ETHICS POLICY

Sapiens in Health Sciences (SHS) recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including generative AI systems and large language models, are increasingly used in scientific research, scholarly writing, and knowledge dissemination. To safeguard scientific integrity, transparency, reproducibility, and trust in the scholarly record, the journal establishes the following principles governing the responsible use of artificial intelligence throughout the editorial process.

The use of AI tools does not replace human responsibility. Authors, reviewers, and editors remain fully accountable for the scientific content, evaluations, and editorial decisions associated with the publication process.

For Authors

Permitted Uses of AI Tools

Authors may use artificial intelligence tools for limited and appropriate purposes, including:

  • Grammar and spelling correction.
  • Improvement of language, style, and readability.
  • Language translation.
  • Formatting and manuscript organization.
  • Technical assistance in data analysis or data visualization when methodologically appropriate.

Transparency and Disclosure of AI Use

Any use of AI tools beyond basic linguistic or editorial assistance must be explicitly disclosed within the manuscript.

When applicable, the disclosure should include:

  • Name of the AI tool used.
  • Developer or provider organization.
  • Version or model employed.
  • Specific purpose for which the tool was used.

This information may be reported in the Methods section, Acknowledgments section, or in a dedicated AI disclosure statement.

Responsibility for Content

Authors bear full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and scientific validity of all submitted content, regardless of whether it was generated, assisted, or modified using AI tools.

The use of artificial intelligence does not exempt authors from responsibility for:

  • Methodological errors.
  • Incorrect interpretations.
  • Inaccurate or misleading information.
  • Nonexistent or inaccurate references.
  • Fabricated or falsified data.
  • Any other form of scientific misconduct.

Authorship and Attribution

Artificial intelligence tools do not meet internationally recognized authorship criteria and therefore must not be listed as authors or co-authors of a manuscript.

Authorship is reserved exclusively for individuals capable of assuming intellectual, ethical, and legal responsibility for the published work.

Integrity of Data, Images, and Results

Authors must ensure that AI tools are not used in ways that improperly alter data, results, images, or scientific evidence.

The following practices are prohibited:

  • Generating, fabricating, or manipulating scientific results in a misleading manner.
  • Creating figures, illustrations, or visual materials that could lead to erroneous scientific interpretations.
  • Altering clinical, radiological, histopathological, laboratory, or other scientific images in ways that affect their scientific or diagnostic interpretation.
  • Including fabricated references or invented information.

All cited sources must be authentic, verifiable, and accessible.

AI in Data Analysis and Research Methods

When AI tools are used for data analysis, predictive modeling, statistical processing, data mining, image generation, machine learning applications, or other relevant methodological procedures, their use must be described clearly and in sufficient detail to allow understanding, evaluation, and reproducibility of the research.

Any ethical, legal, or intellectual property implications arising from the use of such technologies remain the sole responsibility of the authors.

For Reviewers and Editors

Confidentiality is a fundamental principle of the editorial process.

Reviewers and editors must not upload complete manuscripts, unpublished data, peer-review reports, or any confidential material to external AI platforms that may store, reuse, or process such content.

Likewise, reviewers and editors must not use generative AI tools to substantially draft peer-review reports, editorial evaluations, or publication decisions.

AI tools may only be used for limited technical or linguistic assistance involving their own text, provided that manuscript confidentiality is fully preserved.

All editorial decisions must be based on independent human academic judgment, scientific expertise, ethical principles, and critical evaluation.

Journal Use of Automated Tools

Sapiens in Health Sciences (SHS) may employ automated tools to support editorial management and research integrity activities, including:

  • Similarity and plagiarism detection.
  • Reference verification.
  • Image analysis.
  • Identification of potential editorial irregularities.
  • Administrative and quality-control processes.

The outputs generated by these tools serve exclusively as support mechanisms and are always reviewed and interpreted by qualified editorial personnel.

Editorial decisions are never made solely by automated systems.

Final Statement

Failure to comply with this policy may result in editorial actions proportionate to the severity of the issue, including requests for clarification, corrections, manuscript rejection, or post-publication actions in accordance with the editorial policies of Sapiens in Health Sciences (SHS).

The journal promotes the responsible, transparent, and ethically grounded use of artificial intelligence as a tool to support research and scholarly communication while preserving human accountability, academic integrity, and the reliability of the scientific record.