Artificial Intelligence Policy

Core Principles & Human Oversight

TrippleE Research Academy acknowledges the role of generative AI and automated tools in streamlining research workflows, such as literature synthesis, formatting, and language refinement. However, AI tools cannot replace human scholarly evaluation, critical analysis, or expert judgment. AI technologies must function strictly under direct human supervision. Authors remain fully accountable for the integrity, accuracy, and original insight of their submitted work.

Guidelines for authors

1. Author Responsibilities
When utilizing AI-assisted tools, authors must ensure:

Factual Verification: All outputs, data, and citations are thoroughly vetted. AI-generated references are prone to hallucination or error and must be manually verified.

Originality & Ownership: The manuscript reflects the authors' genuine synthesis and intellect. AI outputs must be adapted and integrated as supporting tools rather than primary authorial contributions.

Data Privacy & IP Protection: Manuscripts containing unpublished data, personal identifiers, or sensitive public health information must not be uploaded to AI platforms that use inputs for model training or retain proprietary rights over user content.

Ethical Compliance: The tool's terms of service do not compromise intellectual property rights or place legal restrictions on the subsequent publication of the manuscript.

2. Disclosure & Transparency
To maintain academic transparency:

Mandatory Declaration: Authors using generative AI or AI-assisted tools during manuscript preparation must include an AI Disclosure Statement upon submission.

Required Details: The declaration must specify the name/version of the tool used, the exact nature and scope of its application, and how human oversight was maintained.

Exclusions: Standard spelling, grammar, and punctuation tools do not require disclosure.

3. AI Disclosure Statement Template
"During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [Tool Name/Version] to [describe specific task, e.g., improve readability or structure text]. The author(s) subsequently reviewed, verified, and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the final publication."

4. Policy on AI Use in Figures, Images & Artwork

TrippleE Research Academy permits the use of AI tools for visual elements only under strict, defined conditions. Image content is categorized into three distinct types, each with specific compliance requirements:

(i) Explanatory & Conceptual Diagrams
Scope: Conceptual illustrations, flowcharts, decision trees, timelines, and experimental workflows.
Policy: Authors may utilize AI tools to assist in creating explanatory graphics.
Requirements: Any AI assistance must be explicitly disclosed within the figure caption (detailing tool name, version, and usage details) as well as the main AI Disclosure Statement.

(ii) Research & Data Visualizations
Scope: Analytical or statistical graphical outputs derived from underlying datasets (e.g., plots, heatmaps, charts).
Policy: AI assistance is allowed only when the output directly and accurately reflects authentic underlying data via reproducible workflows.

Restrictions & Integrity:
* AI must never be used to fabricate, alter, or manipulate research data or findings.
* AI-assisted data tools/models, versions, and software developers must be documented in the Methods section.
* Authors must retain original, unprocessed datasets and may be requested to submit raw source files during editorial review.

(iii) Primary Research Images
Scope: Direct physical, observational, or clinical evidence (e.g., patient imagery, radiology scans, microscopy, histology, western blots).
Policy: Generative AI manipulation, synthesis, or enhancement of primary research images is strictly prohibited to preserve scientific fidelity and patient privacy.

5. Author Responsibilities for Image Integrity
Authors hold ultimate accountability for the authenticity, precision, and legal compliance of all submitted visual elements.
Authenticity & Rights Clearance: Submitted graphics must represent original work. Any figures incorporating pre-existing artwork or intellectual property require formal copyright clearance and proper attribution prior to submission.

Copyright & Privacy Protections: Generative AI tools must never be used to replicate copyrighted visual materials, real individuals, proprietary products, trademarked branding, or synthetic audio/voice likenesses.
For additional guidelines on ethical AI deployment, please refer to the Responsible Use of AI Tools section.

Guidelines for reviewers

Policy on AI Use in Peer Review
TrippleE Research Academy prioritizes rigor and confidentiality across the evaluation process. Submitted manuscripts are strictly confidential documents; reviewers are personally accountable for evaluating research and providing unbiased critical assessment.

1. Confidentiality & Data Privacy
Prohibition on Public Uploads: Reviewers must never upload manuscripts, data, or personal details into public, non-secure AI platforms. Doing so compromises author confidentiality, intellectual property, and privacy rights.

Requirement for Private AI Tools: AI technology may only assist in evaluation if it qualifies as a private tool—defined as a secure service (e.g., enterprise or locally hosted models) that does not retain, store, train on, or share submitted content.

2. Permitted Uses & Oversight
Supportive Function Only: Reviewers may use secure AI tools solely for auxiliary tasks, such as enhancing language clarity, structuring reports, or conducting background literature searches.
Human Judgment: AI models must not substitute for independent peer evaluation. Reviewers maintain total responsibility for the accuracy and objectivity of their reports.

3. Disclosure Requirements
Reviewers using AI assistance beyond standard spelling and grammar checks must include a statement in their evaluation report detailing the tool used and its specific purpose.

Sample Reviewer Disclosure Statement:
"During the preparation of this evaluation, I utilized [Tool Name/Version] to [describe function, e.g., improve text structure]. I independently verified, edited, and validated all assessments and accept full responsibility for the contents of this report."

4. Verifying Secure AI Deployment
Before using an AI service for peer review tasks, reviewers must confirm:
Terms & Retention Policies: Ensure the privacy terms explicitly state that inputs are deleted after processing and not used to train the model.

Enterprise vs. Free Tools: Standard, free AI platforms typically lack privacy guarantees. Reviewers should favour institutional, enterprise-grade, or locally hosted solutions.

Guidelines for editors

Policy on AI Use in the Editorial Process
Academic editors safeguard the journal’s standards and integrity. Managing the evaluation and selection of scientific manuscripts requires human critical analysis, nuanced judgment, and decision-making that cannot be delegated to automated systems.

1. Confidentiality & Privacy
Strict Upload Restrictions: Editors must never upload submitted manuscripts, research data, or author information into public or non-secure AI platforms. Unrestricted uploads risk violating author confidentiality, intellectual property rights, and data privacy regulations.
Mandatory Private AI Tools: Any AI service utilized in the editorial workflow must qualify as a secure, private tool that guarantees inputs are not retained, shared, or used to train public machine learning models.

2. Permitted Editorial Use
Supportive Capacity Only: Editors may use secure AI tools solely for auxiliary editorial tasks, such as refining the tone and clarity of editorial correspondence or conducting contextual literature searches.
Editorial Accountability: Final decision-making, manuscript evaluations, and author communications remain solely the responsibility of the assigned editor. AI tools must not determine or generate editorial decisions.

3. Author Transparency
TrippleE Research Academy informs authors via the “Guide for Authors and editorial correspondence” that secure AI tools may be used in a supportive capacity during the editorial handling of their submissions.

Statement on Governance & Ethical AI Standards

TrippleE Research Academy is committed to keeping human oversight at the core of all scholarly decision-making. AI technologies serve strictly as supportive mechanisms to assist our expert editors and reviewers in making informed, evidence-based evaluations. To uphold research integrity, all AI tools deployed within our workflows adhere to the TrippleE Research Academy Ethical AI Governance Framework. This ensures all systems undergo continuous bias evaluation, maintain strict scientific neutrality, and fully comply with global data privacy and security standards.