Generative AI Policy

Policy on the Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies

The European Journal of Language and Literature Studies (EJLS) recognises that generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) can support researchers in drafting, translating, formatting and refining their work. EJLS is committed to the highest standards of publication ethics and research integrity. In line with international publishing standards, including COPE guidance, this policy sets out the permitted uses, the restrictions and the required disclosures for authors, reviewers and editors.

1. Policy for Authors

Permitted use and responsibility

Authors may use AI tools (for example large language models or writing assistants) to improve the language, readability, organisation and clarity of their manuscripts, or to support literature searches and brainstorming. AI tools must never replace the author’s own critical thinking, interpretation of texts and data, or scholarly expertise.

  • Human oversight: AI tools are used only under the author’s control, and their output is checked and edited by the author.
  • Accountability: Authors are fully responsible for the whole content of their work, including the accuracy and impartiality of any AI-assisted text and the existence and accuracy of every reference (AI tools are known to invent citations and quotations).
  • Quotations and translations: Quotations from primary texts are checked against the edition cited. Translations of quoted passages produced with machine translation or AI tools are checked by the author and declared.
  • Data privacy: Authors make sure that the tools they use respect confidentiality and intellectual property, and do not upload unpublished data, interview material or other people’s unpublished work to services that may reuse it.

No AI authorship

AI tools cannot be listed or cited as an author or co-author. Authorship carries ethical and legal responsibilities, such as approving the final version and answering for its originality, that only people can take.

Mandatory disclosure

Basic checks of spelling, grammar and punctuation need no disclosure. Any other use of AI tools in writing or preparing the manuscript is declared in a statement placed at the end of the manuscript, immediately before the references, entitled “Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process”:

“During the preparation of this work, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON, e.g. improve the readability and language of the text]. After using this tool / service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the published article.”

When AI tools are part of the research itself, for example in studies of machine translation, of AI-generated text, or in corpus analysis with language models, they are described in the methodology section in a way that allows the study to be reproduced (tool, version, settings, prompts where relevant, and how the output was checked).

2. Figures, Images and Artwork

EJLS does not permit the use of AI tools to create, alter or manipulate images, figures or facsimiles in submitted manuscripts. Adjustments of brightness, contrast or colour balance are acceptable when they do not hide, remove or change any information in the original. The only exception is when AI-generated images are themselves the object of the research; they are then labelled as such, and the tool and its use are described in the methodology section.

3. Policy for Reviewers and Editors

  • Reviewers: Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, abstracts, figures or author information to generative AI services, and must not use AI tools to evaluate a manuscript or write a review. They may use AI-assisted tools only to improve the language of their own comments, and declare this to the handling editor.
  • Editors: Editors must not use generative AI to evaluate manuscripts, make decisions or write decision letters. Human editorial judgement is required at every stage of the evaluation.
  • Publisher: Unpublished manuscripts are not uploaded to public generative AI services. After acceptance, the publisher may use automated and AI-assisted tools, under human review, for production tasks such as format, language and consistency checks; these tools are never used for editorial decisions.

4. Policy Review

This policy was adopted in October 2026. EJLS follows developments in artificial intelligence and publication ethics and will update this policy as needed.

European Journal of Language and Literature Studies (EJLS) · ISSN 2411-9598 (Print), ISSN 2411-4103 (Online) · Journal e-mail: [email protected]
Publisher: Revistia Research and Publishing (UK Company No. 13067873), Office 1, Forest House Business Centre, 8 Gainsborough Road, London, E11 1HT, United Kingdom · [email protected] · +44 330 027 1458
Last updated 6 October 2026