AI Guidelines

1. Introduction and Scope

Environmental and Agriculture Management (EAM) recognizes the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to support scientific research, manuscript preparation, and scholarly communication. The journal encourages the responsible use of AI technologies while upholding the principles of research integrity, transparency, accountability, and editorial independence.

This policy applies to all authors, peer reviewers, editors, and editorial staff involved in the journal's publication process. It covers generative AI and other AI-assisted technologies used for producing, modifying, analyzing, or evaluating scholarly content.

AI technologies must support, rather than replace, human expertise and professional judgment. All parties remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, confidentiality, and ethical integrity of their work.

2. AI Use by Authors

Authors may use AI-assisted technologies to support manuscript preparation, language improvement, literature exploration, data analysis, and scientific visualization, provided that their use is transparent, scientifically justified, and consistent with research ethics.

Authors are fully responsible for verifying all AI-assisted content, including factual statements, references, analytical results, and interpretations. AI-generated outputs must be critically evaluated for accuracy, relevance, potential bias, and originality before inclusion in a manuscript.

Routine spelling, grammar, and formatting assistance is permitted without a formal AI disclosure. However, substantive AI assistance in generating or restructuring scientific content, developing interpretations, conducting analyses, or producing research materials must be disclosed.

AI technologies must not be used to fabricate findings, misrepresent research outcomes, generate fictitious references, or substitute for essential scientific reasoning and critical evaluation.

3. AI Disclosure and Transparency

Authors must disclose substantive use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies during manuscript preparation or research.

The disclosure must identify the AI tool, its purpose, and the extent of its contribution. Authors should provide this information during manuscript submission and include a declaration in the manuscript under the heading "Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies."

When AI technologies are used for data collection, processing, analysis, modeling, or figure generation as part of the research methodology, their application must also be described in the Materials and Methods section with sufficient detail to support reproducibility.

Authors must retain appropriate documentation of substantive AI use and provide additional information when reasonably requested by the editorial team.

Failure to disclose relevant AI use may result in requests for clarification, manuscript revision, or further editorial action.

4. AI Authorship and Accountability

AI tools, chatbots, large language models, and other automated systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot fulfill the responsibilities associated with scholarly authorship.

Authorship is reserved for individuals who meet the journal's authorship criteria and can take responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and ethical compliance of the published work.

Authors must not identify AI-generated outputs as independent scholarly sources or cite AI tools as authoritative substitutes for verifiable scientific literature.

All listed authors remain accountable for the manuscript's entire content, including text, analyses, figures, and other materials prepared with AI assistance.

5. AI-Generated Content, Images, and Research Data

AI-assisted content must accurately represent the underlying scientific evidence. Authors must ensure that AI-generated text, references, tables, and visual materials do not contain fabricated information, misleading interpretations, or unacknowledged material from existing sources.

AI-generated conceptual illustrations, graphical abstracts, and explanatory diagrams may be used when scientifically appropriate, clearly identified, and adequately disclosed.

AI technologies must not be used to fabricate or deceptively manipulate research photographs, microscopy images, satellite observations, experimental records, or other primary research evidence.

When AI-based methods are used for legitimate scientific image processing, classification, modeling, or data visualization, authors must describe the procedures, validation methods, and relevant limitations. Original research data and supporting materials should be retained for editorial verification when necessary.

All AI-assisted materials must comply with the journal's standards for research integrity, reproducibility, and accurate scientific reporting.

6. AI Use by Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers must exercise independent scientific judgment when evaluating manuscripts. Generative AI must not be used to produce substantive peer-review assessments or replace reviewers' professional expertise.

Submitted manuscripts, supplementary materials, unpublished findings, and confidential review information must not be uploaded to external AI services without prior authorization from the journal and appropriate confidentiality safeguards.

Limited AI-assisted language editing of review reports may be permitted, provided that confidentiality is maintained and the use is disclosed to the handling editor.

Reviewers remain solely responsible for the accuracy, fairness, originality, and scientific validity of their assessments. These requirements complement the journal's Peer Review Process and Policy.

7. AI Use by Editors

Editors may use AI-assisted technologies for appropriate administrative or language-related tasks, provided that confidentiality, data protection, and editorial independence are maintained.

AI must not independently assess the scientific merit of submitted manuscripts, generate substantive editorial evaluations, or determine decisions concerning acceptance, revision, or rejection.

Editors must not submit confidential manuscripts, reviewer reports, or unpublished research materials to external AI systems without appropriate authorization and safeguards.

Any routine use of AI or automated tools in editorial workflows must be subject to human oversight, appropriate validation, and transparent communication where relevant. Final editorial decisions remain the responsibility of qualified human editors.

8. Confidentiality, Copyright, and Data Protection

All users of AI technologies must respect confidentiality, intellectual property rights, copyright, licensing conditions, and applicable data protection requirements.

Authors, reviewers, and editors must carefully consider the privacy policies and terms of use of AI services before entering unpublished research, confidential documents, personal information, or sensitive datasets.

AI-generated or AI-assisted content must not infringe third-party rights, reproduce protected materials without appropriate permission, or compromise the ownership and licensing arrangements applicable to submitted manuscripts.

Authors remain responsible for obtaining necessary permissions and ensuring that AI-assisted materials comply with the journal's Copyright and Licensing Policy.

9. Non-Compliance and Editorial Actions

The journal reserves the right to investigate suspected misuse of AI technologies, including undisclosed substantive AI assistance, fabricated references, manipulated research evidence, plagiarism, and breaches of confidentiality.

When concerns arise, the editorial team may request explanations, original data, supporting documentation, or revised materials. Allegations will be evaluated fairly and proportionately, with reference to relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Automated AI-detection results must not serve as the sole basis for allegations of misconduct or editorial rejection. Any concerns identified through automated screening must be independently evaluated by qualified editorial personnel.

Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, editorial actions may include requests for correction, manuscript rejection, withdrawal of a submission, or post-publication correction or retraction where warranted.

Environmental and Agriculture Management is committed to reviewing this policy as AI technologies and scholarly publishing standards evolve, ensuring that technological innovation remains consistent with scientific integrity, transparency, and responsible editorial practice.