AI Policy

STAR Scholars Press recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), is transforming scholarly communication, research, education, and publishing. We welcome the responsible use of AI technologies to enhance research productivity, improve scholarly writing, facilitate accessibility, and accelerate knowledge dissemination while maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, transparency, originality, and ethical publishing.

This policy applies to all STAR Scholars Press publications, including journals, books, conference proceedings, reports, educational materials, and digital publications.

Guiding Principles

STAR Scholars Press supports AI technologies that:

  • Enhance scholarly productivity without replacing human intellectual contributions.
  • Improve language quality and accessibility.
  • Promote ethical, transparent, and responsible research practices.
  • Preserve academic integrity and originality.
  • Respect copyright, confidentiality, privacy, and intellectual property.
  • Maintain human accountability for all published content.

Authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers remain fully responsible for all work submitted and published through STAR Scholars Press.

Acceptable Uses of AI

Authors may responsibly use AI tools to assist with:

  • Grammar correction
  • Language editing
  • Translation
  • Improving readability
  • Formatting manuscripts
  • Brainstorming ideas
  • Literature exploration
  • Coding assistance
  • Statistical programming assistance
  • Data visualization
  • Figure preparation
  • Educational illustrations
  • Concept mapping
  • Workflow automation
  • Citation organization
  • Summarizing publicly available literature
  • Generating research questions
  • Developing outlines

Examples of AI tools include: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity AI, Scite, Elicit, Consensus, Grammarly, DeepL, GitHub Copilot, Midjourney, DALL·E, Adobe Firefly, RunwayNotebookLM, Other emerging AI technologies

Unacceptable Uses of AI

AI must not be used to replace the intellectual responsibilities of researchers.

The following practices are prohibited:

  • Submitting AI-generated manuscripts without substantial human authorship.
  • Listing AI as an author or co-author.
  • Fabricating data.
  • Fabricating citations or references.
  • Creating fictional experiments or participants.
  • Inventing statistical analyses.
  • Producing fake peer reviews.
  • Manipulating research findings.
  • Creating fraudulent images.
  • Altering research images in misleading ways.
  • Generating clinical or laboratory results.
  • Creating synthetic datasets without proper methodological disclosure.
  • Generating inaccurate abstracts or conclusions.
  • Concealing AI use.

Any manuscript found to contain fabricated or deceptive AI-generated content may be rejected, corrected, or retracted.

Author Responsibilities

Authors are fully responsible for:

  • Accuracy of all content
  • Originality
  • Scientific validity
  • Ethical compliance
  • Proper citation
  • Copyright compliance
  • Verification of every AI-generated statement
  • Final interpretation of results

Authors must carefully review, revise, and verify all AI-generated outputs before submission.

Use of AI never transfers responsibility from the author.

AI Disclosure Requirements

Transparency is essential.

Authors must disclose all substantive uses of AI in the manuscript.

Journal articles should include an AI Disclosure Statement before the References.

Book authors should include the disclosure in the Preface, Acknowledgments, or Introduction.

Example:

AI Disclosure Statement

Portions of this manuscript were developed with assistance from ChatGPT (OpenAI GPT-5.5) for language refinement, structural editing, and brainstorming. All intellectual content, analysis, interpretation, data verification, and final writing were completed and verified by the authors, who assume full responsibility for the manuscript.

Authors should identify:

  • AI tool used
  • Version (if available)
  • Purpose of use
  • Extent of use

Authorship

Artificial Intelligence systems are not authors.

AI tools cannot:

  • Accept responsibility
  • Approve manuscripts
  • Sign publishing agreements
  • Hold copyright
  • Declare conflicts of interest

Only humans meeting accepted authorship criteria may be listed as authors.

Images, Figures, and Illustrations

AI-generated conceptual illustrations, educational diagrams, cover art, and graphical abstracts are permitted when clearly disclosed.

However, AI may not be used to:

  • Alter scientific images
  • Modify microscopy images
  • Manipulate radiological images
  • Change diagnostic images
  • Alter laboratory results
  • Modify clinical photographs
  • Create misleading figures

Any AI-generated visual must be identified appropriately.

Research Data

Researchers remain responsible for:

  • Data collection
  • Data integrity
  • Statistical analyses
  • Interpretation
  • Reproducibility

AI must never fabricate or replace authentic research data.

Synthetic data may only be used when scientifically justified and fully disclosed.

Books

Book authors should inform their acquisitions editor whenever AI will play a substantial role during manuscript development. STAR Scholars Press reserves the right to request additional information regarding AI use before publication.

Editors

Editors must maintain strict confidentiality. Editors shall not upload unpublished manuscripts or confidential editorial materials into public AI systems unless expressly authorized and appropriate safeguards are in place.

Editors may use AI only for limited administrative purposes, such as:

  • Language refinement
  • Workflow management
  • Meeting summaries
  • Scheduling
  • Routine editorial communications

Editorial decisions must always be made by human editors.

Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers must maintain confidentiality. Reviewers shall not upload unpublished manuscripts, proposals, figures, datasets, or supplementary files into public AI systems.

AI must not generate peer review reports. Reviewers may use AI only for minor language editing of reviews while retaining complete responsibility for their evaluations.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that AI-generated material does not violate:

  • Copyright
  • Licensing agreements
  • Privacy rights
  • Intellectual property laws

Authors should avoid using AI systems that may retain or reuse confidential research materials without appropriate safeguards.

Research Integrity

STAR Scholars Press follows international publication ethics standards, including guidance from COPE, ICMJE, and other recognized scholarly organizations.

Misuse of AI may constitute research misconduct.

Examples include:

  • Fabrication
  • Falsification
  • Plagiarism
  • Misrepresentation
  • Undisclosed AI authorship
  • Citation manipulation

Such cases may result in manuscript rejection, publication correction, retraction, notification of affiliated institutions, or other editorial actions.

Continuous Review

Artificial Intelligence technologies are evolving rapidly.

STAR Scholars Press will periodically review and update this policy to reflect advances in AI, publishing ethics, legal requirements, and scholarly best practices.

AI Disclosure Template

Authors may use the following statement:

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure: The authors used [AI Tool Name] for [purpose, e.g., language editing, brainstorming, coding assistance, literature organization, figure preparation]. All research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, writing, and final approval were performed and verified by the authors. The authors accept full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the published work.

STAR Scholars Press
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Version 1.0 | Effective June 2024

This policy is intended to foster innovation while preserving the principles of academic integrity, transparency, accountability, and excellence in scholarly publishing.