, or rejection must be rendered solely through expert human academic judgment and cannot be delegated to automated or AI decision engines.

IJREK employs sophisticated technical screening to detect unverified citations, anomalous text patterns, and undisclosed synthetic generation during initial submission validation.

When undisclosed generative AI content is suspected, the editorial team will request original research records, raw data logs, and author explanation. Failure to provide satisfactory documentation will result in formal rejection under research misconduct protocols.