Generative AI Policy

ZOOTEC Journal, published by the Faculty of Animal Sciences, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, Indonesia, recognizes the potential benefits of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) in supporting scientific research, academic writing, data analysis, and scholarly communication.

ZOOTEC permits the responsible use of Generative AI technologies, provided that their application complies with the principles of research integrity, transparency, accountability, confidentiality, and publication ethics.

This policy applies to authors, reviewers, editors, and all parties involved in the scholarly publication process.

1. Use of Generative AI by Authors

Authors may use Generative AI tools to support legitimate academic activities, including:

Improving grammar, spelling, academic language, and manuscript readability.
Assisting with manuscript organization and language editing.
Supporting literature searches and preliminary literature organization.
Assisting with coding, statistical programming, and data visualization.
Supporting the development of research ideas and scientific discussions.

However, Generative AI must not replace the intellectual contributions, scientific judgment, critical thinking, or responsibility of human researchers.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, validity, and integrity of all manuscript content, including research data, experimental results, statistical analyses, references, and scientific conclusions.

All AI-generated or AI-assisted content must be carefully reviewed and verified before submission.

2. Authorship and Accountability

Generative AI tools, including ChatGPT and other large language models, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts submitted to ZOOTEC.

AI systems cannot fulfill authorship requirements because they cannot assume responsibility for scientific findings, approve the final manuscript, disclose conflicts of interest, or accept accountability for published research.

All listed authors must meet the journal's authorship criteria and accept full responsibility for their contributions and the integrity of the submitted manuscript.

3. Transparency and Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose any substantive use of Generative AI in preparing manuscripts, particularly when AI tools contribute to drafting scientific content, organizing or interpreting information, generating code, supporting analyses, or producing research-related materials.

The disclosure should identify:

The name of the AI tool and its provider.
The version or model used, where known.
The purpose and extent of AI assistance.
The authors' responsibility for reviewing and verifying AI-assisted content.

The disclosure must be included in a separate section entitled Declaration of Generative AI Use before the References, or in the Methods section when AI is directly involved in the research methodology.

Routine spelling correction, grammar checking, and basic language editing that do not substantively generate or modify scholarly content do not require a separate declaration.

4. AI-Generated Research Data and Images

ZOOTEC strictly prohibits the use of Generative AI to fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent research data, experimental results, or scientific findings.

This includes the inappropriate creation or manipulation of:

Livestock experimental data and production performance records.
Animal feeding trial results and nutritional measurements.
Animal health observations, laboratory findings, and diagnostic images.
Microscopic images, photographs, graphs, and experimental figures.
Survey responses, interviews, or other empirical research records.

AI-assisted data processing, predictive modeling, computational simulation, and image analysis may be permitted when scientifically justified, methodologically transparent, reproducible, and consistent with applicable research ethics.

Authors must clearly distinguish real observations from simulated or synthetic data.

AI-generated images must not be presented as authentic experimental observations or original photographic evidence.

Any permitted AI-assisted analytical methods must be appropriately described in the manuscript.

5. Accuracy of References and Scientific Information

Authors must verify all references, citations, scientific statements, and information produced or suggested by Generative AI systems.

The submission of fabricated references, nonexistent publications, incorrect citations, misleading scientific statements, or unsupported conclusions is prohibited.

Generative AI outputs must not be treated as independently verified scientific evidence.

Authors are responsible for consulting reliable scientific sources and ensuring the accuracy and relevance of all cited literature.

6. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Authors must ensure that the use of Generative AI does not compromise confidential research information, unpublished scientific data, personal information, intellectual property rights, or other protected materials.

Sensitive information, including identifiable participant data, confidential farm records, proprietary datasets, and unpublished research materials, must not be uploaded to unauthorized AI platforms.

Authors must comply with applicable institutional policies, research ethics requirements, confidentiality obligations, and data protection regulations.

7. Use of Generative AI by Reviewers

Peer reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of all manuscripts and related materials received during the review process.

Reviewers must not upload unpublished manuscripts, figures, tables, research data, or supplementary materials to public or unauthorized third-party Generative AI platforms.

Generative AI must not replace the independent scientific judgment of reviewers.

Reviewers remain responsible for assessing manuscript originality, methodological quality, scientific validity, interpretation of findings, and compliance with publication ethics.

Any permitted AI assistance must comply with the journal's confidentiality and editorial requirements.

8. Use of Generative AI by Editors

Editors may use appropriate AI-assisted technologies to support limited editorial and administrative activities, provided that confidentiality, data security, and publication ethics are maintained.

Generative AI must not independently determine manuscript acceptance, revision, rejection, or publication.

All editorial decisions must be made by qualified human editors based on scientific merit, peer-review recommendations, methodological quality, and ethical considerations.

Editors must not disclose confidential manuscript information to unauthorized AI systems.

9. Research Integrity and Ethical Compliance

ZOOTEC does not tolerate the use of Generative AI to engage in:

Plagiarism or inappropriate reproduction of copyrighted materials.
Fabrication or falsification of research data.
Manipulation of images or experimental results.
Generation of fabricated citations or references.
Misrepresentation of authorship or scientific contributions.
Manipulation of peer-review reports or editorial decisions.
Concealment of substantive AI involvement in scientific research or manuscript preparation.

Suspected violations will be evaluated in accordance with the journal's Research Misconduct Policy and Publication Ethics Policy.

10. Editorial Actions and Policy Violations

When inappropriate or undisclosed use of Generative AI is identified, ZOOTEC may request clarification, additional documentation, revisions, or supporting research materials.

Depending on the severity of the violation, editorial actions may include manuscript rejection, further ethical investigation, publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retraction of published articles.

Editorial actions will be proportionate to the evidence and conducted in accordance with applicable publication ethics principles and relevant COPE guidance.

11. Declaration of Generative AI Use

Authors who have substantively used Generative AI technologies must include an appropriate declaration in their manuscripts.

Example: When Generative AI Was Used

During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [AI Tool Name, Provider, and Version] to assist with [specific purpose]. All AI-assisted content was critically reviewed, verified, and revised by the authors. The authors take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and final content of the manuscript.

Example: When Generative AI Was Not Used

The authors declare that no Generative Artificial Intelligence tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.

Where AI is used as part of the research methodology, authors must additionally describe the relevant computational procedures, models, validation methods, and limitations in the Materials and Methods section.

12. Policy Review and Updates

ZOOTEC recognizes that Generative AI technologies and their applications in scientific publishing continue to evolve.

This policy will be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect developments in artificial intelligence, research ethics, scientific publishing standards, and relevant institutional or regulatory requirements.

ZOOTEC Journal supports the responsible and transparent use of Generative AI as a supplementary tool that enhances scholarly communication while preserving human accountability, scientific integrity, originality, and ethical research practices.

References

Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Guidance and Core Practices on Publication Ethics and Artificial Intelligence.
International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM). Recommendations for a Classification of AI Use in Academic Manuscript Preparation (2025).
World Association of Medical Editors (WAME). Recommendations on Chatbots, Generative AI, and Scholarly Manuscripts.
International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE). Recommendations for the Conduct, Reporting, Editing, and Publication of Scholarly Work in Medical Journals.