1. Authorship
Generative AI tools (including large language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and similar systems) cannot be listed as authors. Authorship requires accountability, the ability to approve the final version, and responsibility for the integrity of the work — none of which an AI system can hold.
2. Permitted use by authors
- Language polishing, grammar checks, and translation assistance.
- Reformatting references or restructuring sentences for clarity.
- Assistance with code comments or non-substantive editing.
Where AI tools have been used in any of these ways, authors must disclose this in a dedicated "Use of AI tools" statement in the Methods or Acknowledgements section, naming the tool and the purpose of use.
3. Prohibited use by authors
- Generating substantive scientific content, results, analyses, conclusions, or discussion text and presenting it as the authors' own original work without disclosure.
- Fabricating data, figures, tables, citations, or references.
- Producing images, micrographs, or any scientific imagery that misrepresents real experimental data.
Undisclosed use of AI to generate substantive content is treated as research misconduct under our Publication Ethics policy.
4. Use by peer reviewers
Reviewers must not upload any part of an assigned manuscript, supplementary material, or reviewer report into a public or third-party AI tool. Doing so breaches the confidentiality of the submission. Reviewers may use AI only for non-confidential tasks such as polishing the language of their own report after it has been written.
5. Use by editors
Editors may use internal AI-assisted screening tools, operated within the Aperture Papers platform, for tasks such as similarity checking, scope screening, and reference validation. The final editorial decision is always made by a named human editor. AI is never the decision-maker.
6. Disclosure template
Authors may use the following statement, adapted to their case:
"During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [tool name] for [purpose, e.g. language editing]. After using this tool, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication."
7. Updates
This policy will be updated as community standards (COPE, WAME, ICMJE) and the underlying technology evolve.