The International Journal of Poultry Science (IJPS) supports the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies where these tools contribute appropriately to scientific research or scholarly communication. The use of AI must be transparent and must not compromise scientific reliability, animal research standards, confidentiality, originality, or accountability.

AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation

Authors may use AI-assisted technologies, including large language models, chatbots, and other generative AI tools, for appropriate assistance in preparing a manuscript. Human authors remain entirely responsible for the accuracy, originality, interpretation, and integrity of all submitted content.

Authors must review and verify AI-assisted output before submission. The use of an AI tool does not transfer responsibility for errors, unsupported claims, inappropriate interpretations, plagiarism, inaccurate references, or other problems from the authors to the technology.

Disclosure and Transparency

The use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies that contributes to the preparation or development of a manuscript must be disclosed. Authors should identify the technology used and explain its purpose in sufficient detail to provide appropriate transparency.

AI used for writing assistance or substantial language generation should be disclosed in an appropriate statement in the manuscript. If AI forms part of the research methodology, such as image analysis, automated classification, disease detection, prediction, statistical analysis, modeling, or processing of experimental data, the technology and its use should be described in the Materials and Methods section.

Routine use of tools limited to basic spelling, grammar, or reference formatting does not normally require a separate disclosure unless the technology materially contributes to the manuscript's scientific or intellectual content.

AI Cannot Be an Author

AI systems, chatbots, large language models, and similar technologies do not qualify for authorship and must not be listed as authors or co-authors. They cannot approve a manuscript, accept responsibility for its contents, disclose conflicts of interest, or be accountable for the integrity of published work.

The human authors remain responsible for all material submitted to IJPS, including material developed with the assistance of AI technologies.

Scientific Accuracy and References

Authors must independently verify facts, scientific interpretations, calculations, references, and citations produced or suggested by AI systems. References generated by AI must be checked against the original sources before submission.

AI-assisted technologies must not be used to fabricate references, create false scientific claims, misrepresent existing literature, conceal plagiarism, or present generated information as authentic experimental evidence.

AI in Poultry and Animal Research

Where AI or machine-assisted methods are used in poultry or animal research, authors should describe the methodology sufficiently to allow appropriate scientific evaluation. This may include applications involving animal behavior, welfare assessment, disease detection, image analysis, feed and growth prediction, production monitoring, genetics, environmental monitoring, or other computational applications relevant to poultry science.

Authors remain responsible for validating the methods and outputs used in their research. AI-generated assessments must not be treated as a substitute for appropriate experimental validation, veterinary or scientific judgment, or required animal welfare oversight.

Images, Experimental Data, and Scientific Records

AI tools must not be used to fabricate, falsify, or deceptively manipulate experimental data, photographs, figures, microscopy images, diagnostic images, or other scientific records.

When AI-assisted image processing, analysis, generation, or data transformation forms a legitimate part of the research methodology, authors must disclose and describe its use where relevant. Processing must not introduce, remove, obscure, or misrepresent scientifically meaningful information.

Use of AI in Peer Review

Peer reviewers are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of manuscripts entrusted to them. Reviewers must not upload unpublished manuscripts, figures, supplementary materials, experimental data, or other confidential content to external AI systems where confidentiality and appropriate data protection cannot be assured.

A reviewer who intends to use AI-assisted technology in connection with a review must comply with the journal's requirements and obtain permission where required. AI may not replace the reviewer's independent scientific evaluation or professional judgment, and the reviewer remains responsible for the content of the submitted review.

Editorial Use of AI

Editors and editorial staff must preserve the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts when using any AI-assisted technology. Confidential manuscript material must not be entered into external AI systems where appropriate confidentiality cannot be assured.

AI tools may assist with appropriate editorial or administrative functions, but decisions concerning peer review, revision, acceptance, or rejection must remain under human editorial responsibility.

Confidentiality, Biosecurity, and Sensitive Information

Authors, reviewers, and editors should not provide AI systems with confidential or sensitive information in a manner that violates ethical, legal, institutional, privacy, biosafety, or biosecurity requirements. Particular care should be exercised with unpublished experimental information, proprietary data, farm or producer information, and research involving infectious agents or other sensitive biological materials.

Noncompliance

The journal may request clarification or supporting information when potentially inappropriate or undisclosed AI use is identified. Depending on the circumstances, a manuscript may be returned for correction, rejected, or handled under the journal's publication ethics procedures.

Where inappropriate AI use affecting the reliability or integrity of an article is discovered after publication, IJPS may take appropriate post-publication action in accordance with its policies on corrections and retractions.