1. Interdisciplinary Media and Communication Studies (IMCS) - AI-assisted technologies Policy
Interdisciplinary Media and Communication Studies (IMCS) recognizes the growing use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in academic writing and publishing. In line with the position statements of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), and the Turkish Higher Education Council's (YÖK) 2024 Ethical Guide on the Use of Generative AI in Scientific Research and Publication Activities, IMCS adopts the following policy.
2. Authorship
2.1. AI tools or large language models (LLMs) cannot be credited as authors or co-authors of any work published in IMCS, as authorship requires accountability for the accuracy and integrity of the work, which only human authors can bear.
2.2. Permitted Uses
2.2.1.Language and style editing: Improving the grammar, spelling, fluency, and readability of the author's own original text is permitted without a disclosure requirement, functioning equivalently to standard spelling/grammar tools.
2.2.2. Idea development and literature support: Use for refining research questions, literature discovery, or coding/data-analysis assistance during preparation is permitted, provided it is disclosed in the Methods or Acknowledgements section.
2.2.3. Conceptual visualization: AI use in non-data conceptual illustrations (flowcharts, process diagrams) is permitted with attribution.
2.2.4. Coding and Data Analysis Support: The European Commission's ERA Living Guidelines on the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Research explicitly recognise the use of generative AI for tasks including code generation and data analysis, provided that researchers maintain transparency, accountability, human oversight and full responsibility for the scientific outputs.
2.3. Prohibited Uses
2.3.1. Content generation and 'humanization': Wholesale or substantial AI generation of analytical-interpretive sections (Findings, Discussion, Conclusion), or rewriting AI-generated text that does not reflect the author's own analytical reasoning for the purpose of evading AI-detection tools, is not permitted. This is distinct from language editing under 2.2.1. — the criterion is whether the underlying analysis and reasoning originate with the author.
2.3.2. Fabrication of research data and findings: AI-generated results, statistics, quotations, or citations, or unverified content at risk of hallucination, are prohibited.
2.3.3. Manipulation of visual/data material: AI generation or alteration of images representing research data (charts, tables, screenshots, media samples) is prohibited, except in studies where AI itself is the object of research.
2.4. Disclosure Requirements
2.4.1. Uses under 2.2 (other than language editing) must be disclosed in a dedicated 'AI Use Statement' section placed at the end of the manuscript, immediately before the References.
2.4.2. The statement must specify the tool name and version, the purpose of use, and the section(s) in which it was used.
2.4.3. Undisclosed AI use, if detected, will be treated as a publication ethics violation under COPE guidelines.
2.5. Peer Review and Editorial Process
2.5.1. Reviewers and editors may not upload manuscripts under review to any AI tool or LLM at any stage of evaluation, as this would breach the author's confidentiality and intellectual property rights.
2.5.2. Reviewers may use AI only to edit the language of their own review report; they remain fully responsible for its content and judgment.
2.5.3. AI may not be used in preliminary screening, reviewer assignment, or accept/reject decisions.
2.6. Responsibility
2.6.1. Regardless of AI use, all authors bear joint and individual responsibility for the scientific accuracy, originality, ethical compliance, and any errors in the work.
2.6.2. This policy is to be read together with YÖK's 2024 Ethical Guide and Yaşar University's relevant institutional regulations, and will be updated by the Editorial Board as developments warrant.