IJBEMP bases its regulations on the use of generative artificial intelligence tools in academic writing and research on both national and international standards. This policy has been prepared in line with the “Ethics Guide on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Research and Publication Activities of Higher Education Institutions” issued by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) in May 2024, together with Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) principles and international publishing standards. The guide is accessible at the following link:
https://proje.yok.gov.tr/tr/page/635
Core Ethical Values
The YÖK guide establishes transparency, integrity, diligence, justice and respect, protection of confidentiality and privacy, accountability, and contributing to an ethical climate as the core criteria for the use of artificial intelligence. Our journal adopts these values in all assessments concerning the use of artificial intelligence.
Authorship Status
Generative artificial intelligence tools may not be listed as authors or co-authors. They cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the work, cannot make conflict of interest declarations, and cannot be a party to ethics committee processes. Any AI support provided to the work remains the responsibility of the author(s).
Acceptable Uses
AI tools may be used for the following purposes:
· Grammar, spelling, and punctuation correction,
· Improving the fluency and readability of the text,
· Translation support and ensuring terminological consistency,
· Formatting, reference management, and typesetting checks,
· Support in literature review (subject to verification of sources),
· Data analysis through a model trained by the user,
· Support in text and image labelling.
Unacceptable Uses
The following uses are treated as breaches of publication ethics and cannot be legitimised by disclosure:
· Having the original content, methodology, findings, or interpretation of the work produced by AI and presented as the author’s own,
· Presenting data, images, or results generated by AI as genuine research output,
· Inserting fabricated or unverified references into the text,
· Generating, altering, or manipulating images with AI in a manner that misrepresents the data,
· Using AI instead of real participants in surveys,
· Having review reports written by AI,
· Using AI tools that do not provide confidentiality guarantees in editorial or peer review processes.
Disclosure Requirement
The use of generative AI is declared explicitly, whatever its extent. Assistive tools used solely for grammar, spelling, and fluency correction may be exempt from disclosure; however, such use is presumed not to affect the content, argument, or findings of the text. The declaration is presented under a separate heading before the “References” section of the article and includes the following information::
· The name and version of the tool used,
· The date or date range of use,
· The purpose and the stage of the study for which the tool was used,
· A statement that the generated content was reviewed and verified by the author(s).
In studies requiring ethics committee approval, information regarding the use of artificial intelligence is additionally stated in the research protocol.
Reviewer and Editor Responsibility
Reviewers and editors may not upload the manuscript they are evaluating to AI tools that do not provide confidentiality guarantees. Review reports must reflect the reviewer’s own assessment; having reports written by AI is not acceptable. Editors may make limited use of AI tools in identifying suitable reviewers; however, the final decision and responsibility rest with them.
Author Responsibility
Only the author(s) are responsible for the accuracy, originality, and ethical compliance of the text. The use of AI does not in any way reduce or eliminate this responsibility. The author(s) are obliged to identify and correct potential bias, factual errors, fabricated references, and contextual inconsistencies in AI outputs.
Assessment of Violations
In the event of a breach of this policy, the process is conducted within the scope of “Publication Misconduct Statement”. Undeclared use of AI may lead to the relevant sanctions, including retraction.