ULIPOD adheres to the core principles of academic publishing: transparency, integrity, accountability, confidentiality, fairness, and human oversight. The use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools in scientific processes is only acceptable when it complies with these ethical values, is limited in scope, and remains under human responsibility.
This policy applies to all stakeholders involved in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and contributors of data or visual content.

1. Guidelines for Authors

Acceptable Uses:
• Using GAI for spelling, grammar, language improvement, and clarity enhancement.
• Utilizing GAI for idea generation, title suggestions, or abstract outlining.
• Employing GAI tools for basic coding or data visualization, provided that the output is critically reviewed and revised by the author.
• Organizing and summarizing existing literature.
• Creating conceptual or illustrative diagrams and visuals, with clear attribution beneath each figure.
Unacceptable Uses:
• Generating core manuscript sections (e.g., abstract, introduction, methodology, findings, discussion, or conclusion) entirely using GAI tools.
• Delegating the development of arguments, analysis, or conclusions to GAI tools.
• Producing fabricated or unverifiable sources or references via GAI.
• Creating misleading figures, artificial tables, or synthetic data using GAI.
• Using raw GAI outputs in the manuscript without human review and revision.

2. Declaration Requirement

• Authors must disclose any use of GAI in the "Contribution Rates and Conflicts of Interest" section at the end of the manuscript.
• The declaration must include:
• The name and version of the tool used
• The purpose of use (e.g., “language editing only”)
• An explanation of how the author reviewed or modified the output
• Failure to disclose or misrepresenting the use of GAI may result in rejection, retraction, or disqualification from future submissions.

3. Guidelines for Editors

• Editors may not upload any confidential materials (manuscripts, data, peer reviews) to GAI systems.
• GAI tools may only be used under editorial supervision for non-content-generating tasks such as format or language checks.
• Author declarations on GAI use must be reviewed carefully. If inconsistencies arise, editors must seek clarification or pause the editorial process.

4. Guidelines for Reviewers

• Reviewers must base their evaluations entirely on their own academic expertise and insights.
• Review reports must not be generated, edited, or paraphrased using GAI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Copilot.
• Reviewers are prohibited from uploading manuscript content to any GAI system, as this constitutes a breach of confidentiality.
• If a reviewer suspects undeclared use of GAI by authors, they should report the issue to the editors objectively.
• Reviewers who violate these rules may be removed from the reviewer pool.

5. Use of GAI in Visuals, Graphics, and Tables

• GAI-generated visuals, figures, or tables are permitted for illustrative purposes.
• Such materials must accurately reflect scientific data and uphold academic integrity.
• The name of the GAI tool and purpose of its use must be clearly indicated below each GAI-generated visual.
• Visuals that distort or misrepresent real data are strictly prohibited.

6. Ethical Core Values

ULIPOD’s GAI policy is guided by internationally recognized principles of academic publishing. These values include:
• Transparency: GAI use must be openly disclosed.
• Integrity: Authors are responsible for the authenticity and accuracy of all content.
• Scientific Rigor: GAI must not compromise methodological soundness.
• Fairness and Respect: Acknowledging the contributions of others and respecting scientific ethics.
• Confidentiality and Privacy: Ensuring secure handling of all submission-related content.
• Accountability: Authors and reviewers remain responsible for any use of GAI.
• Contribution to an Ethical Scholarly Environment: Supporting responsible knowledge production.

7. Violations and Sanctions

For authors:
• Omission or misrepresentation of GAI use may result in rejection, required revision, retraction, or a future submission ban.
For reviewers/editors:
• Breaches of confidentiality or the use of GAI in review content may result in dismissal and, if necessary, institutional notification.

8. Policy Review and Updates

• This policy will be reviewed at least once per year in response to developments in GAI technologies and publication ethics.