Gen AI policies

Guidelines for Authors: The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation – An Overview

The Journal of Economics Education and Entrepreneurship recognizes the potential of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (hereafter "AI Tools"), when used responsibly, to help researchers work more efficiently, gain critical insights quickly, and achieve better outcomes. These tools, including AI agents and deep research tools, are increasingly assisting researchers in synthesizing complex literature, providing an overview of a field or research question, identifying research gaps, generating ideas, and offering tailored support for tasks such as content organization and improving language and readability.

Authors preparing a manuscript for the Journal of Economics Education and Entrepreneurship are permitted to use AI Tools as a support. However, these tools must never be used as a substitute for human critical thinking, expertise, and evaluation. AI Tools should always be applied with human oversight and control.

Ultimately, authors are fully responsible and accountable for the content of their work. This accountability includes:

  • Carefully reviewing and verifying the accuracy, completeness, and impartiality of all AI-generated output (including checking sources, as AI-generated references may be incorrect or fabricated).

  • Thoroughly editing and adapting all material to ensure the manuscript represents the author's authentic and original contribution and reflects their own analysis, interpretation, insights, and ideas.

  • Ensuring that the use of any tools or sources, AI-based or otherwise, is made clear and transparent to readers — for the use of AI Tools, a disclosure statement is required upon submission.

  • Ensuring that the manuscript is developed in a manner that safeguards data privacy, intellectual property, and other rights, by checking the terms and conditions of any AI Tool that is used.

 

Responsible use of AI Tools

Authors are required to review the terms and conditions of any AI Tool they intend to use. This is to ensure that the privacy and confidentiality of their data and inputs—including unpublished manuscripts—are properly protected. Special caution should be exercised when handling any personally identifiable information.

It is strictly prohibited to generate images that replicate or make reference to existing copyrighted images, real individuals, or identifiable products or brands belonging to others. Likewise, creating any likeness of a person's voice is not permitted. Authors are also responsible for checking the outputs of AI Tools for factual inaccuracies and potential bias.

Furthermore, authors must examine the terms and conditions of any AI Tool they plan to use. They must confirm that the AI Tool is granted only the right to use the submitted materials for the sole purpose of providing its service to the author. No additional rights to the materials entered into the AI Tool—such as the right to train the AI Tool on those materials—should be granted to the AI Tool.

In addition, authors must ensure that the AI Tool does not impose any restrictions on how its outputs may be used that could later hinder or prevent the publication of the resulting article.

 

Disclosure

When submitting a manuscript to the Journal of Economics Education and Entrepreneurship, authors must include a separate AI declaration statement disclosing any use of AI Tools in the preparation of their manuscript. This statement will also appear in the final published work.

In the declaration, authors should clearly document how AI Tools were used, including:

  • the name of the AI Tool,

  • the purpose of its use, and

  • the extent of human oversight applied.

Such transparency promotes trust among authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and other contributors. It also helps ensure compliance with the terms of use of the respective AI Tool.

Routine checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation do not require declaration. However, any use of AI in the broader research process must be declared and described in detail within the methods section of the manuscript.

 

Authorship

AI Tools must not be listed as authors, co-authors, or cited as authors in any manuscript submitted to the Journal of Economics Education and Entrepreneurship. Authorship entails responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and carried out by human beings.

Each (co-)author is accountable for ensuring that any concerns regarding the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are properly investigated and resolved. Authorship also requires the ability to approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission for publication.

Furthermore, authors are responsible for:

  • ensuring that the work is original and has not been published previously,

  • confirming that the listed authors genuinely qualify for authorship, and

  • guaranteeing that the work does not infringe upon any third-party rights.

Before submitting a manuscript, authors should familiarize themselves with the journal's Ethics in Publishing policy.

 

Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Tools in Figures, Images, and Artwork

The Journal of Economics Education and Entrepreneurship does not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or modify images in submitted manuscripts. Prohibited alterations include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing any specific feature within an image or figure. Simple adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are allowed, provided they do not hide or eliminate any information present in the original image. Submitted manuscripts may be screened using image forensics tools or specialized software to detect suspected irregularities in images.

Exception: The only circumstance in which such use is allowed is when AI or AI-assisted tools are part of the research design or research methods (for example, AI-assisted imaging approaches used to generate or interpret underlying research data, such as in biomedical imaging). In this case, the use must be described in a reproducible manner within the methods section. The description should include:

  • an explanation of how the AI or AI-assisted tools were used in creating or altering images,

  • the name of the model or tool, including version and extension numbers, and the manufacturer.

Authors must also follow the specific usage policies of the AI software and ensure proper content attribution. When requested, authors may be asked to provide pre-AI-adjusted versions of images and/or the composite raw images used to produce the final submitted versions, for editorial review.

Artwork and Graphical Abstracts: The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in producing artwork such as graphical abstracts is not permitted.

Cover Art: The use of generative AI in producing cover art may be allowed in certain cases, but only if the author obtains prior permission from both the journal editor and the publisher, can demonstrate that all necessary rights have been cleared for the use of the relevant material, and ensures correct content attribution.

 

For Reviewers: Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Journal Peer Review Process

When a researcher is invited to review a manuscript for the Journal of Economics Education and Entrepreneurship, that manuscript must be treated as a confidential document. Reviewers must not upload a submitted manuscript or any portion of it into a generative AI tool. Doing so may violate the authors' confidentiality and proprietary rights, and if the paper contains personally identifiable information, it may also breach data privacy protections.

This confidentiality obligation also extends to the peer review report itself, as the report may contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or its authors. Therefore, reviewers must not upload their peer review report into any AI tool, even for the sole purpose of improving language and readability.

Peer review is fundamental to the scientific ecosystem, and the journal adheres to the highest standards of integrity in this process. Reviewing a scientific manuscript carries responsibilities that can only be attributed to humans. Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies should not be used by reviewers to assist in the scientific evaluation of a paper. The critical thinking and original assessment required for peer review fall outside the capabilities of this technology, and there is a risk that the AI may produce incorrect, incomplete, or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The reviewer remains fully responsible and accountable for the content of their review report.

As stated in the journal's AI author policy, authors are permitted to use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies during manuscript preparation before submission, provided they do so with appropriate oversight and disclosure, following the instructions in the Guide for Authors. Reviewers can locate such disclosure statements at the end of the paper, in a separate section placed before the reference list.

It is important to note that the journal utilizes identity-protected AI-assisted technologies that conform to responsible AI principles (such as those used during the screening process to perform completeness and plagiarism checks, and to identify suitable reviewers). These in-house or licensed technologies respect author confidentiality. They are subject to rigorous bias evaluation and comply with data privacy and data security requirements.

The journal embraces new AI-driven technologies that support reviewers and editors in the editorial process, and continues to develop and adopt in-house or licensed technologies that respect the confidentiality and data privacy rights of authors, reviewers, and editors alike.

 

For Editors: Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Journal Editorial Process

A submitted manuscript must be treated as a confidential document. Editors of the Journal of Economics Education and Entrepreneurship must not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into a generative AI tool. Such action may violate the authors' confidentiality and proprietary rights, and if the paper contains personally identifiable information, it may also breach data privacy protections.

This confidentiality requirement extends to all communications regarding the manuscript, including any notification or decision letters, as these may contain confidential information about the manuscript and/or its authors. Consequently, editors must not upload their letters into any AI tool, even for the sole purpose of improving language and readability.

Peer review lies at the heart of the scientific ecosystem, and the journal adheres to the highest standards of integrity in this process. Managing the editorial evaluation of a scientific manuscript carries responsibilities that can only be attributed to humans. Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies must not be used by editors to assist in the evaluation or decision-making process for any manuscript. The critical thinking and original assessment required for editorial work fall outside the capabilities of this technology, and there is a risk that the AI may generate incorrect, incomplete, or biased conclusions about the manuscript. The editor remains fully responsible and accountable for the editorial process, the final decision, and all communications thereof to the authors.

As stated in the journal's AI author policy, authors are permitted to use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies during manuscript preparation prior to submission, provided they do so with appropriate oversight and disclosure, following the instructions in the Guide for Authors. Editors can locate such disclosure statements at the end of the paper, in a separate section placed before the reference list. If an editor suspects that an author or a reviewer has violated the journal's AI policies, they should inform the publisher.

It is important to note that the journal utilizes identity-protected AI-assisted technologies that conform to responsible AI principles (such as those used during the screening process to perform completeness and plagiarism checks, and to identify suitable reviewers). These in-house or licensed technologies respect author confidentiality. They are subject to rigorous bias evaluation and comply with data privacy and data security requirements.

The journal embraces new AI-driven technologies that support reviewers and editors in the editorial process, and continues to develop and adopt in-house or licensed technologies that respect the confidentiality and data privacy rights of authors, reviewers, and editors alike.