AI Tools Usage Policy

BIOMA recognises the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies to support scholarly research and manuscript preparation when used responsibly. This policy establishes principles and requirements for the use of AI tools by authors, reviewers, and editors to safeguard academic integrity, transparency, confidentiality, originality, and accountability in scholarly publishing. This policy is informed by the principles outlined in Elsevier's Generative AI Policies for Journals and relevant guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Authors may refer to the  author guidelines and manuscript template for how to address AI issues in their submission.

1. For Authors

1.1. The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation

BIOMA permits authors to use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies to support manuscript preparation, provided that such use is responsible, transparent, and subject to appropriate human oversight. These tools may assist with literature exploration, idea development, content organisation, language improvement, translation, and readability.

AI tools must not replace the authors' critical thinking, scientific expertise, interpretation, or original intellectual contribution. Authors remain fully responsible and accountable for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and content of their submitted manuscripts and published articles.

Authors are responsible for:

  • Accuracy and verification: Carefully reviewing and verifying all AI-generated outputs, including scientific claims, interpretations, references, citations, and factual information. AI-generated references may be inaccurate, incomplete, or fabricated and must be checked against the original sources.

  • Originality and intellectual contribution: Critically reviewing, editing, and adapting AI-assisted content to ensure that the manuscript reflects the authors' own scientific reasoning, analysis, interpretation, and original contribution.

  • Transparency: Disclosing the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation in accordance with this policy.

  • Data privacy and intellectual property: Ensuring that the use of AI tools does not compromise confidential information, unpublished research, personal data, intellectual property, or third-party rights.

  • Bias and reliability: Evaluating AI-generated content for potential bias, misleading statements, omissions, and scientific inaccuracies.

Authors must review the terms of use and privacy policies of AI tools before using them, particularly when processing unpublished manuscripts, research data, or personally identifiable information. Authors should ensure that their use of these tools does not compromise confidentiality or restrict the subsequent publication and legitimate use of their work.

Basic spelling, grammar, and punctuation checks that do not involve substantive content generation or modification do not require disclosure.

1.2. Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies that contribute substantively to manuscript preparation. The disclosure must be included in a separate section entitled “Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation”, placed immediately before the reference list.

The declaration must identify:

  • The name of the AI tool or service and its developer or provider.

  • The model or version used, where available.

  • The purpose and extent of its use.

  • Confirmation that the authors reviewed and edited the AI-assisted content and accept full responsibility for the manuscript.

The following statement may be adapted as appropriate:

“During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [name of AI tool or service, including model or version where available] to assist with [specific purpose]. The authors critically reviewed and edited the resulting content and take full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and final content of the manuscript.”

If AI tools are used as part of the research process, including research design, data collection, data processing, statistical analysis, modelling, or interpretation, their use must also be described in the Materials and Methods or Methods section in sufficient detail to support reproducibility. This description should include the tool or model, version, provider, and relevant procedures, where applicable.

Authors who have not used generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation may provide a declaration stating that no such tools were used. A disclosure statement is not required for basic spelling, grammar, and punctuation checks.

1.3. Authorship and Accountability

Generative AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors and must not be credited as authors in references. Authorship requires intellectual contribution, accountability, approval of the final manuscript, and agreement to its submission, responsibilities that can only be fulfilled by human authors.

All authors are responsible for ensuring that their contributions meet the journal's authorship requirements, that the manuscript is original, that appropriate permissions have been obtained, and that the work does not infringe third-party rights.

1.4. The Use of AI in Figures, Images, and Artwork

AI tools must not be used to fabricate, falsify, or manipulate images representing primary research observations or experimental results. This prohibition includes creating, removing, moving, obscuring, or introducing features in scientific images in ways that could misrepresent the underlying evidence.

Examples include microscopy images, histological images, electrophoresis results, photographs of specimens, ecological field observations, and other visual records representing actual research data.

Routine image adjustments, such as brightness, contrast, or colour balance, are acceptable only when performed using appropriate image-processing methods that preserve the original scientific information. Such adjustments must not obscure, remove, or misrepresent relevant features.

Where AI-assisted imaging or other AI-based image-processing techniques form an integral part of the research methodology, their use must be described transparently and reproducibly in the Methods section. Authors must identify the tool or model, version, provider, and procedures used, where applicable, and retain the original data and relevant processing records for editorial assessment.

Authors must not use generative AI to create or alter scientific images in a manner that misrepresents research evidence. AI-generated artwork must not be presented as authentic biological specimens, field observations, experimental results, or other primary research data. Any permitted AI-assisted visual material must comply with applicable copyright, licensing, attribution, and disclosure requirements.

2. For Reviewers

2.1. The Use of AI in the Peer Review Process

Manuscripts submitted to BIOMA are confidential documents. Reviewers must not upload submitted manuscripts, any part of a manuscript, supplementary materials, research data, or confidential peer review reports to external generative AI tools.

Such use may compromise the confidentiality of unpublished research, authors' intellectual property, and personal or sensitive information.

Peer review requires independent scientific judgement, critical assessment, and expert evaluation. Reviewers must not use generative AI or AI-assisted technologies to conduct the substantive scientific evaluation of a manuscript or to generate conclusions and recommendations that substitute for their own expert judgement.

Reviewers are responsible for the originality, fairness, accuracy, and integrity of their review reports, including any comments, criticisms, and recommendations provided to the editorial team.

Basic spelling, grammar, and punctuation checks may be used for language correction, provided that confidential manuscript content is not disclosed to an external AI service. Any permitted substantive AI assistance in preparing a review report must be disclosed to the editor, including the tool used and its purpose.

3. For Editors

3.1. The Use of AI in the Editorial Process

Editors must treat all submitted manuscripts, supplementary materials, research data, peer review reports, editorial correspondence, and decision letters as confidential information.

Editors must not upload submitted manuscripts or confidential editorial materials to external generative AI tools. This restriction protects authors' confidentiality, unpublished intellectual property, and any personal or sensitive information contained in submissions.

Editorial assessment and decision-making must remain under human control. Editors must not use generative AI or AI-assisted technologies to replace their independent scientific evaluation, determine the validity of research findings, or make editorial decisions concerning acceptance, revision, or rejection.

Editors are responsible and accountable for the fairness, integrity, and accuracy of the editorial process, including the final decision and all communications with authors.

AI tools may be used for non-confidential administrative support, such as general language assistance or background information searches, provided that confidentiality, data protection, intellectual property, and human oversight are maintained. Confidential manuscript content and editorial correspondence must not be disclosed to external AI services for these purposes.

Editors must ensure that suspected violations of this policy are assessed fairly and consistently with BIOMA's publication ethics and research misconduct policies.

4. Compliance and Editorial Action

Compliance with this policy is a condition of submission to BIOMA.

Undisclosed, inappropriate, or irresponsible use of AI tools may result in a request for clarification, a request for manuscript revision, rejection of a submission, correction or retraction of a published article, or notification of the relevant institution, depending on the nature and severity of the violation.

Suspected violations will be assessed by the editorial team based on available evidence and established publication ethics procedures. AI-detection tools alone will not be considered sufficient evidence of misconduct.

Authors, reviewers, and editors may contact the BIOMA editorial office for clarification regarding the application of this policy.

5. Policy Review

BIOMA will periodically review and update this policy to reflect developments in AI technologies, scholarly publishing standards, and research integrity guidance. Any revisions will be communicated through the journal's official website.

6. References and Ethical Guidance