Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

Authors may be interested in using artificial intelligence tools or technologies ("AI Technology") when preparing manuscripts for submission to the Dynamics of Rural Society Journal. The journal welcomes the responsible use of AI technology in accordance with the usage policy provided herein. When used responsibly, authors can maintain high editorial standards, protect intellectual property rights and other rights, and increase transparency with readers. While authors remain fully responsible for their manuscript submissions, published articles, and the use of any tools or resources in the process, Dynamics of Rural Society Journal acknowledges the growing role of AI Technology in the research and manuscript preparation process and provides the following guidelines.

Starting with Volume 5, Issue 1 (2027), Dynamics of Rural Society Journal (DRSJ) will implement a formal policy governing the use of AI tools in the drafting, submission, editorial processing, and peer review of manuscripts. AI tools may be used as an aid; however, all use must be disclosed transparently by the author.

Author Responsibility

The author is fully responsible for all content submitted to the journal, including content created or modified using AI tools. Authors must:

1. Verify the accuracy, originality, and reliability of all content generated with the help of AI.

2. Ensure that the submitted manuscript reflects the author's original intellectual contributions and presents their analysis, interpretation, insights, and ideas.

3. Conduct thorough editing and adaptation of AI-assisted material to ensure that the manuscript reflects human critical thinking and meets scientific standards.

4. Include a clear declaration statement regarding the use of AI tools at the time of submission, including the name of the AI tool, the purpose of its use, and the level of oversight performed by the author.

Responsible Use of AI Tools

Authors must ensure that the AI tools used:

1. Do not replace human critical thinking, expertise, and scientific judgment.

2. Comply with privacy policies and safeguard unpublished data, including personal and sensitive data.

3. Ensure that the AI tool used does not grant unauthorized rights to the tool provider over the material entered and does not limit the publication of articles in the future.

AI Usage Disclosure

If an author uses AI tools in the manuscript preparation process, the use must be disclosed transparently. Authors are required to include an AI declaration section that includes:

• The name and version of the AI tool used.

• The purpose of the AI tool usage.

• The specific sections of the manuscript where AI was used.

• The extent of human oversight applied to the use of the AI tool.

A statement of AI usage in manuscript writing (format in Microsoft Word) should include the following explanation:
Title: Declaration of Artificial Intelligence Usage in Manuscript Preparation Process.

Statement:
During the preparation of this work, the author utilized [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] for [REASON] as an aid. After using the tool/service, the author reviewed and edited the content as necessary and is fully responsible for the published material.

Specific sections that used AI assistance (authors can present this information in bullet points or a table):

• The author used AI to restructure arguments or the flow of the document, enhance readability, help with transitions, tidy manuscript sections, and correct spelling and typographical errors.

• AI identified deficiencies in argument structure, provided feedback on whether the results followed the methods, and ensured that discussions were connected to the findings.

• Please add any additional sections that used AI assistance.

Basic checks such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation do not require disclosure. However, if AI was used in sections mentioned above or for research purposes (e.g., data collection, analysis, or visualization), it must be disclosed in this statement.

Authorship

AI tools should not be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship applies only to individuals who have made substantial contributions to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research and who can be held accountable for the manuscript's content. Therefore, AI tools cannot be attributed as authors or included in the author contributions section.

AI Usage in Images, Illustrations, and Artwork

The use of generative AI tools or AI-assisted tools to create or modify images, illustrations, or graphic abstracts is prohibited. Technical adjustments such as brightness, contrast, or color balance are allowed if they do not obscure or remove important information in the original image. If AI tools are used in research methodology, such as in biomedical imaging or similar fields, their use must be fully explained and reproducible in the Methods section, including the name, model version, and extension number of the tool.

Prohibited AI Usage

The following AI tools usage is strictly prohibited:

• Generating most or all of the manuscript using generative AI, replacing the author’s original analytical work.

• Generating images, tables, figures, or graphs through AI tools to support research findings.

• Although AI use is permitted in some categories, authors are prohibited from inserting AI-generated text without further verification, correction, and adaptation.

AI Usage Policy for Editors and Reviewers

AI tools may be used by editors or peer reviewers to help improve the quality of written feedback in peer review reports. However, the use of these tools must be clearly and transparently disclosed when submitting the review report to the handling editor. Nevertheless, editors or reviewers are not permitted to upload manuscripts (or parts of manuscripts, including images and tables) into AI tools. This is due to potential risks that the input data used by AI technology could be used for training or other purposes, which may violate the confidentiality of the peer review process, as well as the privacy of authors and reviewers, and the copyright of the manuscript under review. Please read the AI usage policy for editors and reviewers as follows:

For Editors

During the editorial process, editors must maintain manuscript confidentiality and ensure the protection of authors’ intellectual property rights and privacy by adhering to the following principles:

• Editors should not upload manuscripts to AI tools for the purpose of article evaluation, content assessment, or editorial decision-making. Using AI tools at this stage could compromise the accuracy and integrity of the review process and may result in incorrect, incomplete, or algorithmically biased conclusions.

• Editors should not upload manuscripts to AI tools for translation or language processing. This could expose confidential manuscript content to third-party platforms that do not guarantee secure data handling or compliance with academic publishing standards.

• If an editor determines that AI detection is necessary, they should ensure that only safe, reliable, and journal-approved AI detection tools are used. This requirement aims to protect data standards, prevent unauthorized dissemination of manuscript content, and ensure that AI-related evaluations comply with ethical and technical guidelines.

For Reviewers

During the peer review process, reviewers are required to protect manuscript confidentiality and maintain the intellectual property rights of authors and the privacy of data by adhering to the following standards:

• Reviewers should not upload manuscripts, either in whole or in part, to AI tools for purposes such as evaluating scientific content, drafting review comments, or assisting in decision-making. Using AI tools in this context may damage the independence, objectivity, and integrity of the peer review process and result in inaccurate, incomplete, or algorithmically biased evaluations.

• Reviewers should not upload manuscripts to AI tools for translation, paraphrasing, grammar checks, or other language processing functions. This could expose confidential scientific content to external platforms that do not guarantee data security, violating the core principles of peer review confidentiality and academic publishing ethics.

• If a reviewer deems AI detection necessary, they must ensure that only safe, reliable, and journal-approved AI detection tools are used. This ensures data protection standards are upheld, preventing unauthorized manuscript dissemination and ensuring that AI-related evaluations align with ethical and technical guidelines.

Policy Enforcement and Updates

Dynamics of Rural Society Journal will continue to monitor advancements in AI technology and updates to best practices in its usage. This policy will be reviewed and updated as necessary to ensure that the use of AI in scholarly publication continues to uphold principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability.

This policy is designed to ensure that AI usage in the journal publication process remains focused on scientific quality and academic ethics, providing clear guidance for authors, editors, and reviewers. If there are any questions or clarifications needed regarding this policy, authors, editors, and reviewers are encouraged to contact the journal’s editorial team.