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AI Policies
SPORTIFY JOURNAL | RESEARCH INTEGRITY
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
Guidelines for the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation, peer review, and editorial decision-making.
Sportify Journal supports responsible technological innovation while maintaining human accountability, scientific originality, confidentiality, and publication integrity.
Principle 01
Human Authorship
AI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.
Principle 02
Transparency
Relevant AI assistance must be appropriately disclosed.
Principle 03
Confidentiality
Unpublished manuscripts and editorial records must be protected.
Principle 04
Accountability
Human authors, reviewers, and editors retain responsibility for their work.
Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence
Sportify Journal recognizes the growing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in scholarly research, manuscript preparation, and scientific publishing.
Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other comparable applications, may provide useful support for academic activities. However, their use also raises concerns regarding originality, scientific accuracy, research integrity, confidentiality, authorship, and accountability.
This policy establishes the journal's requirements concerning the use of AI tools by authors, peer reviewers, and editorial staff.
The policy is informed by publication ethics principles and guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and international scholarly publishing practices, including relevant guidance published by Elsevier.
Fundamental Requirement: AI technologies may assist scholarly activities but must not replace human scientific judgment, original intellectual contribution, or responsibility for published research.
Explore the AI Policy
Select a policy section below to review the requirements applicable to authors, reviewers, and editorial staff.
Use of AI Tools by Authors
Authors may use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies to support manuscript preparation, provided that such use is transparent, responsible, and consistent with scholarly publication ethics.
Permitted Supporting Activities
Appropriate supporting activities may include:
- Language editing and improvement of manuscript readability.
- Grammar, spelling, and writing assistance.
- Refinement of manuscript structure and organization.
- Reference formatting and bibliographic organization.
- Translation assistance with appropriate human verification.
- Coding or analytical assistance, provided the procedures and outputs are independently verified.
AI tools must not substitute for the authors' original scientific thinking, critical analysis, research interpretation, or intellectual contribution.
Human Authorship Requirement
Artificial intelligence tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors under any circumstances.
Authorship requires accountability, intellectual contribution, approval of the final manuscript, and the ability to respond to questions concerning the accuracy and integrity of the research.
Authorship Policy: All listed authors must be human individuals who meet the journal's established authorship criteria. AI tools cannot assume authorship responsibilities.
Disclosure of AI Use
Authors are required to disclose relevant use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies during manuscript preparation.
Disclosure is required for AI assistance involving activities such as manuscript writing, language refinement, translation, coding, data analysis, and other relevant applications.
Required Disclosure Information
The disclosure statement should be placed in the Acknowledgments section or in a clearly identified AI disclosure subsection.
Authors should provide:
- The name of the AI tool or service used.
- The version or model, where available.
- The purpose and extent of AI assistance.
- Confirmation that the output was reviewed and verified by the authors.
Example of an AI Use Declaration
AI Use Declaration
"During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [NAME OF AI TOOL AND VERSION] to [DESCRIBE THE PURPOSE OF USE]. All AI-assisted outputs were reviewed, verified, and edited by the authors, who take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript."
Example for Language Editing
"During the preparation of this work, the authors used ChatGPT to improve the clarity and readability of the manuscript. Following its use, the authors reviewed and edited the content and take full responsibility for the published work."
AI Use in Research Methodology
When AI tools are used as part of the research design, data processing, coding, analysis, or other methodological procedures, authors must describe their use in the Methods section.
The description should be sufficiently detailed to allow readers to understand and evaluate the procedures applied.
Failure to disclose relevant AI use may constitute a violation of publication ethics and may result in editorial action.
Generative AI in Figures, Images, and Artwork
Sportify Journal does not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter figures, images, graphical abstracts, or other illustrative materials submitted as part of a manuscript, except where such use is explicitly incorporated into the research methodology.
Prohibited Image Manipulation
Prohibited practices include:
- Creating fabricated images or visual research evidence.
- Introducing features that were not present in the original images.
- Removing or obscuring relevant visual information.
- Altering or moving image components in ways that misrepresent the original data.
- Generating graphical abstracts using generative AI tools.
Permitted Basic Image Adjustments
Adjustments to brightness, contrast, and color balance may be acceptable when they do not obscure, remove, or misrepresent information contained in the original image.
Authors must preserve the integrity and authenticity of their original visual data.
Exception for AI-Based Research Methodology
When AI-assisted image generation, processing, or interpretation forms an essential component of the research design or methods, the procedures must be clearly described in the Methods section.
The description should include the name of the AI tool or model, its version, the developer or manufacturer where applicable, and sufficient information to support reproducibility.
Original Images and Supporting Data
Editors may request original unprocessed images, supporting data, or documentation of image-processing procedures for editorial verification.
Image forensics or other appropriate technical procedures may be used to investigate suspected image irregularities.
Graphical Abstracts and Cover Artwork
The use of generative AI to produce graphical abstracts is not permitted.
AI-generated cover artwork may be considered only when the authors obtain prior permission from the Editor-in-Chief and publisher.
Authors must also ensure that all necessary intellectual property rights have been cleared and that appropriate attribution is provided.
Author Responsibility and Accountability
Authors remain fully responsible for the content, scientific accuracy, originality, and ethical integrity of their manuscripts.
The use of AI-assisted technologies does not reduce or transfer these responsibilities.
Author Responsibilities
- Verify the accuracy of AI-assisted content.
- Check the authenticity and accuracy of references.
- Prevent fabrication and falsification of data.
- Identify and correct inaccurate scientific claims.
- Evaluate potential biases introduced by AI-generated outputs.
- Ensure originality and avoid plagiarism.
- Protect confidential research information.
- Comply with copyright, licensing, and research ethics requirements.
Scientific Accountability: AI-generated outputs must not be treated as authoritative scientific evidence without independent verification. Fabricated references, unsupported conclusions, and misleading interpretations are unacceptable.
Submitting a manuscript generated entirely or substantially by AI without meaningful human intellectual contribution, oversight, or appropriate disclosure may constitute unethical publication conduct.
Use of AI in Peer Review
Peer reviewers must evaluate submitted manuscripts independently, objectively, and in accordance with the journal's confidentiality and publication ethics requirements.
Confidentiality Requirements
Reviewers must not upload unpublished manuscripts, figures, datasets, supplementary materials, or confidential editorial correspondence to public or unauthorized AI platforms.
Unauthorized disclosure of confidential manuscript information may violate the rights of authors and the confidentiality of peer review.
Permitted Supporting Use
Reviewers may use AI tools for limited non-content activities, such as improving the grammar or readability of their own review reports, provided that confidential information is not disclosed.
AI tools must not replace the reviewer's independent scholarly assessment, critical reasoning, or professional judgment.
Disclosure by Reviewers
Reviewers must disclose relevant AI assistance to the handling editor when preparing their review reports.
Reviewer Accountability: Reviewers remain personally responsible for the accuracy, fairness, and scientific quality of their reports and recommendations.
Sportify Journal reserves the right to disregard review reports produced through inappropriate AI use or in violation of confidentiality requirements.
Editorial Use of Artificial Intelligence
Editorial staff may use approved AI-assisted or automated technologies to support administrative and technical publishing tasks.
Permitted Editorial Activities
- Formatting and submission completeness checks.
- Language editing assistance.
- Technical screening.
- Similarity screening using appropriate software.
- Other administrative activities that do not compromise confidentiality.
Editorial staff must not upload confidential manuscript content or peer-review records to unauthorized AI services.
Human Editorial Decisions
Editorial Independence
Decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection must be made by qualified human editors.
AI-generated recommendations cannot replace independent editorial evaluation or the judgment of the Editor-in-Chief and handling editors.
All editorial decisions must remain consistent with the journal's peer-review procedures, publication ethics, and editorial standards.
Ethical Considerations and Bias Prevention
AI-assisted technologies must be used in ways that preserve scientific integrity, fairness, transparency, and responsible scholarship.
Authors, reviewers, and editors should remain aware of limitations associated with AI-generated outputs, including:
- Inaccurate or fabricated information.
- Algorithmic or representational bias.
- Unsupported scientific interpretations.
- Misleading descriptions or research conclusions.
- Inappropriate or offensive content.
- Confidentiality, privacy, or copyright risks.
AI-generated outputs must be critically evaluated by qualified human users before being incorporated into scholarly manuscripts, review reports, or editorial activities.
Human Oversight: AI tools may support scholarly activities, but their outputs require careful verification and appropriate human judgment.
Policy Violations and Consequences
Misuse of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies may constitute a violation of publication ethics.
Examples of Violations
- Fabrication or falsification of research data using AI.
- Creation of fabricated references or citations.
- Misrepresentation of AI-generated content as original research.
- Failure to disclose relevant AI assistance.
- Unauthorized disclosure of confidential manuscripts.
- Manipulation of scientific figures or images contrary to journal policy.
- Submission of misleading scientific conclusions generated without adequate human oversight.
Possible Editorial Actions
Depending on the nature and severity of a substantiated violation, Sportify Journal may:
- Request clarification or supporting documentation.
- Require revisions or corrections.
- Reject a manuscript under consideration.
- Publish a correction or expression of concern.
- Retract a published article where warranted.
- Notify relevant institutions when appropriate.
Allegations of misconduct will be evaluated in accordance with the journal's publication ethics procedures and relevant COPE guidance.
Authors or other parties concerned will be provided with an appropriate opportunity to respond to allegations before a final editorial determination is made.
Editorial Fairness: Actions will be based on the evidence available, the seriousness of the verified concern, and applicable publication ethics procedures.
Policy Review and Updates
Sportify Journal recognizes that artificial intelligence technologies and scholarly publishing standards continue to evolve.
The Editorial Team will periodically review this policy and introduce revisions when necessary to reflect developments in research integrity, confidentiality, publication ethics, and responsible AI use.
Substantial policy changes should be communicated through the journal's official website.
References and Supporting Guidelines
This policy is informed by principles and recommendations concerning responsible AI use in scholarly publishing.
- Elsevier. Generative AI Policies for Journals.
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Authorship and AI Tools.
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Guidance on AI in Peer Review.
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Artificial Intelligence and Fake Papers.
Policy Independence: These resources provide background guidance. Sportify Journal maintains its own editorial policy and does not claim institutional affiliation with the organizations listed.
