AI Policy
Journal of Qur’anic Legal Studies and Exegesis
Reviewed annually
1. Introduction
Journal of Qur’anic Legal Studies and Exegesis is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, and ethical publishing. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies presents both opportunities and ethical challenges in scholarly communication. This policy provides clear guidance on the responsible and transparent use of AI across all stages of manuscript preparation, peer review, and editorial decision-making. The journal affirms that AI may support academic work but cannot replace human intellectual responsibility, originality, and accountability.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all participants in the publication process, including authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members. It covers all forms of AI-assisted technologies, including large language models, text and image generators, translation tools, data analysis systems, and other automated or semi-automated tools used in research and writing.
3. Disclosure of AI Use
Transparency is a mandatory requirement. Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in manuscript preparation, clearly stating the name of the tool, its function, and the extent of human oversight. This disclosure must be included in the cover letter and within the manuscript, either in the Acknowledgments section (for language-related assistance) or in the Method section (for analytical or substantive use). Authors are responsible for ensuring that all AI-generated outputs are critically evaluated and verified.
4. Permitted and Prohibited Uses of AI
4.1 Permitted Uses
AI tools may be used for supportive purposes such as language editing, grammar checking, translation with human supervision, formatting references, and generating visualizations based on validated data. All uses must be transparently disclosed and must not compromise the originality or intellectual contribution of the work.
4.2 Prohibited Uses
AI systems must not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authors may not delegate intellectual responsibility to AI tools. The use of AI for data fabrication, falsification, manipulation of results, or generation of substantial manuscript content without disclosure and verification is strictly prohibited. Uploading confidential materials, including manuscripts or reviewer reports, to external AI systems that retain or reuse data is also prohibited. Any AI-generated content that introduces bias, misinformation, or unsupported claims is unacceptable.
5. Responsibilities of Authors
Authors bear full responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, and originality of their work, including any AI-assisted content. All AI-generated outputs must be reviewed, verified, and revised by the authors. Manuscripts must comply with the journal’s plagiarism and ethics policies. Authors must include one of the following statements:
- If AI tools were used:
“The authors used [Tool Name] for [specific purpose]. All outputs were reviewed and verified by the authors, who take full responsibility for the content.” - If no AI tools were used:
“No AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”
6. Peer Reviewers
Reviewers must maintain strict confidentiality and must not upload manuscript content to AI platforms. AI tools may only be used to improve the clarity of review comments and not for evaluative judgment. Any use of AI must be disclosed to the handling editor.
7. Editors and Editorial Board Members
Editors may use AI tools in limited ways to support editorial processes, such as plagiarism detection, metadata verification, and workflow management. However, all editorial decisions must be made solely by human judgment. Editors must ensure that AI use does not compromise confidentiality, fairness, or editorial independence.
8. Ethical Standards and Alignment
This policy aligns with international best practices in scholarly publishing and is guided by recommendations from COPE, STM Association, UNESCO, and major academic publishers. The journal emphasizes that AI must be used responsibly to support, not replace, academic rigor, ethical responsibility, and scholarly accountability.
9. Violations and Consequences
Violations of this policy may result in immediate rejection of the manuscript, retraction of published articles, notification to the author’s institution, and temporary or permanent restrictions on future submissions. The journal may also issue corrections or retraction notices when necessary.
10. Policy Review and Updates
This policy will be reviewed periodically to reflect advancements in AI technologies and evolving ethical standards in academic publishing.
References
COPE (2023). Guidance on AI and Ethics in Publishing.
Nature Editorial (2023). Tools such as ChatGPT Threaten Transparent Science.
UNESCO (2021). Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence.
Elsevier (2023). AI Policy for Authors and Reviewers.
STM Association (2023). Recommendations for Classification of AI Use.
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