Theory and Practice of Forensic Science and Criminalistics

POLICY ON THE USE OF AI AND AI-ASSISTED TECHNOLOGIES

The growing popularity of artificial intelligence tools (hereinafter — AI) among authors has led to the development of an editorial policy governing their use. This policy defines the ethical and technical boundaries for the application of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies by authors, reviewers, and members of the editorial board and advisory board. The purpose of the policy of the professional scholarly publication — the collection of scientific papers “Theory and Practice of Forensic Science and Criminalistics” (hereinafter — the Collection) — regarding the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies is to ensure academic integrity, confidentiality, and the high quality of scholarly content for authors, readers, and reviewers, which makes it possible to maintain the high standard of the Collection.

The editorial board of the Collection reserves the right to amend the provisions of the editorial policy regarding the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies while continuing to monitor the development of AI models.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is an organized set of information technologies that enables the performance of complex tasks using systems of scientific research methods and information-processing algorithms applied to data obtained or independently generated during work, as well as the creation of knowledge bases, decision-making models, algorithms for working with information, and their use to determine ways of achieving the tasks set. AI capabilities include voice recognition models, image identification, processing and generation of textual information, expert systems, neural networks, planning systems, robotics, etc. (in accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 02.12.2020 No. 1556-r “On Approval of the Concept for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in Ukraine”, as amended and supplemented, access mode: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1556-2020-%D1%80#Text).

Regulations for Authors

1. Use of AI in manuscript preparation.
The use of generative AI in writing an article is permitted exclusively for improving language style (enhancing readability, correcting grammatical and syntactic errors).
This policy does not restrict the use of AI tools for data analysis or information retrieval if such use is an integral part of the research process itself.
Any output generated by AI must be carefully verified by the author. AI may produce inaccurate, incomplete, or biased data that may nevertheless appear convincing.

2. Responsibility and authorship.
AI and related technologies cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship implies responsibilities that can only be performed by a human (approval of the final version and responsibility for the reliability of the content).
Authors bear sole responsibility for ensuring that the work submitted to the editorial and advisory boards of the Collection is original and does not infringe the rights of third parties.

3. Disclosure and transparency.
If AI is used, authors must include in the manuscript a section specifying the name of the tool, its version, and the nature of its use. This ensures transparency and trust among all participants in the publishing process.

4. Figures, images, and illustrations.
The use of AI to create or manipulate images (adding, removing, or altering objects in photos or diagrams) is strictly prohibited. Only basic adjustments of brightness or contrast that do not distort the meaning are permitted.
An exception may apply if the use of AI is part of the research methodology (for example, in the visualization of biomedical data). In such cases, the text must provide a detailed explanation including the model name, version, and the software developer.
Creating graphical abstracts using AI is prohibited.

Regulations for Reviewers and Editors

1. Data confidentiality.
A manuscript is a confidential document. Uploading the article or any part of it to generative AI tools is strictly prohibited. This violates the authors’ intellectual property rights and personal data protection rules.
This restriction also applies to the text of peer reviews or decision letters — they must not be processed through AI systems even for grammar correction.

2. Expert evaluation.
The peer-review and editorial decision-making process is based on critical thinking and professional human evaluation. The use of AI to formulate conclusions regarding the quality of scholarly work is prohibited, since the technology cannot ensure objective and in-depth scientific assessment.

The editor or reviewer bears full personal responsibility for the content of their decisions and comments.

Ethical considerations and limitations

The editorial board of the Collection informs authors about the following aspects of working with AI:
• each fact must be verified, since AI is prone to “hallucinations” and distortions of reality;
• AI-generated content cannot be the primary source of information and, in exceptional cases, may only supplement research results;
• the use of AI to simulate deeper knowledge than the author actually possesses is considered a violation of research ethics;
• algorithms may reproduce gender, racial, or other social stereotypes embedded in training data;
• it is prohibited to upload any confidential or personal information to AI systems, as the model may store and later use such data.

Failure to comply with the policy on the use of AI and AI-assisted technologies, concealment of the fact of AI use, or violation of confidentiality rules constitutes grounds for rejection of the manuscript at any stage or for the retraction of an already published article.