AI Use Policy

1. Relationship to Publication Ethics Policy

This Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an extension of and must be read in conjunction with the journal's Publication Ethics Policy.

Publication Ethics Policy

All ethical principles, definitions of misconduct, investigation procedures, and enforcement measures described in the Publication Ethics Policy apply equally to the use of AI tools.

2. Purpose of the Policy

The International Journal of Security Sciences (IJSS) recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used in security research, cybersecurity investigations, digital forensics, crime analysis, intelligence processing, surveillance systems, risk assessment, software development, and scholarly communication.

This policy aims to:

  • Encourage responsible and transparent use of AI technologies
  • Protect the integrity of security-related research and evidence
  • Prevent fabrication, manipulation, or misrepresentation of research findings
  • Ensure accountability for all published content
  • Maintain trust in scholarly communication within the security sciences community

3. Scope and Applicability

This policy applies to:

  • All manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Security Sciences (IJSS)
  • All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial board members
  • All stages of the editorial, peer review, and publication process

4. Definition of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

For the purposes of this policy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) includes computational systems capable of generating, analyzing, modifying, or assisting with content, data, software, images, audio, video, or other research outputs.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Large Language Models (LLMs) used for writing, summarization, translation, or code generation
  • Machine learning systems used for prediction, classification, anomaly detection, or pattern recognition
  • AI-based image, audio, and video generation or enhancement tools
  • Automated software development and code-assistance systems
  • AI-assisted cybersecurity, digital forensic, intelligence, and surveillance analysis tools

5. Core Principles

  • Human Responsibility: Authors remain fully responsible for all submitted content.
  • Transparency: Significant use of AI tools must be disclosed.
  • Accuracy: Authors must independently verify all AI-assisted outputs.
  • Originality: AI tools must not replace scholarly contribution or critical analysis.
  • Integrity: AI must not be used to fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or misrepresent research findings.

AI systems cannot be listed as authors and cannot assume responsibility for scholarly work.

6. Policy for Authors

6.1 Acceptable Uses of AI

Authors may use AI tools for limited and supportive purposes, including:

  • Language editing, grammar correction, and readability improvement
  • Formatting manuscripts and references
  • Programming assistance and code debugging
  • Data visualization and exploratory analysis
  • Translation and transcription support
  • Assistance with literature organization and information retrieval

Authors are responsible for reviewing, validating, and correcting all AI-assisted outputs before submission.

6.2 Prohibited Uses of AI

The following practices are not permitted:

  • Fabricating or falsifying data, results, experiments, observations, or evidence
  • Generating fictitious cyber incidents, threat intelligence, vulnerability reports, security assessments, or investigative findings
  • Creating non-existent references, citations, legal authorities, regulations, standards, or source material
  • Manipulating security datasets, forensic artifacts, surveillance images, audio recordings, videos, or digital evidence without explicit disclosure
  • Submitting AI-generated content as original scholarly work without meaningful human contribution
  • Using AI tools to conceal plagiarism, duplicate publication, or research misconduct
  • Presenting AI-generated conclusions as independently verified research findings when no such verification has occurred

Such practices may constitute research misconduct and may result in rejection, correction, retraction, or other editorial action.

6.3 Disclosure of AI Use

Where AI tools have made a significant contribution to manuscript preparation or research activities, authors must disclose such use in an AI Usage Statement.

The statement should include:

  • Name of the AI tool(s) used
  • Purpose of use
  • Extent of AI involvement
  • Confirmation that all outputs were reviewed and verified by the authors
"AI-based tools were used for language refinement and formatting assistance only. The authors reviewed and verified all outputs and accept full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript."

7. Policy for Reviewers

  • Reviewers must not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished data into public AI systems.
  • Reviewers remain responsible for all recommendations and comments provided during peer review.
  • Confidentiality obligations apply regardless of any AI assistance used.

8. Policy for Editors

  • Editors may use AI tools for administrative support, workflow assistance, and preliminary screening.
  • Editorial decisions must always be made by human editors.
  • Editors must ensure that confidentiality and research integrity are maintained when using AI-assisted tools.

9. Detection and Investigation

The journal reserves the right to investigate suspected misuse of AI technologies.

Investigations may involve editorial review, requests for clarification, examination of supporting materials, similarity analysis, image analysis, forensic review, or consultation with independent experts.

10. Violations of the Policy

Failure to comply with this policy may result in:

  • Manuscript rejection
  • Withdrawal of submitted manuscripts
  • Publication of corrections or retractions
  • Notification of institutions or funding agencies where appropriate
  • Temporary or permanent restrictions on future submissions

11. Policy Review and Updates

As AI technologies continue to evolve, the International Journal of Security Sciences (IJSS) may revise this policy to reflect emerging best practices, technological developments, and ethical standards.

12. Final Statement

The International Journal of Security Sciences (IJSS) supports responsible innovation and the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence while maintaining the highest standards of research integrity, transparency, accountability, and scientific rigor.

Appropriate use of AI can strengthen security research and scholarly communication when accompanied by proper human oversight, verification, and disclosure.