1. Crossmark and Content Update Policy

All articles published by AJPSI undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process and adhere to COPE-aligned publishing standards DOI: 10.24318/cope.2019.1.12 . Once an article is published online with a Crossref DOI, it represents the definitive Version of Record (VoR). Once an article is assigned a DOI and published, updates are handled under strict procedural safeguards:

• Correction: Issued for minor errors that do not affect core findings but require record clarification.
• Expression of Concern: Published by the Editor-in-Chief when serious unresolved ethical, data integrity, or undisclosed AI disputes are under active investigation.
• Retraction: Executed in cases of severe academic misconduct, data falsification, severe plagiarism, or deliberate policy breaches. A permanent retraction notice replaces the affected paper.

2. AI Usage Policy for Manuscript Preparation

AJPSI enforces strict governance regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in manuscript preparation to safeguard intellectual transparency and research integrity.

Core Principles

• Accountability: Authors retain absolute responsibility for the entire manuscript, including any AI-assisted elements.
• Transparency: All utilization of AI tools must be explicitly declared, detailing the specific tool and its precise purpose.
• Human Oversight: AI tools must strictly serve as a non-intellectual aid; they cannot replace human research synthesis or critical thought.
• Confidentiality: Confidential, sensitive, or unpublished material must never be uploaded to external AI tools.

Acceptable vs. Prohibited AI Uses

Category	Permissible Uses (Acceptable)	Restricted Uses (Prohibited)
Scope & Content	Language refinement, grammar checks, punctuation, and translation.	Substantive content generation (abstracts, literature reviews, methodology, results).
Attribution & Data	Brainstorming outlines or structuring stylistic phrasing.	Listing AI as an author, data fabrication/manipulation, or generating artificial images.

Disclosure Requirements

Authors must add a dedicated "Declaration of AI Use" section within the Acknowledgments or outline methodological applications explicitly inside the Methods section.

Violations and Enforcement Consequences

• During Peer Review: Undisclosed AI usage triggers immediate manuscript rejection and logging for future submissions.
• Post-Acceptance: The article is withdrawn from production, and institutional bodies may be notified.
• Post-Publication: Severe violations result in formal expressions of concern or a complete article retraction with permanent public notices.

3. Contact

To report an error or suspected misconduct, contact the editorial office with the article's DOI.
editorial@ajpsi.org