The editorial board of Journal of Food Technology Research (JFTR) acknowledges the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in scholarly publishing. As generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others become more widely available, it is crucial to address their benefits while upholding ethical standards. This policy defines JFTR’s official stance on the use of AI by authors, reviewers, and editorial staff. It aligns with the ethical frameworks provided by Elsevier and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Authors may use AI tools to assist in manuscript preparation, provided the use is transparent, responsible, and ethical. These tools may be employed for purposes such as language refinement, grammar correction, or formatting of references. However, AI should not be used to generate original scientific content or to interpret research findings.
Authors are fully responsible for the entire content of their manuscripts, including sections generated with the help of AI tools. Under no circumstances should AI tools be listed as authors. According to COPE’s 2023 position statement, authorship requires accountability, informed consent, and intellectual contribution—qualities AI tools do not possess. Therefore, all listed authors must be human individuals who meet established authorship criteria.
All uses of AI tools must be clearly disclosed in manuscript submissions. This includes tools used for text generation, image creation, data analysis, programming support, or translation. Disclosures should be provided in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript and must specify the name and version of the AI tool, along with the purpose of its use.
Example disclosure:
“The author(s) used OpenAI’s ChatGPT (version May 2024) to improve the clarity and grammar of the Introduction section. All content was reviewed and verified by the authors.”
Failure to disclose AI usage may be considered a breach of publishing ethics and may result in rejection, correction, or retraction of the article.
Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their work, regardless of the involvement of AI tools. They must carefully review all AI-generated content to ensure that it does not contain factual inaccuracies, fabricated data, hallucinated references, biased interpretations, or plagiarized material.
Submissions that are entirely or substantially AI-generated, without proper disclosure or human oversight, will be considered unethical and handled accordingly under JFTR’s editorial policies and COPE guidelines.
JFTR expects peer reviewers to conduct reviews with scholarly rigor, ethical integrity, and confidentiality. Reviewers are not permitted to input manuscript content into AI platforms unless explicitly authorized by the editorial office, as this could compromise confidentiality.
If a reviewer chooses to use AI tools for non-confidential purposes—such as improving the grammar of their own written comments—they must ensure that no private manuscript content is shared and must inform the editor of such use. Reviews that rely heavily on AI-generated content without permission may be rejected.
Editorial staff at JFTR may utilize AI tools for administrative or non-decision-making functions, such as detecting plagiarism, checking formatting, and refining grammar. However, editorial decisions, including acceptance or rejection of submissions, will be made solely by qualified human editors to preserve accountability and ethical oversight.
All stakeholders must ensure that AI tools do not introduce bias, ethical violations, or offensive content. Authors are encouraged to critically evaluate AI outputs and to avoid over-reliance on these tools, particularly for tasks that require domain expertise or nuanced academic judgment.
Any attempt to misrepresent AI-generated content as original work, fabricate references or data using AI, or omit disclosure of AI usage will be treated as a breach of ethical publishing standards. JFTR reserves the right to:
All such cases will be investigated in accordance with COPE’s procedures for handling misconduct.
This AI policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as necessary to reflect advancements in technology and evolving best practices in academic publishing. JFTR is committed to encouraging responsible innovation while upholding the integrity and quality of scholarly communication.
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