Statement on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in Academic Writing and Manuscript Handling

 

To uphold research integrity and prevent academic misconduct, the Journal of Hebei University of Engineering (Natural Science Edition) hereby issues this statement regarding the utilization of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) throughout the processes of paper writing and the editorial process.

1. The scope for authors to use GenAI

1. GenAI can be utilized for heuristic exploration—including literature searching, topic ideation, and keyword recommendations—and for explaining relevant concepts. However, authors are required to verify any information provided by GenAI and must not directly use unverified data.

2. When the research methodology does not constitute a novel contribution of the paper, GenAI may be used to assist in the selection and recommendation of research methods, such as statistical, experimental, or survey methods. However, authors must review and test the selected research methods.

3. GenAI may be utilized for statistical analysis within the research process, provided that the analyzed data consists of authentic data produced or gathered by the authors in the course of their research. Authors bear responsibility for the choice of modeling and testing methods and are required to validate GenAI’s statistical analysis results using alternative methods.

4. GenAI may be utilized for language polishing and translation. Nevertheless, authors must ensure that the paper reflects the writing style of the individual or co-authors. (Note: Inputting a manuscript into public GenAI tools carries the risk of it being incorporated into the training dataset of large language models.)

5. GenAI can be utilized for chart recommendation and figure generation assistance; however, it is prohibited from using GenAI to create, modify, or manipulate raw research data, research processes, or findings.

6. GenAI may be used for format standardization checks, automated sorting, and automatic citation generation of references. Content generated by AI should not be cited as an original source. If citation is absolutely necessary, it must be clearly explained.

7. GenAI can be utilized to summarize, categorize, and label review comments, as well as assist in replying to them, but authors must bear responsibility for the response content.

II.Prohibited Uses of GenAI by Authors

1. GenAI, its products, and teams must not be credited as authors on academic papers.

2. The use of GenAI to draft the entirety of a paper or significant parts thereof (e.g., the summary of contributions, research methods, hypotheses, data analysis, or analysis and discussion of results) is prohibited and constitutes academic misconduct.

3. The use of GenAI to generate or modify raw data in research papers is prohibited.

4. The use of images and other multimedia content generated by GenAI is prohibited in papers (unless an exception applies, such as in articles specifically dedicated to the discussion of AI or machine learning).

III. Author Responsibilities and GenAI Disclosure

If authors have used GenAI in their research or paper writing, they must provide a public, transparent, and detailed explanation of such usage in the Acknowledgments or the Methodology section of the main text. This disclosure must include: the name and version of the GenAI tool, the date of use, specific purposes and usage processes, the content generated or suggestions provided by GenAI, and the specific sections involved (e.g., the Methods section or Literature Review). It must also include a statement regarding the review of the GenAI output (e.g., the authors have reviewed and edited the content generated by GenAI and assume full responsibility for the authenticity and accuracy of the paper’s content). Failure to fulfill this disclosure responsibility shall be deemed academic misconduct.

It is recommended that authors submit GenAI-assisted components (e.g., text, figures, or programs) as supplementary materials, thereby enabling reviewers and editors to assess the originality of the manuscript.

IV. Requirements for Using GenAI During the Peer Review Process

Peer review must be conducted and completed exclusively by human reviewers.

Uploading manuscripts and supplementary materials to publicly accessible GenAI platforms to generate review comments or suggest revisions during the review process is strictly prohibited.

When a reviewer has reason to believe an author has misused GenAI, they are required to notify the editorial office and provide an explanation in the review report.

Editors are prohibited from using GenAI for paper review or formatting standardization.

V. Measures Against Unauthorized GenAI Use

Upon determining that an author has violated regulations regarding GenAI use in paper writing, the editorial office reserves the right to reject the manuscript or retract the paper. For serious violations, the author may be placed on an academic misconduct blacklist. If the author is also a reviewer for the journal, they may be barred from performing review duties.

If a reviewer violates the aforementioned regulations during the peer review process, resulting in consequences such as information leakage or copyright infringement, they may be prohibited from participating in review work and shall bear corresponding responsibility when necessary.

This statement will be continuously updated.

 

 

 

Released: October 1, 2025