Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use and Authorship Policy

The Turkish Journal of Remote Sensing (TJRS) recognizes the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in scientific research and writing. However, the use of such tools must comply with the principles of scientific integrity, transparency, human oversight, and ethical responsibility.
This policy is based on the current recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME).

1. AI Tools Cannot Be Listed as Authors
AI systems (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Claude, etc.) cannot be listed as authors under any circumstances.
AI tools cannot fulfill academic responsibilities, such as accountability, conflict-of-interest declarations, or copyright transfers.
Therefore, all authors of manuscripts submitted to TJRS must be real human contributors.
2. AI Use Must Be Transparently Declared with Purpose
Authors must clearly disclose any use of AI tools during manuscript preparation.
This disclosure should appear under a specific section titled “AI Contribution Statement” or within the Acknowledgments section.
The declaration must not only state that AI was used, but also specify which tool and version were used, and for what purpose.
COPE and WAME ethical standards require this level of transparency.
Examples:
• “ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2025, version 4.0) was used solely for English language editing. All data interpretation and conclusions are the authors’ own responsibility.”
• “GitHub Copilot was used to identify and simplify Python code errors. The authors verified all codes and analyses.”
• “No artificial intelligence tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript.”
3. Authors Are Responsible for All AI-Generated Content
All text, figures, tables, or analyses generated with the help of AI tools must be verified, validated, and approved by the authors.
Authors are fully responsible for any errors, misleading statements, incorrect citations, or fabricated references produced by AI tools.
Submitting unverifiable AI-generated results or texts as scientific content will be treated as a breach of publication ethics.
4. Guidelines for Editors and Reviewers
• Editors and reviewers must not upload any confidential manuscript content (text, data, figures, or supplementary files) to AI platforms.
• Such actions may constitute a breach of confidentiality.
• AI tools may only be used for minor language or technical suggestions, never for editorial or peer-review decisions.
• Editorial decisions must always remain under human supervision and judgment.
• Editors may use AI-detection tools to help identify AI-generated content, but must interpret results carefully.
5. Acceptable Uses of AI Tools
TJRS allows the use of AI tools only for supportive purposes, including:
• Language editing: Grammar, spelling, or syntax improvement
• Code assistance: Technical help in scripting or debugging (e.g., Python, R)
• Visualization: Creating conceptual or schematic figures
• Text simplification: Enhancing readability without altering meaning
AI tools must not be used to fabricate data, generate research results, create references, or alter analytical findings.
6. General Principle
AI tools should be regarded as assistive instruments, not as substitutes for human intellect or academic contribution.
Research conception, analysis, interpretation, and discussion must always reflect the intellectual work of the authors.
TJRS considers maintaining this balance an essential element of ethical scientific publishing.