Generative AI Policy

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as large language models and image generators, can support research and writing, but they also raise questions of accountability, accuracy and confidentiality. This policy explains how authors, reviewers and editors of JMRC may use them, in line with COPE's position on authorship and AI tools.

Authors

• AI tools cannot be authors. Authorship requires accountability for the work, which an AI tool cannot take. AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors.
• Disclosure is required. Any use of generative AI in preparing the manuscript, beyond basic spelling and grammar checking, must be declared in a “Use of generative AI” statement that names the tool and its version and describes how and why it was used.
• Authors remain responsible. Authors are fully responsible for the content of their manuscript, including any text, code or analysis produced with the help of AI, and must check it carefully for errors, bias, fabricated references and plagiarism.
• Images and data. Generative AI must not be used to create or alter images, figures or data reported as research results. The only exception is when AI is part of the research method itself; in that case its use must be described in detail in the methods section so that it can be evaluated and reproduced.
• AI as a research method. AI and machine-learning methods used in the research (for example, for materials discovery, image analysis or property prediction) must be reported with the model, training data, parameters and validation needed for reproducibility.

Example declaration

“During the preparation of this work the authors used [name of tool and version] to [improve the readability of the introduction]. After using this tool, the authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.”

Reviewers

Manuscripts under review are confidential. Reviewers must not upload a manuscript, or any part of it, to generative AI tools, and must not use such tools to write their reports, because doing so may breach the confidentiality of the authors' work and of the review. Reviewers remain responsible for their own assessment.

Editors

Editors must not upload manuscripts, decision letters or review reports to generative AI tools. The journal may use secure, approved tools for technical checks such as similarity screening; these support, but never replace, editorial judgement, and all editorial decisions are made by people.

Breaches of this policy

Undisclosed use of generative AI, or any use that breaches this policy, is handled under our Publication Ethics policy and may lead to rejection, correction or retraction.

This policy is reviewed regularly as tools and community standards evolve.