KMUJ POLICY ON THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND GENERATIVE AI TOOLS

 

Purpose

Khyber Medical University Journal (KMUJ) supports the ethical and transparent use of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI tools, in scholarly research and publishing. This policy aligns with the best international practices proposed by the STM Association, COPE and the ICMJE, emphasizing human accountability, integrity and confidentiality throughout the publication process.

 

Use of AI by Authors

  • Authors may use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Grammarly, or similar) only as basic aids for improving language, grammar, or formatting.
  • The use of AI tools must not extend to generating, altering, or fabricating research data, results, images, or analyses.
  • AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors, as accountability for the manuscript rests solely with the human contributors.
  • Any substantive use of AI (beyond language editing) must be explicitly disclosed in the manuscript under a subheading “Use of Artificial Intelligence” within the Acknowledgment or Methodology section.
  • Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality and integrity of all content generated or modified with AI assistance.

 

Use of AI by Editors and Reviewers

  • Editorial teams must not upload submitted manuscripts or reviewer comments to public or non-secure AI platforms due to risks of privacy and confidentiality breaches.
  • Any use of AI-assisted tools for similarity checks, image screening, or metadata analysis must involve secure, validated systems approved by KMUJ.
  • Reviewers must not use AI tools to generate, summarize, or edit peer review reports. Manuscripts under review should never be entered into publicly accessible AI systems.

 

Disclosure and Accountability

  • Authors must describe the extent and purpose of AI tool usage, naming the tool, version and the function it served. Example:
    “Portions of the language editing in this manuscript were assisted using ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025); the authors reviewed and verified all content generated.”
  • Failure to disclose significant AI involvement may be considered a breach of publication ethics and handled according to KMUJ’s Research and Publication Ethics Policy.

 

Data, Privacy and Intellectual Property

  • Authors must ensure that no confidential, proprietary, or patient-identifiable information is entered into public AI systems.
  • Use of AI tools must comply with data protection, copyright and institutional ethics standards.
  • Authors are solely accountable for ensuring that AI usage does not infringe intellectual property rights.

 

Publisher Commitment

KMUJ encourages AI literacy while discouraging AI dependence. The journal may use AI-assisted tools internally (e.g., plagiarism detection, language screening) under human supervision, ensuring privacy, accuracy and fairness.

 

Guiding Principles

This policy is informed by: