AI Policies

Riwaq: Journal of Islamic Studies recognises the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools in academic research and scholarly publishing. As generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude become more accessible, Riwaq emphasises the need to use these tools responsibly, ethically, and transparently. This policy sets forth the journal’s official stance on using AI by authors, reviewers, and editorial staff, per standards established by Elsevier and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

1. Use of AI Tools by Authors

Authors are permitted to use AI tools to assist in preparing their manuscripts, but this must be done responsibly and with complete transparency. Acceptable uses include language refinement, grammar correction, formatting of references, and translation. However, AI tools must not be used to generate substantive content, conduct scientific reasoning, interpret data, or replace the author’s intellectual contribution.

All listed authors must be human. Riwaq does not accept AI tools or bots as credited authors, as they cannot take responsibility for the work or provide accountability. Authorship requires meaningful intellectual input, consent to publication, and responsibility for content, all of which AI tools cannot fulfil.

2. Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose any use of AI tools in their manuscript. This includes AI applications for generating text, analysing data, assisting with translations, or performing code-related tasks. The disclosure should be placed in the Acknowledgements section, and the tool’s name, version, and specific role should be mentioned.

An example of an appropriate disclosure is:
“The authors used ChatGPT (OpenAI, March 2025 version) to enhance the language and readability of the manuscript. All outputs were reviewed and verified by the authors.”

Failure to disclose AI usage will be considered a violation of publishing ethics and may lead to rejection or retraction.

3. Author Responsibility and Accountability

Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of their submitted work, including any content developed with AI tools. They must carefully check that AI-generated content does not include factual inaccuracies, fabricated references, plagiarised material, or biased language.

Riwaq reserves the right to investigate and act on any misuse of AI, including submitting predominantly AI-generated manuscripts or including AI content without proper disclosure.

4. Use of AI in Peer Review

Peer reviewers must uphold the confidentiality, professionalism, and integrity expected in the review process. Reviewers must not use AI tools to analyse or summarise manuscripts, nor should they upload any part of a manuscript to AI platforms without express permission, as this may compromise confidentiality.

If a reviewer chooses to use AI tools for minor, non-confidential tasks such as improving the grammar of their review, they must disclose this to the editorial team. Riwaq reserves the right to reject any review inappropriately influenced or generated by AI.

5. Use of AI by Editorial Staff

Riwaq editorial team may utilise AI tools for limited administrative tasks such as plagiarism checking, reference formatting, or language editing. However, AI will not be used to make editorial decisions. To maintain transparency and accountability, all acceptance and rejection decisions will be made by qualified human editors.

6. Ethical Use and Prevention of Bias

All parties involved in the publication process must ensure that AI-generated content does not introduce bias, misinformation, or offensive material. Authors are expected to review AI outputs critically and avoid relying on AI for tasks that require expert academic judgment. The use of AI must never compromise scholarly rigour or ethical standards.

7. Violations and Consequences

Any attempt to misrepresent AI-generated content as original human work, fabricate data, or submit an AI-generated manuscript without disclosure will be considered unethical. Consequences may include:

  • Rejection of the manuscript

  • Retraction of the article post-publication

  • Notification of the authors’ affiliated institutions

  • Suspension or ban from future submissions to Riwaq

All violations will be investigated following COPE’s guidelines on publication misconduct.

8. Policy Review and Updates

This AI policy will be periodically reviewed and updated to reflect changes in technology and publishing practices. Riwaq remains committed to upholding academic integrity while supporting responsible innovation in scholarly communication.

References

  • Elsevier (2023). Generative AI Policies for Journals. Link

  • COPE (2023). Position Statement on Authorship and AI Tools. Link

  • COPE (2024). AI and Peer Review: Guidance Document. Link

  • COPE (2023). Discussion Paper: Ethical Considerations in the Use of Generative AI. Link