Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
Responsible AI use requires transparency, ethical disclosure,
and preservation of independent scholarly integrity.
1. Purpose and Scope
The Princeton Journal of Pre-Collegiate Research (PJPCR) recognises that generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies are increasingly used in academic research, writing, data analysis, and scholarly communication. PJPCR supports the responsible and transparent use of these technologies where they can assist student researchers and improve the quality of scholarly work, while safeguarding academic integrity, originality, research ethics, and the integrity of the published record.
This policy sets out PJPCR's expectations for the responsible use of AI by authors, peer reviewers, and editors. The purpose of this policy is not to discourage appropriate use of AI, but to ensure that AI remains a supporting tool and does not replace the student's intellectual contribution or the independent judgement of reviewers and editors.
For the purposes of this policy, "AI tools" include, but are not limited to, large language models and chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Copilot; AI-based translation and language-editing services; AI-assisted data analysis and coding tools; AI-based image and multimedia generators; and other AI-assisted research software.
This policy applies to all submissions and article types published by PJPCR.
PJPCR distinguishes between two broad categories of AI use:
AI as a Research Method
AI may form part of the research methodology itself. Examples include machine learning, natural language processing, computational modelling, text mining, automated data classification, or other AI-based analytical methods.
When AI is used as part of the research methodology, the authors must clearly describe its use in the Methods or relevant methodological section, including sufficient information about the tool, version where applicable, data used, parameters, and validation procedures to allow the research to be properly evaluated.
AI as a Writing or Research Aid
AI may also be used to support activities such as language improvement, translation, organisation, brainstorming, coding assistance, or preliminary analysis.
Such use may be permitted, provided that the authors remain responsible for the research, independently verify AI-generated information, and comply with the disclosure requirements outlined in this policy.
2. Policy at a Glance
PJPCR permits the responsible use of AI as a supporting tool in research and academic writing. The acceptability of AI use depends on how the technology is used and whether the student's own intellectual contribution remains clear.
Permitted Uses
Authors may use AI for tasks such as:
Improving grammar, spelling, clarity, and readability
Rephrasing or restructuring their own writing
Translating their own work
Brainstorming research ideas and developing outlines
Formatting references, tables, and figures
Assisting with coding or statistical analysis, provided the results are independently verified
Exploring possible research methods or analytical approaches
Using AI or machine learning as part of the research methodology, provided its use is appropriately described in the manuscript
Uses Requiring Caution
AI may also be used to assist with analytical, methodological, or interpretive tasks, but authors must exercise independent scholarly judgement and verify the resulting information.
For example, authors may use AI to suggest statistical methods, explore potential interpretations of findings, identify patterns in data, or compare findings with existing literature. However, AI-generated suggestions must not be accepted without critical evaluation, and the final research must reflect the author's own understanding and judgement.
Where AI materially contributes to the development, interpretation, or presentation of the research, its use should be disclosed in accordance with this policy.
Not Permitted
AI must not be used to:
Generate or fabricate research data, results, citations, or sources
Present AI-generated ideas, analysis, or conclusions as the student's own intellectual work
Generate substantial portions of a manuscript without meaningful student involvement
Create fictitious research participants, observations, experiments, or results
Manipulate research evidence or data
List an AI tool as an author or co-author
Delegate peer-review or editorial decisions to AI
Upload confidential manuscripts or peer-review materials to public AI tools
Enter personally identifiable or confidential research information into public AI tools
The guiding principle is simple: AI may assist a student's research, but it must not replace the student's intellectual contribution, judgement, or responsibility.
3. AI Tools Cannot Be Authors
AI tools cannot be listed as an author or co-author of any submission to PJPCR.
Authorship requires responsibilities that can only be fulfilled by human authors. These include taking responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the research, approving the final manuscript, addressing questions about the work, declaring relevant conflicts of interest, and accepting responsibility for the published record.
The named authors remain fully responsible for the content of their submission, including any material that was produced or improved with the assistance of an AI tool.
4. Use of AI by Authors
4.1 Permitted Uses
PJPCR permits authors to use AI tools in appropriate ways throughout the research and writing process, provided that authors independently evaluate and verify the resulting material.
Permitted uses include:
Improving grammar, spelling, language, structure, and readability.
Rephrasing, condensing, or restructuring text originally developed by the student.
Translating the student's own work into another language, provided the translation is carefully reviewed.
Brainstorming research questions, ideas, or potential areas of investigation.
Developing an initial outline or organisational structure for a manuscript.
Formatting references, tables, or figure legends, provided that all references and information are independently verified.
Assisting with programming or statistical code, provided that the authors understand, test, and independently validate the code and its outputs.
Assisting with preliminary exploration of research data, provided that all substantive findings are independently verified by the authors.
Suggesting possible methodological or analytical approaches, provided that the student evaluates whether the suggestions are scientifically appropriate.
Using AI or machine learning as part of the research methodology, provided that its use is transparently described in the manuscript.
The use of AI does not reduce the student's responsibility for understanding the research or being able to explain and defend the work.
4.2 Uses Requiring Particular Caution
Some forms of AI use can contribute directly to the intellectual development or interpretation of a research project. These uses are not automatically prohibited, but require meaningful human oversight.
Examples include:
Asking AI to suggest analytical approaches.
Asking AI to identify potential patterns in research data.
Asking AI to suggest interpretations of findings.
Asking AI to compare findings with existing literature.
Using AI to generate substantial explanatory text.
Using AI to suggest research methodologies or experimental approaches.
Using AI to assist with statistical modelling or data analysis.
When using AI in these situations, authors must independently assess the output, verify relevant claims and sources, and ensure that the final research reflects their own scholarly judgement.
Where AI materially contributes to the development, interpretation, or presentation of the research, its use should be disclosed in accordance with Section 5.
4.3 Prohibited Uses
The following uses of AI are not permitted:
Using AI to fabricate or falsify research data, results, observations, or evidence.
Generating citations or references and submitting them without verifying that they are accurate and genuinely exist.
Presenting AI-generated analysis, reasoning, interpretations, or conclusions as the student's own intellectual work when the student did not meaningfully develop or evaluate them.
Submitting a manuscript consisting substantially of unedited or unverified AI-generated content.
Using AI to create fictitious research participants, experiments, observations, interviews, survey responses, or other research evidence.
Using AI to manipulate research data or create misleading research results.
Misrepresenting the extent to which AI contributed to the research or manuscript.
Listing an AI tool as an author or co-author.
Using AI to circumvent plagiarism, originality, or academic-integrity requirements.
Uploading confidential, unpublished, or personally identifiable research information to public or unsecured AI tools.
The central principle is that AI may assist a student's research, but it must not replace the student's substantive intellectual contribution.
4.4 Author Accountability
The use of AI does not by itself negatively affect the editorial assessment of a submission. PJPCR recognises that responsible use of AI can assist students in communicating their research more effectively.
However, authors remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, completeness, and integrity of their manuscripts.
Authors must therefore:
Review AI-generated content critically.
Verify factual claims and references.
Confirm that analyses and calculations are correct.
Ensure that the final manuscript accurately represents their research.
Ensure that AI-generated material does not introduce plagiarism or copyright concerns.
Disclose substantive AI use where required by this policy.
Authors should be particularly cautious because AI systems can produce incorrect information, fabricated references, unsupported claims, and misleading interpretations while presenting them with confidence.
5. Disclosure Requirements
Authors should be transparent about substantive use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies in preparing a manuscript.
AI Used for Writing or Preparation
When AI has been used substantially to assist with writing, editing, translation, organisation, or other preparation of the manuscript, authors should include a brief statement in a section titled:
"Declaration on the Use of AI-Assisted Technologies"
This statement should normally appear before the references or within the Acknowledgements section.
The statement should identify the AI tool and briefly explain how it was used.
Authors are not required to provide AI prompts, conversation transcripts, or complete records of interactions unless specifically requested by the editorial team.
AI Used as Part of the Research Methodology
When AI is an integral part of the research methodology, its use must be described in the Methods or relevant methodological section of the manuscript.
The description should provide sufficient information for readers and reviewers to understand how the AI system was used and, where relevant, evaluate or reproduce the methodology.
Examples of Disclosure Statements
Writing assistance:
During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [name of tool] to assist with language and readability. The authors reviewed and edited the resulting content and take full responsibility for the final manuscript.
Translation assistance:
The authors used [name of tool] to assist with translation of the manuscript. The translated content was independently reviewed and verified by the authors.
Research methodology:
The authors used [name of tool, version] as part of the research methodology to [describe use]. The outputs were independently evaluated and verified by the authors.
No AI used:
The authors declare that no generative artificial intelligence or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of this manuscript.
A statement confirming that no AI was used is optional unless specifically requested by PJPCR.
Routine Tools
Routine spelling and grammar checkers, standard reference-management software, conventional statistical software, and similar tools used for ordinary academic work generally do not require disclosure.
6. Use of AI by Peer Reviewers
Manuscripts submitted to PJPCR are confidential documents. Peer reviewers must protect the confidentiality of all materials received during the review process.
Accordingly:
Reviewers must not upload a submitted manuscript, or any part of it, to a public or unsecured generative AI tool.
Reviewers must not upload confidential research data, figures, tables, supplementary materials, or identifying information from a manuscript to public AI systems.
Reviewers must conduct their evaluation independently and must not delegate the substantive assessment of a manuscript to an AI system.
Reviewers must not use AI to generate the scientific judgement, recommendation, or substantive content of their review.
AI may only be used for limited supporting purposes where confidentiality is maintained and where the reviewer remains fully responsible for the review.
Reviewers should disclose substantive AI use to the handling editor where appropriate.
The final assessment, recommendation, and judgement must always belong to the human reviewer.
Failure to maintain manuscript confidentiality or inappropriate delegation of peer-review responsibilities may result in removal from the PJPCR reviewer pool and may be addressed under the journal's publication ethics procedures.
7. Use of AI by Editors
Editors and editorial staff must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and all associated materials.
Accordingly:
Editors must not upload submitted manuscripts or confidential manuscript materials to public or unsecured generative AI tools.
Editorial decisions must be made by human editors and must not be delegated to AI systems.
AI may be used for limited administrative or supporting functions where appropriate safeguards are in place.
AI-assisted screening or analytical tools may be used by the journal where appropriate, but their outputs must be reviewed and interpreted by human editors.
AI-generated indicators or recommendations must never be treated as definitive evidence of plagiarism, misconduct, poor quality, or any other editorial outcome.
All decisions regarding peer review, revision, acceptance, rejection, and publication remain the responsibility of PJPCR's human editorial team.
8. AI-Generated Images and Research Materials
PJPCR distinguishes between research evidence and illustrative material.
AI-generated images may be used for illustrative or educational purposes where their use is appropriate and clearly identified. However, AI must not be used to create or manipulate images in a way that falsely represents research evidence.
Authors must not use generative AI to fabricate or materially alter:
Research photographs
Experimental images
Microscopy images
Graphs or figures representing research data
Survey or experimental results
Scientific measurements
Other visual evidence presented as authentic research findings
Where AI-generated or AI-assisted visual material forms part of the research methodology itself, its use must be clearly described in the Methods section and may be subject to editorial review.
Any AI-generated illustrative content should not be presented in a manner that could reasonably lead readers to believe that it represents authentic research data or observations.
9. Privacy, Confidentiality, and Data Protection
Authors, reviewers, and editors must take appropriate measures to protect confidential and personally identifiable information when using AI tools.
Authors must not enter personally identifiable information, confidential research data, unpublished participant information, private correspondence, or other sensitive material into public or unsecured AI systems.
This includes information such as:
Names and contact information of research participants.
Student records or identifying information.
Private survey responses.
Unpublished interview transcripts containing identifying information.
Confidential institutional or research data.
Unpublished manuscripts or research findings.
Any information that could reasonably identify an individual.
Where research involves human participants, all applicable consent, privacy, and ethical requirements continue to apply when AI tools are used.
Authors remain responsible for ensuring that the use of AI does not compromise participant confidentiality or research ethics.
10. Editorial Assessment of AI Use
PJPCR does not reject manuscripts simply because AI tools have been used.
When assessing AI use, the editorial team may consider:
The purpose of the AI use
The extent of AI involvement
Whether the student's intellectual contribution remains clear
Whether AI-generated information has been independently verified
Whether appropriate disclosure has been provided
Whether confidentiality, originality, and research integrity have been maintained
Where AI use is unclear or appears inconsistent with this policy, PJPCR may request clarification from the authors.
If the editorial team determines that AI was used in a manner that compromises academic integrity, originality, research integrity, confidentiality, or authorship, the matter may be addressed under PJPCR's existing publication ethics and research integrity procedures.
11. Guiding Principle
PJPCR's approach to AI use is based on a simple principle:
AI may assist research and scholarly communication, but it must not replace the student's intellectual contribution, judgement, or responsibility.
Students are encouraged to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly. The purpose of this policy is to promote transparency and academic integrity while recognising that AI can be a useful supporting technology in modern research.
The final responsibility for every submission remains with the human authors, reviewers, and editors.