In light of the rapid increase in the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies, the Journal of Selcuk University Social Sciences Institute (SUSBED) has updated its publication ethics policies as outlined below.

1. For Authors
1.1. The use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools must comply with international and institutional policies, including the principles established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
1.2. AI tools cannot be credited as authors; authorship is reserved solely for researchers who meet the criteria specified in the journal’s guidelines.
1.3. Authors may employ AI tools exclusively for the purpose of improving the clarity, coherence, and overall readability of the manuscript.
1.4. The specific AI tools used, along with their context of use, must be explicitly disclosed in the “AI Declaration” section of the article information form.
1.5. Any AI-generated content must be free from plagiarism and carefully verified for accuracy, considering that AI systems may produce outputs that are misleading, incomplete, or biased.
1.6. Authors bear full responsibility for all content generated with the assistance of AI tools.

2. For Reviewers
2.1. Reviewers must treat all manuscripts assigned for evaluation with the strictest confidentiality.
2.2. Manuscripts may only be accessed and used within ethical and professional boundaries and must never, under any circumstances, be uploaded—either in full or in part—to any generative AI tool or similar platform.
2.3. This confidentiality obligation extends to review reports, as they may contain sensitive information concerning the manuscript and/or the authors.
2.4. Uploading such content to AI tools may compromise author confidentiality, infringe upon proprietary rights, and, in cases where personal data are included, lead to serious data protection and privacy violations.
2.5. Reviewers are responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the peer-review process and maintaining the trust placed in them by the authors. Reviewers bear full responsibility for the content of their reports.
2.6. The SUSBED AI Author Policy permits authors to use AI technologies during the writing process prior to submission, but this is strictly limited to enhancing the language and readability of the manuscript. Authors are required to make appropriate disclosures in the “AI Statement” section of the article.

3. For Editors
3.1. All manuscripts submitted to SUSBED must be regarded as confidential documents.
3.2. Editors must refrain from uploading a manuscript, in whole or in part, to any generative AI tool, in order to protect the confidentiality and proprietary rights of the authors.
3.3. If the manuscript contains personal data, such actions may constitute a violation of data privacy regulations.
3.4. This confidentiality requirement also applies to all related correspondence regarding the manuscript (e.g., notifications, review reports, and decision letters), as such communications may include sensitive information about the manuscript or its authors.
3.5. Editors must avoid using AI tools to process these communications, even when the sole intent is to improve language or clarity.