Policies on AI-assisted generative technologies

The potential of generative AI-assisted technologies is acknowledged when used responsibly to help authors work efficiently, access important research, education, or clinical information, and achieve better results. More often, these tools, including AI agents and advanced research tools, assist authors in synthesizing complex literature, providing an overview of a field, reviewing evidence-based clinical care, identifying research gaps, and offering personalized support for tasks such as organizing content and improving language and readability. Authors preparing a manuscript for the journal Actas Médicas (Ecuador) can utilize AI tools to aid their process. However, these tools should never replace human critical thinking, experience, and judgment. AI tools must always be used under human supervision and control. Ultimately, authors hold responsibility for their work's content, including carefully reviewing the terms and conditions of any AI tool to ensure that:

  1. Your use of the AI tool keeps your data and inputs, including unpublished and published manuscripts, as well as any personally identifiable information, private and confidential.
  2. Only limited rights are granted to the AI to provide a service.
  3. The terms and conditions do not restrict further publication or dissemination of your work.
  4. Make sure not to upload content that may infringe on the intellectual property rights of the author or the journal REVSEN, such as content from a previous issue under review.
  5. Carefully review and verify the accuracy, completeness, and impartiality of all AI-generated outputs, including checking sources, as references from AI may be incorrect or fabricated.
  6. Thoroughly edit and adapt all material to ensure the manuscript reflects the author's authentic and original contribution, including their analysis, interpretation, and ideas.
  7. Clearly disclose the use of any tool or source, whether AI-based or not, to readers; a disclosure statement about AI tools must be included after submission.

 

Responsible use of AI- and AI-assisted tools

Authors should review the terms and conditions of any AI tools they use to ensure that the privacy and confidentiality of their data and inputs, including their manuscripts—whether unpublished or published—are protected. Special attention should be given to personally identifiable information. Images that duplicate or reference existing copyrighted images, real persons or identifiable products or brands, or resemble an individual's voice must not be generated. Authors should verify the accuracy of the information and check for potential biases. They should also confirm that the AI tool is only granted limited rights to use their materials—such as providing a service to the user—and not other rights, including the right to train the AI on those materials. Additionally, they must ensure that the AI tool does not impose restrictions on the use of its results, preventing limitations on the subsequent publication of the scientific paper.

 

Disclosure

Authors must declare the use of AI tools for manuscript preparation in a separate AI declaration after submission. This statement should be placed at the end of the manuscript, immediately above the references, under the heading "Statement of AI and AI-Assisted Generative Technologies in the Writing Process." It will appear in the published work. Authors need to document the use of AI, including the name of the AI tool, its purpose, and the extent of monitoring. Declaring AI usage promotes transparency and trust among authors, readers, reviewers, editors, and contributors, and helps ensure compliance with the AI tool's terms of use. Basic checks for grammar, spelling, and punctuation do not require formal declarations. If applicable, the use of AI in the research process should also be detailed in the methods section.

 

Authorship

Authors should not list AI tools as authors or co-authors, nor cite them as such. We also advise against citing the AI's trademark. Authorship entails responsibilities and tasks that only the author can attribute and perform. Each author is responsible for ensuring that questions about the accuracy or completeness of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. Authorship requires the ability to approve the final version of the paper and accept its submission. Authors are also responsible for ensuring that the work is original and not previously published, that the listed authors qualify for authorship, and that the work does not infringe on third-party rights. Additionally, authors should familiarize themselves with REVSEN's ethical editorial policy before submitting.

 

The use of generative AI-assisted tools on figures and images.

The journal REVSEN prohibits the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or modify images in submitted manuscripts. This includes actions like enhancing, darkening, moving, removing, or adding specific features to an image or shape. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are permitted if they do not obscure or delete any information in the original. Forensic imaging tools or specialized software may be used on submitted manuscripts to detect potential irregularities in the images.

 

The use of the journal  REVSEN of AI-assisted technologies in the publication process.

In the journal REVSEN, we are dedicated to harnessing the power of cutting-edge technologies, such as generative AI, to enhance the accessibility and quality of our products and services. We utilize AI tools across various aspects of our publishing process to boost efficiency, accuracy, and user experience. Our goal is to incorporate AI tools thoughtfully and ethically, with human oversight, to benefit both our journal and our valued authors. We also ensure that our AI tools adhere to RELX's responsible AI principles during development, keeping sustainability and accountability at the core of our work.

Policy updated December 2025.