Policies on the use of AI

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the InterNaciones Journal

InterNaciones incorporates and adopts clear guidelines and policies on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the publishing process, in accordance with the guidelines of the COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics). The aim is to ensure that all scientific knowledge production is carried out in a responsible, transparent, and ethical manner.

The journal's position is that the use of artificial intelligence can complement human capabilities to facilitate various tasks in the editorial process. However, it is essential to prioritize human judgment, oversight, and ethical considerations, as well as to ensure transparency and thorough documentation of such use.

Using AI for Authors

General Guidelines

From now on, the terms “AI” or “AI tools” will be used to refer to generative artificial intelligence, as well as AI-assisted technologies.

In this context, generative artificial intelligence (generative AI) is understood to be any automated system capable of producing original text, images, audio, video, code, or other content from user-provided information and pre-existing data.

The use of these tools must take into account the following criteria:

1. The use of artificial intelligence tools is permitted throughout the creative and empirical process of a work, provided it is explicitly declared.

2. Under no circumstances may AI tools be listed as authors or co-authors of a work.

3. Their use in data collection and processing must be clarified in the methodology section, and the use of AI for other functions must be declared in the statement of originality.

4. Authors must commit to making informed and responsible use of AI tools.

5. Authors are responsible for safeguarding their intellectual property and that of others, protecting their personal data, and the privacy and identity of participants (e.g., interviewees) when applicable.

6. Authors are responsible for understanding the policies of the tool they select and ensuring that, by using it, they are not transferring rights to the resulting work to the company that created the tool.

7. Authors must be aware of the biases that AI tools can introduce and be prepared to correct them.

Mandatory Declaration
Authors must individually declare the use of AI in their originality letter when submitting their work, indicating:

--> at what stages of the research it was used.

--> in which parts of the text it was used.

--> for what specific purposes it was used.

--> which tool and version.

Failure to include this letter at the time of submission will result in the automatic rejection of the manuscript, and any falsification in this declaration may lead to its rejection or subsequent retraction.

If there are multiple authors, the use of AI must be declared individually, according to the points above. This must be stated in writing in the authorship declaration letter.

By declaring the use of AI in the text editing process, those who subscribe to this use do so not merely nominally, but with the awareness that they are acting as subjects of legal rights and obligations; that is, with the awareness of being subject to obligations and responsibilities that go beyond the mere roles of "author" or "editor."

In the event that the use of AI during the text/document editing process leads to any controversy with individuals outside the journal after the text's publication, the resolution of this controversy will be determined by the individual who used the AI, and not by the journal, its editorial team, or the institution.

Permitted Uses

The use of AI is permitted in tasks that enhance creative or empirical activity (data analysis, assisted literature review, writing support) when declared and when it does not replace the author's intellectual agency. In any case, those declaring authorship of a manuscript will be responsible for verifying the quality and accuracy of any of these tasks performed with AI support.

Writing: AI should be used to support the formatting or editing of the manuscript, ensure the quality of the language, monitor for inaccuracies in word choice, and ensure consistency throughout the text.

Figures and Tables: It must be guaranteed that the data is accurate and derived from the research conducted.

References: The use of AI is permitted to standardize data and information formatting, provided the author ensures that it does not add potentially fabricated information, such as links to texts with similar titles.

Responsibility

The use of AI does not exempt authors from their responsibility for the originality, validity, integrity, and rigor of the text. In the event of disputes arising from the use of AI, the responsibility will fall on the declaring author, not on the journal or its publishing institution.

Sanctions for Undeclared Use of AI

If an author falsely declares that they have not used artificial intelligence (AI) tools and this is detected during the peer review process or after publication, they will receive a formal warning.

The author must correct the text and clearly indicate the use of AI in the revised version.

In the event of refusal to make the correction or repeated offenses, Comunicación y Sociedad reserves the right not to accept future manuscripts from the same author for peer review.

Disputes arising from these cases will be resolved following COPE guidelines, and additional sources may be used as they become available. In any of these cases, the editorial committee will be notified and involved in the resolution of these controversies, and final decisions will be made with the corresponding institutional backing.

Use of AI by the Editorial Team

The editorial team reserves the right to request further clarification regarding the use of AI at any stage of the process.

The editorial team is committed to ensuring that any use of AI will be solely to facilitate or expedite tasks in which its members have expertise, so that the result can be monitored, reviewed, and approved, and the responsibility for the result will rest entirely with the individual performing the task.

AI may be used to expedite the verification of compliance with editorial guidelines in manuscripts under review; however, decisions regarding the advancement of texts in the peer review process will be based on a thorough and personal review by the editorial team.

Regarding the use of information, AI tools may be used for data analysis, trend analysis, indicator analysis, and the creation of internal reports.

AI may be used to generate visual materials for the journal's promotional content.

Use of AI for Reviewers
The review and evaluation process is a fundamental pillar of the journal's academic and editorial integrity. Each article assigned for evaluation is unpublished material and must therefore be considered a confidential document.

Thus, the individuals appointed by Comunicación y Sociedad for the review and evaluation process must conduct their assessments personally, directly, and independently, basing their judgments on their own expert knowledge, academic experience, and critical reading of the material.

In this regard, the use of generative or AI-assisted systems, tools, or applications—in any of their forms—for the total or partial preparation of reports, comments, observations, recommendations, or any other input that forms part of the peer review process is strictly prohibited. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to:

- Feeding any AI system with an unpublished text that is subject to the peer review process.

- The use of AI to issue value judgments, ratings, opinions, or recommendations regarding the relevance, originality, methodological quality, or contributions of a manuscript.

The use of AI will only be permitted when it is fed with content produced by the reviewers themselves, that is, when it involves their comments on the articles, for example:

- To obtain suggestions for the wording, organization, or structure of comments addressed to the authors or the editorial committee.

- To receive translation support when the reviews are submitted in a language other than the reviewer's own.

Furthermore, under penalty of perjury, each reviewer must expressly declare that they have not used any AI system in the review, analysis, or preparation of the opinion in any way other than those stated above. Failure to comply with this provision may result in the annulment of the issued opinion.

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Finally, we declare that this document is considered a work in progress, is subject to modification, and will be reviewed and updated periodically, with the approval of the editorial committee, to maintain its relevance and adapt to technological advancements. Each published version of these guidelines will be properly dated, and previous versions will be kept accessible using the OJS and Crossref tools, so that authors can consult the most up-to-date version before submitting an article for review.

By adopting each point established in this policy, the InterNaciones journal reaffirms its commitment to editorial ethics, transparency, and the responsible production of knowledge.