Mebadi follows the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines regarding the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation. Authorship entails responsibilities that only humans can fulfill, and authors are accountable for the originality and integrity of their work.

AI tools may be used for language editing; however, their use must be explicitly acknowledged in the manuscript. AI cannot be listed as an author, as authorship requires intellectual contributions, critical reasoning, and accountability—elements that AI cannot provide. Maintaining these standards is essential to preserving the quality and originality of published research.

GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) USE POLICY

Mebadi supports transparency, accountability, and ethical standards in the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools during manuscript preparation. This policy is aligned with international publication ethics guidelines, including those of COPE, ICMJE, and WAME.

1. Use of AI Tools in Manuscript Preparation

Authors may use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) to support tasks such as language editing, improving clarity and structure, organizing ideas, or summarizing literature. However, AI tools must not replace human judgment, scientific reasoning, or interpretation.

Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content generated or supported by AI tools. All AI-assisted content must be carefully reviewed and validated by the authors before submission.

Basic grammar and spelling checks do not require disclosure. Any AI use beyond basic language editing—such as literature synthesis, data processing, analysis, or content generation—must be transparently declared.

2. Disclosure Requirements

Any use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools must be disclosed at the time of submission. An AI Disclosure Statement must be included in the manuscript, specifying:

• The name and version of the AI tool used
  • The purpose of use (e.g., language editing, literature summarization)
  • The extent of human oversight and verification

If AI tools are used in research design, data analysis, or data generation, this must be clearly described in the Methods section.

3. Authorship and Accountability

Authorship implies human intellectual contribution, responsibility, and accountability. AI tools cannot meet authorship criteria and must not be listed as authors or co-authors.

All listed authors must comply with ICMJE authorship criterias and remain fully accountable for the conceptualization, data analysis, interpretation, and final approval of the manuscript. AI tools may be acknowledged for language or technical assistance but cannot be credited as authors.

4. Use of AI Tools in Figures and Images

The journal does not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create, modify, enhance, or fabricate scientific figures or images.

Permitted image adjustments are limited to standard, transparent modifications (e.g., brightness, contrast, color balance) that do not alter or obscure original data.

AI-generated or AI-modified images are only acceptable if the use of AI is an essential and validated part of the study’s methodology. In such cases, authors must:

• Clearly describe the AI tools and methods used (tool name, model version, developer, parameters)
  • Provide raw, unprocessed data upon editorial request

AI-generated artwork, graphical abstracts, cover images, or visual materials are not permitted without prior written approval from the editorial office.

5. Copyright, Ethics, and Responsibility

Authors must ensure that the use of AI tools complies with data privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual property regulations. AI tools must not claim ownership of submitted materials or restrict publication rights.

Any approved AI-generated content must be clearly labeled as “AI-generated” in the relevant captions or descriptions. Authors bear full responsibility for the ethical and legal compliance of all submitted materials.