AI Usage Policy
The Journal of Child and Youth Psychology (JCYP) supports the responsible, transparent, and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI), generative artificial intelligence, and AI-assisted technologies in scholarly research and publishing.
This policy covers the use of large language models and other AI systems, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and similar technologies capable of generating or assisting with text, code, images, data analysis, or other content.
The fundamental principle is that artificial intelligence may be used as a tool to support human expertise, scholarly judgment, and academic responsibility, but it cannot replace them.
Human Responsibility
Authors remain fully responsible for the final work.
Authors remain fully responsible for the final work.
Transparency
AI uses requiring disclosure must be reported.
AI uses requiring disclosure must be reported.
Confidentiality
Confidential and sensitive data must be protected.
Confidential and sensitive data must be protected.
Research Integrity
AI cannot replace scholarly judgment.
AI cannot replace scholarly judgment.
1. Authorship and Responsibility
Artificial intelligence tools or large language models cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship requires accountability for the content of the work, disclosure of conflicts of interest, approval of the final version, and responsibility for the integrity of the research.
Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy of all content generated or assisted by AI and for ensuring that it does not contain inaccurate, incomplete, biased, or fabricated information.
2. Uses That Do Not Require Disclosure
AI-assisted tools used solely for the following purposes in text originally prepared by the author do not normally require separate disclosure:
- Correction of spelling and punctuation,
- Basic grammar checking,
- Formatting adjustments,
- Limited improvements in language and readability that do not alter the meaning or scholarly content of the text.
If the tool substantially changes the content, arguments, interpretation, organization, or scientific meaning of the manuscript, its use must be disclosed.
3. Uses That Require Disclosure
The use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies must be disclosed when they are used for purposes including, but not limited to:
- Generating text or substantially restructuring existing text,
- Summarizing or synthesizing literature,
- Providing substantial assistance in formulating research questions or organizing content,
- Translation,
- Generating or substantially developing code,
- Data analysis or interpretation,
- Use of AI as part of the research methodology,
- Generating tables, figures, diagrams, or images,
- Identifying, compiling, or suggesting references or sources.
When AI is used as part of the research methodology, the name and, where possible, version of the tool, its purpose, mode of use, and role in the research must be described in the Methods section in sufficient detail to support reproducibility.
4. AI Use Declaration
Suggested Declaration
During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SYSTEM and, where possible, VERSION] for [PURPOSE OF USE]. The outputs provided by the artificial intelligence system were reviewed by the author(s), necessary checks and revisions were performed, and the author(s) assume full responsibility for the final content of the manuscript.
Uses requiring disclosure should be reported under the heading “Declaration of the Use of Artificial Intelligence and AI-Assisted Technologies” before the reference list. AI applications used as part of the research methodology must also be described in the Methods section.
5. References and Scholarly Accuracy
Artificial intelligence systems may generate non-existent references, incorrect DOIs, inaccurate bibliographic information, or fabricated studies. Authors are responsible for verifying every source suggested by an AI system against the original source.
AI-generated outputs must not be used as a substitute for scientific evidence. Authors should not cite sources they have not accessed or verified and should refer to original scholarly sources whenever possible.
6. Data, Privacy, and Participant Rights
Confidential, personal, or sensitive research data must not be uploaded to publicly accessible generative AI systems or systems that may retain or reuse submitted data unless appropriate ethical, legal, and data-security requirements have been satisfied.
Information requiring particular protection includes:
- Participant-identifying information,
- Interview recordings and raw interview transcripts,
- Health and psychological assessment information,
- Identifiable visual and audio recordings,
- Unpublished sensitive research data.
Particular care must be taken to protect personal or sensitive data relating to child and adolescent participants. Where AI forms part of the research methodology, ethics approval, informed consent, data protection obligations, and principles of research ethics must also be observed.
7. Images, Figures, and Research Data
AI-generated explanatory diagrams, conceptual models, or similar illustrations may be considered only when their scientific accuracy has been verified by the authors and the use of AI has been transparently disclosed.
AI must not be used to fabricate research results, misleadingly alter existing data, create synthetic content that appears to represent genuine findings, or generate or modify images representing primary research data in a misleading manner.
If AI has been used to create or substantially modify a figure or image intended for publication, the tool and the nature of its use must be stated in the relevant figure legend.
8. Use of AI by Reviewers
Peer review is confidential. Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, supplementary files, tables, figures, unpublished research data, or confidential correspondence to publicly accessible generative AI systems or systems that do not guarantee confidentiality.
Scientific evaluation, critical judgment, interpretation, and reviewer recommendations must be based on the reviewer's own expertise and must not be delegated to artificial intelligence. Limited use of tools solely to improve spelling, grammar, or expression in a reviewer's own report may be acceptable. Any use beyond this should be disclosed to the editor.
9. Use of AI by Editors
Editors are responsible for preserving the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and the peer-review process. Manuscripts, supplementary files, reviewer reports, and confidential editorial correspondence must not be uploaded to publicly accessible generative AI systems or systems without appropriate data-privacy safeguards.
AI must not be used to determine the scientific merit of a manuscript, replace peer review, make acceptance or rejection decisions, or assume editorial responsibility. Responsibility for editorial decisions remains with the editor at all times.
10. Inappropriate or Undisclosed AI Use
If AI is found to have been used in violation of this policy, or if a use requiring disclosure has not been reported, the editorial office may request an explanation or additional documentation, return the manuscript for correction, suspend the review process, or reject the manuscript.
If the issue is identified after publication, corrections, retractions, or other appropriate post-publication actions may be taken in accordance with publication ethics and research integrity principles.
The use of artificial intelligence is not, by itself, a reason for rejecting a manuscript. The key requirements are that its use is ethical, appropriate, transparent, and consistent with research integrity.
11. Policy Updates
Artificial intelligence technologies and scholarly publishing standards are developing rapidly. The Journal of Child and Youth Psychology may update this policy as necessary in response to technological developments, research ethics standards, and internationally recognized principles of scholarly publishing.
