AI Policy

◆ Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Scientific Journal Publishing

Praefectura: Journal of Transformational Leadership and Educational Management recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI), including generative AI and large language models (LLMs), can provide useful assistance in scholarly research and publishing.

At the same time, the use of AI may create risks related to academic integrity, accuracy, originality, confidentiality, authorship, intellectual property, and research ethics.

This policy establishes the principles and responsibilities governing the responsible use of AI in manuscript preparation, peer review, editorial processes, and scholarly publishing.

CHAPTER I – GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1 – Background and Purpose

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and generative AI technologies may provide useful assistance in scholarly research, manuscript preparation, language improvement, data analysis, information organization, and editorial work.
2. The use of AI must not compromise academic integrity, research transparency, originality, intellectual property, confidentiality, or the validity of scholarly work.
3. This policy establishes ethical principles, disclosure requirements, and responsibilities concerning the use of AI in the publication activities of Praefectura .

Article 2 – Scope and Applicability

This policy applies to all individuals involved in the scholarly publishing activities of Praefectura: Journal of Transformational Leadership and Educational Management , including:

1. Authors and co-authors submitting manuscripts;
2. Editors, section editors, managing editors, and editorial staff;
3. Peer reviewers and editorial consultants; and
4. Other contributors involved in manuscript preparation, evaluation, editing, and publication.

CHAPTER II – CORE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

Article 3 – Guiding Principles

The use of AI in scholarly publishing shall be guided by the following principles:

1. Human Authorship and Accountability. AI tools, chatbots, and generative AI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Human authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of their manuscripts.
2. Transparency. The use of AI that materially contributes to manuscript preparation or other scholarly activities should be disclosed clearly and appropriately.
3. Accuracy and Verification. AI-generated or AI-assisted content must be critically reviewed and verified by the responsible human author before submission or publication.
4. Originality and Attribution. Authors remain responsible for ensuring that AI-assisted content does not introduce plagiarism, inappropriate appropriation, fabricated references, or copyright infringement.
5. Confidentiality. Confidential manuscripts, peer-review materials, and unpublished research information must not be submitted to AI systems where confidentiality cannot be adequately assured.

CHAPTER III – AUTHORS AND AI UTILIZATION

Article 4 – Permissible Use of AI

Authors may use AI-assisted technologies responsibly for appropriate purposes, including:

1. Language assistance: improving grammar, spelling, readability, clarity, and language expression of human-authored text.
2. Formatting assistance: assisting with formatting, organization, and technical preparation of manuscripts.
3. Research assistance: assisting with coding, computational procedures, statistical scripts, or data-analysis workflows, provided that the underlying data, methodology, and results remain genuine and verifiable.
4. Information organization: assisting in organizing notes, concepts, or literature, provided that authors independently verify the accuracy and relevance of the information.

Article 5 – Prohibited and Unethical Uses

The following practices are prohibited:

1. Listing an AI system, chatbot, or generative AI tool as an author or co-author.
2. Fabricating or inventing research data, survey responses, participants, observations, statistical results, references, quotations, or research findings using AI.
3. Manipulating research evidence, figures, images, tables, or other scholarly materials in a manner that misrepresents the underlying research.
4. Using AI to create fabricated citations or references without verification.
5. Using AI-generated material in a manner that constitutes plagiarism, copyright infringement, or misappropriation of another person's intellectual work.
6. Concealing material AI use when disclosure is required under this policy.

AI and AI-Assisted Technologies Statement

Authors who have used AI-assisted technologies in preparing their manuscript should provide a clear statement describing the tool and its purpose.

CHAPTER IV – EDITORIAL AND PEER REVIEW RESPONSIBILITIES

Article 6 – Peer Reviewers and Confidentiality

1. Peer reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality regarding manuscripts and all information contained within them.
2. Reviewers must not upload or submit confidential manuscripts, unpublished research, or portions of submitted manuscripts to public AI systems or other AI services where confidentiality cannot be assured.
3. Reviewers must independently assess the manuscript and remain responsible for the accuracy, fairness, and scholarly quality of their review.
4. If AI-assisted technology is used in a manner permitted by the journal, the reviewer should disclose such use to the editorial office and carefully verify the output.

Article 7 – Editors and Editorial Tools

1. Editors may use appropriate technological tools to assist with administrative, technical, similarity, or editorial screening processes.
2. Automated or AI-assisted screening results shall not be treated as the sole basis for editorial decisions.
3. Final decisions regarding desk rejection, revision, acceptance, or publication remain the responsibility of human editors.
4. Editors must protect the confidentiality of manuscripts and should not upload confidential submissions into AI systems where adequate confidentiality cannot be assured.

CHAPTER V – VIOLATIONS AND POLICY GOVERNANCE

Article 8 – Misconduct and Corrective Action

Suspected misuse of AI, undisclosed material AI use, fabricated data, fabricated references, plagiarism, or other forms of academic misconduct will be handled according to the journal's publication ethics and misconduct procedures.

1. Before publication: the manuscript may be returned to the authors, rejected, or subjected to further investigation, depending on the seriousness of the matter.
2. During peer review: the editorial process may be suspended while the matter is investigated.
3. After publication: appropriate corrective action may include a correction, expression of concern, or retraction where warranted by the circumstances and applicable publication-ethics procedures.
4. Serious or repeated misconduct may result in restrictions on future submissions in accordance with the journal's editorial policies.

Article 9 – Policy Review and Governance

This policy is maintained by the Editorial Board of Praefectura: Journal of Transformational Leadership and Educational Management and may be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect developments in artificial intelligence, scholarly communication, research ethics, and international publishing standards.

Core Principle

AI may assist scholarly work, but it cannot replace human authorship, scholarly judgment, research integrity, or editorial responsibility.

Human authors remain responsible for the work they submit.