Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Linguistic Exploration recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI and large language models (LLMs), may support various aspects of academic research, language analysis, manuscript preparation, and scholarly communication.

The journal permits responsible use of AI-assisted tools where such use is transparent, appropriate to the research purpose, and consistent with academic integrity.

AI tools must not replace human scholarly judgment, independent critical analysis, or the responsibilities of authors, reviewers, and editors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, validity, and integrity of all submitted content, including material generated or modified with AI assistance.

The journal distinguishes between routine language assistance and substantive AI involvement in research or manuscript production. Disclosure requirements depend on the nature and extent of the use.

AI-assisted technologies may include, but are not limited to:

- Large language models and generative AI chatbots;

- AI-based writing, editing, translation, and paraphrasing tools;

- Automated transcription and speech recognition systems;

- AI-assisted corpus analysis, text classification, and linguistic annotation tools;

- Machine translation and multilingual language processing systems;

- AI-based data analysis, coding, and statistical assistance tools;

- Automated image, audio, video, and figure generation or modification tools; and

- Other AI systems used in research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, or manuscript preparation.

The use of an AI tool must be evaluated according to its actual function in the research process rather than its product name or commercial category.

Permitted Uses of AI

Authors may use AI tools for appropriate and limited assistance, including:

- Correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure;

- Improving language clarity, readability, and academic expression;

- Translating text for communication or manuscript preparation;

- Organizing notes, outlining sections, or improving manuscript structure;

- Assisting with coding, programming, or technical tasks;

- Supporting preliminary literature exploration or information organization;

- Assisting with transcription, translation, or preliminary annotation of linguistic materials; and

- Supporting data processing or analysis when the procedures are scientifically justified and adequately validated.

Such use is acceptable only when authors independently verify the outputs and retain responsibility for the scholarly content and conclusions.

The use of AI for routine spelling, grammar checking, and basic language correction, without generating or substantially rewriting scholarly content, does not normally require a separate disclosure statement.

However, substantial AI-assisted rewriting, content generation, translation of research materials, data processing, or analytical assistance must be disclosed in accordance.

Disclosure Requirements for Authors

Authors must disclose substantive use of AI tools during manuscript preparation or research.

Disclosure is required when AI tools have been used to:

- Generate, draft, or substantially rewrite sections of the manuscript;

- Develop or substantially modify research arguments, interpretations, or conclusions;

- Translate research materials, interview transcripts, questionnaires, or substantial portions of the manuscript;

- Collect, classify, annotate, transcribe, or process research data;

- Conduct or materially assist qualitative or quantitative analysis;

- Generate, modify, or substantially reconstruct figures, images, audio, video, or other research materials;

- Generate synthetic linguistic data, text, speech, or other research materials; or

- Perform other substantive tasks that influence the research design, methodology, findings, or presentation.

At submission, authors must declare whether AI tools were used in preparing or conducting the research. Where substantive use occurred, authors must provide the following information:

1. Tool identification: The name of the AI tool, system, or platform.

2. Version or model: The model name or version, where available.

3. Purpose of use: The specific task for which the tool was used.

4. Extent of use: The relevant stage or part of the research or manuscript affected.

5. Human verification: The steps taken by the authors to verify, correct, and validate the AI-assisted output.

Where relevant, authors should also provide the date or period of use, important settings or parameters, and the prompts or processing procedures necessary to understand or reproduce the work.

Disclosure should be included in the appropriate section of the manuscript:

- AI used primarily for writing assistance should be described in an Acknowledgments or AI Use Disclosure statement.

- AI used in research design, data collection, transcription, translation, annotation, analysis, or figure generation should be described in the Methods section or another appropriate methodological section.

- Where AI has been used in multiple stages, authors should provide a clear description of each substantive use.

Authors should also disclose relevant AI use in the journal's submission system and cover letter when requested.

Accuracy, Verification, and Academic Responsibility

Authors are responsible for carefully checking all AI-assisted content before submission and publication.

In particular, authors must:

- Verify factual claims, definitions, interpretations, and research-related statements.

- Check all references, citations, quotations, and bibliographic information against original sources.

- Ensure that AI-generated text does not reproduce copyrighted or unattributed material.

- Confirm that translations, transcripts, linguistic examples, and annotations accurately represent the original materials.

- Review AI-generated code, calculations, statistical outputs, and analytical results.

- Identify and correct hallucinations, fabricated references, inaccurate information, misleading interpretations, and inappropriate generalizations.

- Ensure that AI-generated content does not introduce cultural, linguistic, gender, or other forms of bias.

- Confirm that all research conclusions are supported by the underlying data and appropriate scholarly reasoning.

AI-generated references must never be accepted without independent verification. AI tools must not be treated as authoritative academic sources or substitutes for original scholarly publications.

Authors must not use AI to fabricate sources, quotations, participant responses, research findings, or supporting evidence.

AI-Generated Figures, Images, Audio, and Other Materials

Authors must disclose the use of AI tools to generate or substantially modify figures, images, illustrations, audio, video, or other materials included in a manuscript.

AI-generated or AI-modified materials must not be presented as authentic photographs, original recordings, experimental observations, or documentary evidence when they are not.

Authors must ensure that the use of such materials does not:

- Misrepresent research observations or evidence;

- Alter the meaning or integrity of original research materials;

- Violate copyright, licensing, privacy, or publicity rights;

- Misrepresent the identity or statements of research participants; or

- Create misleading visual, audio, or documentary evidence.

Where AI-generated materials are integral to the research methodology, authors must describe their production and validation in the Methods section.

The journal may request original files or supporting materials to assess the authenticity and integrity of submitted figures and other media.

Authorship and Acknowledgment of AI Tools

AI tools, chatbots, and other automated systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authorship requires human accountability, intellectual contribution, approval of the final manuscript, and the ability to respond to questions concerning the integrity of the work. AI systems cannot fulfill these responsibilities.

Where AI tools have made a substantive contribution, authors must disclose the use of the tools in the appropriate manuscript section.

AI tools should not be listed as human authors or treated as responsible scholarly sources. Authors remain responsible for identifying and citing the original sources that support their arguments and findings.

Prohibited and Unacceptable Uses of AI

The following uses of AI are considered unacceptable:

- Using AI to fabricate, falsify, or manipulate research data, participant responses, quotations, references, or findings.

- Presenting AI-generated text, translations, annotations, or interpretations as verified research results without appropriate validation.

- Submitting AI-generated content that contains plagiarism, unattributed material, fabricated citations, or misleading information.

- Using AI to impersonate participants, reviewers, editors, or other individuals.

- Generating fictitious peer review reports, reviewer identities, research approvals, or institutional documentation.

- Using AI to conceal substantial content generation or to misrepresent the originality or intellectual contribution of a manuscript.

- Uploading confidential, restricted, or personally identifiable research data to AI services without appropriate authorization and safeguards.

- Using AI to manipulate images, recordings, transcripts, or other research evidence in a manner that misrepresents the original materials.

- Using AI-generated content to produce misleading or unsupported academic conclusions.

The journal evaluates suspected misuse on the basis of the nature, extent, context, and consequences of the conduct. Appropriate editorial or ethical action will be taken where necessary.

Use of AI by Reviewers

Reviewers must protect the confidentiality of all manuscripts and unpublished research materials received during peer review.

Reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts, unpublished data, figures, supplementary materials, or identifiable manuscript content to publicly accessible or external AI systems where confidentiality and data protection cannot be assured, unless the journal and authors have provided explicit authorization.

Reviewers must not use AI tools to generate an entire peer review report or replace their independent scholarly assessment.

If AI assistance is permitted by the journal for a limited purpose, reviewers must:

- Disclose the use of AI to the handling editor;

- Use only systems that meet the journal's confidentiality and data protection requirements;

- Independently verify all AI-assisted comments and recommendations;

- Ensure that the review accurately reflects their own scholarly judgment; and

- Remain fully responsible for the content and recommendations of the review.

Reviewers must not use AI tools to identify authors of anonymized manuscripts, expose confidential information, or obtain an unfair advantage from unpublished research.

Use of AI by Editors and Editorial Staff

Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality, impartiality, and integrity of the editorial process.

Editors and editorial staff must not upload confidential manuscripts or unpublished research materials to AI systems where confidentiality cannot be assured, unless the journal and authors have explicitly authorized the use.

AI tools may be used for limited administrative or language-support purposes only when appropriate confidentiality and data protection safeguards are in place.

AI must not independently determine manuscript acceptance or rejection, replace substantive editorial judgment, or make final decisions concerning ethical misconduct.

Editors remain responsible for:

- Assessing manuscripts on their academic merit and relevance;

- Evaluating the appropriateness of AI use disclosed by authors;

- Requesting clarification or supporting information when necessary;

- Ensuring that AI-assisted editorial activities do not compromise confidentiality or fairness; and

- Making all final editorial decisions through appropriate human judgment.