Use of AI

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

These guidelines have been developed in response to the rapid development and growing use of generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted technologies in academic research and scholarly publishing. In view of their increasing integration into research practices, Forum Theologicum Sardicense seeks to provide clear guidance that supports the responsible use of such tools without compromising academic integrity.

The present guidelines aim to ensure transparency, accountability, and good scholarly practice for all participants in the publication process—authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. The journal will continue to monitor developments in this area and reserves the right to update this policy in accordance with emerging standards and best practices.

 

Guidelines for Authors

General Principles

Forum Theologicum Sardicense acknowledges that AI-based tools, when used responsibly, may assist researchers in certain aspects of scholarly work, such as structuring content, language editing, or navigating existing literature. While such tools may enhance efficiency, they cannot replace scholarly judgment, methodological responsibility, or original authorship.

Authors may make limited use of AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of manuscripts, provided that human oversight and critical thinking remain decisive at all stages. The intellectual content of the text must be the result of the author’s own analysis, argumentation, and interpretation.

Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their manuscripts, including all elements created or influenced through the use of AI tools.

Author Responsibility and Accountability

Authors are responsible for: carefully reviewing and verifying all content, including AI-generated or AI-assisted text, to ensure factual accuracy, completeness, and objectivity; the accuracy and verifiability of all bibliographic references and data, bearing in mind the risk of erroneous or fabricated sources generated by AI; the comprehensive editing and integration of all materials so that the manuscript clearly reflects the author’s original scholarly contribution; protecting intellectual property, personal data, and confidentiality through careful review of the terms of use of the AI tools employed; providing clear and transparent information to readers regarding the use of AI technologies, where applicable.

Responsible Use of AI Tools

Authors must ensure that the AI tools they use provide adequate data protection, especially when dealing with unpublished manuscripts or sensitive information. The input of personal or identifying data into insecure systems is not permitted.

AI tools must not be used to create content that reproduces copyrighted images, identifiable individuals, trademarks, or personal characteristics. Authors should be particularly alert to potential factual errors, distortions, or biases.

Authors must also ensure that the terms of use of AI tools do not grant the provider additional rights over the submitted materials (including their use for model training) and do not restrict the future publication or dissemination of research results.

Disclosure of AI Use

Any substantial use of AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of a manuscript must be explicitly declared at the time of submission through a separate statement or disclosed within the manuscript itself.

Routine technical checks (e.g., spelling or punctuation) do not require disclosure. If AI tools are used as part of the research process itself, this must be described in detail in the methodology section.

Authorship

AI tools may not be listed as authors or co-authors, nor may they be cited as such. Authorship entails responsibility, intellectual agency, and the capacity to approve the final text—qualities that pertain exclusively to human authors. Each listed author is responsible for the originality, ethical integrity, and scholarly soundness of the publication.

Images, Figures, and Visual Materials

Forum Theologicum Sardicense does not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools for the creation, manipulation, or substantial modification of images and figures included in manuscripts. This includes the addition, removal, relocation, or alteration of visual elements that affect informational content.

Standard adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are permitted, provided that the original information is not altered or obscured.

Exceptions are possible only when the use of AI is an integral part of the research design. In such cases, the method must be described in a detailed and reproducible manner, including the model or software used, version, and technical parameters. Authors may be asked to provide original or pre-processed files for editorial review.

The use of AI for creating graphical abstracts or illustrative artwork is not permitted.

 

Guidelines for Reviewers

Confidentiality and Ethical Responsibility

All manuscripts submitted for review are treated as strictly confidential documents. Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, excerpts, or review reports into AI systems, as this may violate confidentiality, copyright, or data protection requirements.

This restriction also applies to attempts to use AI tools for linguistic or stylistic editing of review reports.

Use of AI in the Review Process

Scholarly evaluation requires expert judgment, contextual understanding, and critical thinking, which cannot be delegated to automated systems. Therefore, reviewers should not use AI tools when assessing the scholarly quality, originality, or validity of manuscripts.

Reviewers bear full responsibility for the content and conclusions of their reviews.

 

Guidelines for Editors

Confidentiality and Editorial Independence

Editors are required to treat all submitted manuscripts and related correspondence as confidential. Manuscripts, reviews, notes, and editorial communications must not be entered into AI tools, even for language editing purposes.

Editorial assessment and decision-making require human responsibility and scholarly competence. AI tools should not be used to evaluate scholarly merit or to make editorial decisions.

Editors bear full responsibility for the editorial process, final decisions, and communication with authors.

Transparency and Oversight

Editors should ensure compliance with requirements for disclosure of AI use by authors. In cases of well-founded concerns regarding violations of this policy, the matter will be addressed in accordance with the journal’s ethical procedures.

Editorial Use of AI Systems

The journal may employ secure AI tools for internal editorial purposes, such as plagiarism detection or reviewer selection, provided that these systems comply with data protection requirements and respect the confidentiality of all participants.

Forum Theologicum Sardicense remains open to the careful and responsible integration of AI technologies that support the editorial process without undermining academic freedom, integrity, and trust in scholarly publishing.