Policy on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools

Journal of English Studies, published by the University of La Rioja, is committed to scientific integrity and transparency in the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

This policy sets out clear guidelines on the appropriate use of AI tools for authors, reviewers, and editors.

General Principles

In accordance with the COPE Declaration guidelines and best practices in the scientific community:

• AI tools cannot meet authorship criteria, as they cannot assume responsibility for scientific content.
• They cannot manage conflicts of interest, copyright issues, or make ethical decisions on their own.

Use of AI by Authors

Declaration of AI Use

Authors must explicitly disclose in the “Methods” or “Acknowledgements” sections any use of AI tools that contributed to the development of the study or to the autonomous creation of the manuscript or any part of it. This includes the use of AI for tasks such as data analysis, text or corpus processing, statistical treatment, or any other form of automated assistance employed during the research process or the preparation of scholarly content. Authors must specify the software used, the functions applied, and the sections of the manuscript in which AI was used.

It is not necessary to declare the use of AI tools for text correction when they are employed solely to improve readability and style, or to ensure the absence of grammatical or spelling errors. AI-assisted writing may include adjustments to expression but must not involve the autonomous creation of content. Authors remain responsible for ensuring that the final version of the text is original. In any case, final decisions regarding whether the use of AI-generated content complies with the journal’s editorial standards depends on the journal’s editorial team.

Responsibility for Originality

Authors are responsible for the originality of any content generated or assisted by AI. Generated material must not infringe on third-party rights or replicate existing content.

Review of AI-Assisted Content

Authors are responsible for thoroughly reviewing and verifying any AI-generated content to avoid biases, errors, or inaccuracies.

Use of AI in Peer Review

Reviewers of the Journal of English Studies are not permitted to use AI during the review of manuscripts, as this could compromise the intellectual property rights of the authors of the texts.

Use of AI by the Editorial Team

The editorial team may use AI for administrative and editorial tasks, such as manuscript formatting or plagiarism detection, always under strict human supervision to ensure consistency, quality, and the protection of the authors’ intellectual property rights.

Ethics in the Use of AI

Under no circumstances should the use of AI lead to data manipulation, plagiarism, or violations of intellectual property. Any misuse of AI, whether intentional or not, will be addressed in accordance with the journal’s ethical principles.

Policy Evaluation and Updates

This policy will be reviewed regularly to adapt to technological advances in AI and to ensure best practices in scientific publishing.

Consequences of Non‑Compliance

Failure to comply with this policy may result in sanctions such as withdrawal of the manuscript or prohibition from submitting future work to the Journal of English Studies.