Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Policy Statement

Our journal recognizes the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in academic workflows. To maintain the integrity, confidentiality, and quality of the peer review process, the following guidelines apply to all participants involved in research publising (Authors, Editors, Reviewers, and Editorial Staff):

 

For Authors

In line with recent advancements and concerns about the use of AI-generated content, Annals of the College of Medicine, Mosul will screen all submitted manuscripts for content generated by artificial intelligence. The acceptable threshold for AI-generated text or content within a submission is 25%. Any manuscript exceeding this limit will be subjected to further scrutiny and may be rejected on the grounds of insufficient originality. We ask all authors to ensure the authenticity of their submissions and provide clear acknowledgement when using AI tools for writing or research assistance.

 

Permitted Uses: The following are some of the permitted uses of AI tools by authors:

  • Editing and language correction: grammar, syntax, and readability are improved.
  • Research support: Literature search assistance, experimental design consultation, and methodology guidance.

 

Prohibited Uses: AI must not be used to

  • Analyze, interpret, or summarize the content of submitted manuscripts.
  • Create, alter, enhance, or modify research images, figures, or photographs (except when AI image processing is part of the research methodology itself).
  • Generate research data, results, or citations.
  • Generate entire sections, conclusions, or core research content without substantial human intellectual contribution.

 

The journal requests a Mandatory Disclosure from authors regarding the use of AI. This should include:

  1. Full disclosure: Every contribution with the assistance of AI should be fully disclosed in a specific section of the manuscript called AI Disclosure, located ahead of the references list.
  2. Specific identification: Authors must specify:
    • The exact AI tools/systems used (name, version, provider).
    • The specific sections or aspects of the manuscript where AI was employed
    • The nature and extent of AI assistance provided.
    • The level of human oversight and validation applied.
  3. Sample disclosure statement: "The authors used [AI tool name/version] to improve the language and readability of sections (introduction and materials and methods). All AI-generated content was thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked, and validated by the authors before inclusion."

 

Author Responsibilities: When using AI, authors MUST:

  • Validate all outputs: Thoroughly review and verify all AI-generated content for accuracy, originality, and scientific validity.
  • Ensure reproducibility: Provide sufficient documentation, including parameters, prompts, and methodological details.
  • Maintain accountability: Be able to claim full responsibility for the integrity, accuracy and originality of all content, whether AI is involved or not.
  • Follow ethical standards: It is recommended to ensure that the utilisation of AI does not contradict any data privacy regulations, the mitigation of bias, and the corresponding attribution values.

 

Violations and Consequences

Any misuse of AI technology, including but not limited to Undisclosed AI use, Plagiarism through AI tools, False data or falsification of data, manipulation of images without declaration will result in:

  • Immediate manuscript rejection (for submissions under review).
  • Article retraction (for published articles).
  • Notification to author's institutional affiliations.
  • Possible exclusion from future submissions.

 

 

For Reviewers:

  • Reviewers must NOT upload submitted manuscripts or any portion thereof into generative AI tools, as this violates author confidentiality and may breach data privacy rights
  • Peer review reports should not be processed through AI tools, even for language improvement purposes
  • The critical judgment and analysis of the manuscript should be solely in the hands of humans (AI tools cannot be utilized to support scientific review because they cannot make adequate scientific evaluations and are likely to generate biased or incorrect evaluations)
  • Reviewers who are aware of any suspected inappropriate or undisclosed AI use by authors must report their suspicions to the journal editor.

 

For Editors:

  • Editors must not upload manuscripts or portions thereof into AI tools.
  • Editorial communications and decision letters should not be generated or processed using AI tools.
  • Final editorial decisions must remain under human control and judgment.
  • Editors are expected to investigate if they suspect the policy has been violated and if a violation is confirmed, the reviewer’s report will be excluded from the editorial decision process, and the reviewer will be removed from the journal’s reviewer pool.