Artifical Intelegence (AI) Policy

The Anatolian Journal of Educational Leadership and Instruction (AJELI) recognizes that large language models (LLMs) or Gen AI offer opportunities for acceleration in research and its dissemination. While these opportunities can be transformative, they are unable to replicate human creative and critical thinking. We distinguish various uses for AI and related technologies as: assistive (and no longer requiring disclosure), generative (requiring disclosure), and prohibitive. AJELI’s policy on the use of AI technology has been developed to assist authors, reviewers and editors to make good judgements about the ethical use of such technology.
For Authors
Language, grammar, or structure
Assistive AI tools that suggest language, grammar, or structure improvements do not require disclosure, but authors are responsible for accuracy and scholarly standards.
Content
When AI generates content—such as references, text, or images—this must be clearly disclosed. Please use the methods or acknowledgements section, as appropriate. Authors should also cite original sources rather than AI tools as primary references. Authors should verify all AI-generated content for accuracy, biases, and plagiarism, avoiding false claims or fabricated citations, and must not list AI tools like ChatGPT as authors. Undisclosed or inappropriate AI use may lead to rejection or other editorial actions.
For Reviewers
This journal now prohibits reviewers and editors from using generative AI or AI-assisted technologies, including ChatGPT and similar services, during the peer-review and article-assessment process. Reviewers may use AI to enhance language, but they remain accountable for the accuracy and quality of their reviews; improper use of AI will result in exclusion from the reviewing process. AI must be used judiciously to maintain research integrity and academic standards.
Disclosure
Authors must reveal the use of AI tools for article preparation in a distinct AI declaration statement at the time of submission, which will subsequently be included in the published work. Authors must record their use of AI, including the name of the AI tool employed, the intent behind its usage, and the degree of their supervision. Disclosing the use of AI tools fosters transparency and confidence among writers, readers, reviewers, editors, and collaborators, while ensuring adherence to the relevant AI tool's terms of use. Fundamental assessments of grammar, spelling, and punctuation need no formal statement. The use of AI in the study process must be explicitly stated and thoroughly detailed in the techniques section.
Prohibited use of AI
While submissions will not be rejected solely because of the disclosed use of GenAI tools, if the editor becomes aware that GenAI was inappropriately used in the preparation of a submission without disclosure, the editor reserves the right to reject the submission at any time during the publishing process.
Reviewers using ChatGPT or other GenAI tools to generate review reports inappropriately will not be invited to review for the journal and their review will not be included in the final decision.
Editors must not use ChatGPT or other GenAI to generate decision letters, or summaries of unpublished research. The journal and publisher reserve the right to take action if reviewers and editors breach peer-review confidentiality by using GenAI tools.
Inappropriate use of GenAI includes:
1. Generation of incorrect text or content
2. Generation of data or submission using a series of prompts
3. Conducting interviews with GenAI tools in lieu of participants for qualitative research
4. Analysis of experiences and themes
5. Plagiarism or inappropriate attribution to prior sources
6. Generated images that are presented as unique or novel research images
7. Fabricated references or falsified claims
8. Use of GenAI tools for editorial work or to conduct peer-review