Generative AI Policies

This policy establishes Al-Madina: Journal of Islamic Law’s position on the ethical and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in the development of manuscripts submitted for publication. Its purpose is to promote transparency, accountability, and the preservation of integrity within the scholarly record.

1. Authorship and Accountability

AI is not an author
AI systems and AI-assisted tools (e.g., large language models or generative AI applications) do not satisfy authorship criteria, as they lack the capacity for accountability, intellectual responsibility, or originality. Therefore, no AI tool or software may be listed as an author on any submission.

Authors’ responsibility
Authors bear full responsibility for all aspects of their manuscripts, including sections generated, edited, or refined with AI assistance. They must ensure the accuracy, originality, and ethical soundness of all content, verifying that statements, data, figures, and citations produced by AI tools are correct and appropriately used.

Human oversight
AI use must always occur under direct human supervision. Authors are required to critically evaluate, edit, and refine any AI-generated material to meet academic, methodological, and ethical standards prior to submission.

2. Transparency and Disclosure

Mandatory disclosure
Authors must explicitly disclose any use of AI or AI-assisted technologies during manuscript preparation. This disclosure should specify the tool(s) used, purpose(s) served, and extent of AI involvement.

Details to disclose include:

  • The name of the AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT by OpenAI, Bard by Google, Grammarly, GPT-4, Midjourney).
  • The purpose for which the tool was used (e.g., language editing, idea development, image generation, data analysis assistance).
  • A concise description of the extent of AI involvement.

Disclosure placement

Disclosures should appear in one of the following sections:

  • The Acknowledgements section (for general writing or editorial support).
  • The Methods section (if AI was used in analytical or technical processes).
  • A distinct Declaration of AI Use statement, preferably placed before the References section or as a footnote on the title page.

Example disclosure statement:

“Portions of this manuscript were prepared with the assistance of [AI tool name, e.g., ChatGPT-4 (OpenAI)] for the purpose of [e.g., improving grammar and language clarity]. All AI-generated content was critically reviewed and verified by the authors, who assume full responsibility for the final manuscript.”

3. Acceptable Uses (with Disclosure)

Authors may utilize AI tools for the following functions, provided appropriate disclosure is made:

  • Language enhancement: Refining grammar, spelling, and stylistic clarity.
  • Drafting assistance: Supporting initial drafting of non-critical narrative sections (e.g., background or discussion), with subsequent thorough author revision.
  • Idea generation: Supporting conceptual brainstorming or manuscript structuring.
  • Data analysis or visualization: Permitted only if results are independently verified and reproducible by human authors, with clear methodological explanation in the Methods section.
  • Literature summarization: Summarizing published work, provided authors ensure factual accuracy and cite original sources appropriately.

4. Prohibited Uses

The following uses of AI or AI-assisted tools are strictly prohibited:

  • Fabrication or falsification: Generating false data, fabricated results, or fictitious references.
  • Plagiarism: Using AI-generated content without appropriate acknowledgment or treating such content as fully original.
  • Replacement of intellectual contribution: Employing AI to perform essential intellectual tasks such as hypothesis formulation, data interpretation, or drawing conclusions.
  • Breach of confidentiality: Uploading confidential manuscript materials to AI platforms by editors or reviewers.
  • Research misrepresentation: Employing AI tools to mislead readers about the study’s methodology, results, or interpretation.

5. Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with this policy constitutes a breach of publication ethics and may result in one or more of the following actions:

  • Rejection of the submitted manuscript.
  • Retraction of the published article.
  • Restriction or prohibition of future submissions.
  • Notification of the authors’ affiliated institutions and relevant ethics committees.

This policy will be reviewed periodically to align with evolving AI technologies, ethical standards, and international publishing guidelines.