Scope

This policy covers generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and image generators. Tools limited to spelling, grammar, and reference management require no disclosure.

Authorship

AI tools do not meet the criteria for authorship and never appear as authors or co-authors.

Disclosure by authors

Authors who use generative AI at any stage of the work, including literature searching, drafting, translation between English and Filipino, coding, data analysis, or creation of figures, disclose the use in a "Declaration of Generative AI Use" section before the References. The declaration names the tool and version, states the purpose, and explains how the authors checked the output. AI used as a research method appears in the Methods section.

Author responsibility

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript. Authors verify every fact and citation produced with AI help. Fabricated references count as misconduct. Authors never upload identifiable participant data to public AI tools.

Images

The journal does not accept AI-generated or AI-altered images, figures, or photographs, except when AI is the subject of the research. Such images carry a clear label in the caption.

Reviewers

Reviewers do not upload any part of a manuscript or review report to generative AI tools, because doing so breaches the confidentiality of the authors' work. Reviewers write their own reports and remain accountable for their content.

Editors

Editors keep manuscripts out of generative AI tools and do not use such tools to evaluate manuscripts or make decisions. The journal uses approved tools for technical checks, such as similarity and reference screening, under its privacy policy.

Detection and enforcement

Scores from AI-detection tools do not decide outcomes alone. The editor asks the authors for an explanation when undisclosed AI use is suspected. Confirmed undisclosed use leads to rejection, correction, or retraction.