1) Purpose and scope
These policies set expectations for the responsible use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) in manuscript preparation, peer review, editorial decision-making, and publisher communications across all Locke Science Publisher. They are designed to promote transparency, protect confidentiality, and preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.
2) Key principles
Human accountability: AI tools must not replace scholarly judgment. Authors, reviewers, and editors remain fully responsible for accuracy, originality, and integrity.
Transparency: Material AI use must be disclosed so readers and editors can assess the work appropriately.
Confidentiality and privacy: Unpublished manuscripts, peer-review content, and confidential data must not be shared with external AI tools unless explicitly approved by the journal and appropriate safeguards are in place.
3) Authorship and responsibility
AI tools (including chatbots and large language models) cannot be listed as authors and cannot take responsibility for the work.
Named human authors are responsible for all content, including any parts produced with AI assistance, and for ensuring proper attribution and absence of plagiarism.
4) Policy for authors
4.1 Permitted uses (with human oversight)
Authors may use AI tools to support legitimate tasks such as:
improving language clarity and readability (copyediting)
organizing content and outlining
summarizing literature for internal drafting support
checking grammar and spelling
coding assistance, where relevant, with careful verification
In all cases, authors must review and verify AI outputs for accuracy, bias, completeness, and references (AI-generated citations can be wrong or fabricated).
4.2 Required disclosure of AI use
Authors must disclose AI use when AI tools materially contributed to creating or transforming manuscript content (text, images, code, analyses, tables, translations, or interpretations). Disclosure should include:
tool name (and version if available)
what it was used for (purpose)
which sections/materials were affected
the level of human review/oversight
This disclosure should appear in the manuscript (typically Acknowledgements; if methods are affected, also in Methods/Materials and Methods) and be declared during submission.
4.3 When disclosure is not required
Use of AI purely for AI-assisted copyediting (grammar, spelling, punctuation, readability improvements to human-written text) does not require disclosure.
4.4 Data privacy, confidentiality, and tool terms
Authors must not input:
confidential/unpublished manuscript content (unless the tool is explicitly approved by the journal)
personal/sensitive data (especially identifiable participant data)
proprietary third-party data
Authors should check tool terms to ensure they are not granting rights that could restrict publication or allow training on confidential manuscript inputs.
4.5 Images, figures, and visual materials
Because AI-generated visuals raise integrity and rights issues, Locke Science Publisher apply the following default rule:
AI-generated images/figures may not be used as evidence of real-world observations, experiments, fieldwork, case documentation, or clinical/technical results.
AI-generated visuals may be permitted only when they are clearly labelled as AI-generated, are used for illustrative/conceptual purposes, and do not infringe copyright, privacy, or third-party rights. The caption must disclose the tool and the nature of generation.
Journals may apply stricter rules in specific disciplines.
4.6 Prohibited uses
Using AI to fabricate or falsify data, results, images, or citations
Using AI to mask plagiarism or to generate text without meaningful author control
Submitting AI-generated references without verification
Citing AI output as a primary scholarly source in place of the underlying literature
5) Policy for peer reviewers
Reviewers must treat manuscripts and peer-review communications as confidential and must not upload any part of a submitted manuscript or review materials into external AI tools.
If a reviewer uses any AI tool in preparing the review (for example, to improve the language of their own review text without sharing manuscript content), the reviewer must disclose this to the editor in the review comments, and remains responsible for the review’s content and citations.
6) Policy for editors and editorial staff
Editors are accountable for decisions and must ensure human judgment remains central.
Editors and staff must not upload submitted manuscripts, peer-review reports, or confidential correspondence into external AI tools.
If AI tools are used to support editorial workflows (e.g., language checks on decision letters), editors must ensure no confidential content is exposed and must fully review the output.
7) Policy for publisher-generated content
If Locke Science Publisher uses AI to generate non-substantive accessory content (e.g., short summaries or highlights), this content must be reviewed and fact-checked by humans and must not replace the peer-reviewed article record. Any substantive AI use should be disclosed on the relevant page.
8) Compliance, checks, and consequences
The journal may request additional details (e.g., what tool was used and how) and may request supporting materials when integrity concerns arise.
Failure to disclose required AI use may result in editorial action, including rejection, correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on severity.
9) Suggested disclosure templates (authors)
Copy/paste for Acknowledgements (material AI use)
“We used [tool name, version] on [date range] to assist with [purpose, e.g., drafting/translation/code generation/figure generation]. All AI outputs were reviewed, edited, and verified by the authors, who take full responsibility for the content.”
Copy/paste for Methods (if methods/analysis were assisted)
“AI-assisted tools were used in [specific methodological step]. The tool used was [name/version]. The authors validated outputs by [describe validation/verification approach].”
10) Contact
Questions about these policies should be directed to: CustomerCare@LockeScience.press