Generative AI (GenAI) Policy

1. Purpose

Journal of Innovations in Pharmaceutical and Biological Sciences (JIPBS) recognizes the growing use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools in research and manuscript preparation. This policy sets out expectations for the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of such tools by authors, reviewers, and editors.

2. Use of GenAI by Authors

Permitted Uses

Authors may use GenAI tools for supportive purposes, including:

• Language editing and grammar improvement
• Improving clarity and readability
• Literature search assistance
• Code debugging or data visualization support

Such use must not replace the author's own intellectual contribution or scientific judgment.

Prohibited Uses

GenAI tools must not be used to:

• Generate original research data, results, or conclusions
• Fabricate or manipulate data, chemical structures, or bibliographic references
• Generate, alter, or manipulate scientific images or figures — including gel images, blots, microscopy images, spectra, or chemical structure diagrams — used as evidence of experimental results
• Replace critical scientific reasoning or interpretation
• Be listed as an author or co-author

3. Disclosure Requirement

Authors must disclose any use of GenAI tools in the preparation of their manuscript, in the AI Use Declaration required by the Author Guidelines, specifying the tool used and its purpose. Failure to disclose GenAI use may be treated as a breach of the journal's Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement.

4. Authorship and Accountability

GenAI tools cannot be credited as authors, as they cannot take responsibility for the work, approve the final manuscript, or answer for its scientific or ethical integrity. All listed authors must meet the journal's authorship criteria and remain fully accountable for the content, including any AI-assisted portions.

5. Use of GenAI by Reviewers

Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, or any part of them, to public GenAI tools, as this may breach the confidentiality of the double-blind review process and risk exposing unpublished author work to third-party systems.

6. Use of GenAI by Editors

Editors may use AI tools only for administrative or workflow support (e.g., plagiarism screening, language checks) and not for making editorial or peer review decisions. Editorial judgment remains entirely human-led.

7. Ethical Concerns and Misuse

Suspected misuse of GenAI — including undisclosed use, fabricated data, or manipulated scientific images — will be investigated in accordance with the journal's Misconduct and Sanctions policy and relevant COPE guidelines. Confirmed misuse may result in manuscript rejection, retraction of a published article, and notification to the author's institution.

8. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed periodically to reflect evolving standards, technological developments, and guidance from indexing bodies and ethical organizations.