Artificial Intelligence Usage Policy
The journal Alteridades recognizes that artificial intelligence tools can be legitimately used as an auxiliary aid in the preparation of academic manuscripts. However, it also acknowledges that their use poses challenges for editorial integrity, authorial responsibility, the originality of the work, the confidentiality of the peer-review process, and the protection of data derived from anthropological research. The journal does not generally prohibit the use of generative artificial intelligence. It regulates its use in accordance with the principles of transparency, human responsibility, academic integrity, and respect for the individuals, communities, and materials involved in anthropological research.
As an anthropology journal, these guidelines place particular emphasis on the authenticity of fieldwork, the faithful representation of testimonies, the protection of informants, the confidentiality of interviews and ethnographic materials, informed consent, the responsible translation of indigenous voices, the intellectual property of cultural materials, and the prohibition against fabricating data, citations, or research experiences.
These guidelines apply to those who participate as authors, co-authors, special issue coordinators, and contributors to other content published by the journal, as well as to reviewers, copyeditors, translators, and others involved in the receipt, evaluation, editing, proofreading, translation, or publication of manuscripts submitted to it.
- All authors retain full intellectual, ethical, and legal responsibility for the content of the manuscripts they submit to the journal. The use of generative artificial intelligence does not diminish or transfer this responsibility.
- AI tools may not be listed as authors, co-authors, or contributing authors, as they cannot be held accountable for the accuracy, originality, integrity, methodological validity, or ethical implications of the text.
- The use of AI must be disclosed when it has played a substantial role in the drafting, translation, systematization, analysis, organization, or presentation of the manuscript.
- The use of AI does not exempt authors from verifying data, citations, references, translations, dates, proper names, concepts, interpretations, transcriptions, testimonies, and empirical materials.
- No AI system may replace fieldwork, situated analysis, ethnographic engagement, informed consent, or ethical responsibility toward informants, groups, or communities.
The auxiliary use of AI tools for minor formal support tasks is permitted, provided they do not substantially alter the academic, empirical, or interpretive content of the manuscript. These uses include:
- Spelling and grammar correction.
- Improvement of punctuation or sentence flow.
- General review of clarity of exposition.
- Preliminary support regarding format, style, or structure.
- Detection of repetitions or readability issues.
In these cases, authors must carefully review the result and ensure that the final text maintains conceptual accuracy, argumentative coherence, and fidelity to the empirical material.
The use of AI must be explicitly disclosed when it has been involved in any or all of the following tasks:
- Drafting, rewriting, or reformulating paragraphs or entire sections.
- Preparation of summaries, abstracts, titles, subtitles, or keywords.
- Substantive translation of the manuscript or relevant excerpts.
- Organization of sections, arguments, or the conceptual framework.
- Support in systematizing the bibliography.
- Generation of tables, diagrams, or analytical syntheses.
- Assistance with coding, classification, or preliminary exploration of materials;
- Comparative review of manuscript versions.
- Editing of images, transcripts, appendices, or supplementary materials.
The statement must specify which tool was used, for what purpose, in which parts of the work, and how its use was supervised.
The following is prohibited:
- Presenting text generated wholly or partially by AI as one’s own, without review or disclosure.
- Attributing authorship, co-authorship, or academic responsibility to AI.
- Fabricating, modifying, or simulating ethnographic data such as interviews, testimonies, genealogies, observations, field notes, or scenes.
- Fabricating citations, bibliographic references, archives, documentary sources, or statements from interviewees.
- Using AI to substitute for empirical work that has not been conducted.
- Generating interpretations purportedly derived from materials that the author has not produced, consulted, or analyzed.
- Entering personal, sensitive, confidential, or non-anonymized data from interviewees, communities, or archives into external AI platforms without express authorization and adequate safeguards.
- Altering images, documents, maps, audio recordings, transcripts, or visual materials without clearly indicating so.
- Using AI to conceal plagiarism, duplication, manipulation of sources, or misappropriation of materials.
- Inserting hidden instructions, metadata, or messages capable of manipulating the editorial process, review systems, or peer reviews.
Statement on the Use or Non-Use of AI
Where applicable, authors must include a statement regarding the use of AI in a footnote within the manuscript. Failure to include this statement may result in a request for clarification, a correction, suspension of the editorial process, or rejection of the manuscript, as appropriate. The journal Alteridades recommends that the statement follow the template provided below:
"The author declares that they used [name of the tool, version if known] for [describe specific use: style editing, translation, organization of ideas, summarization, preliminary systematization, etc.]. The final content was reviewed in its entirety by the author, who assumes full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, relevance, citations, references, empirical data, translations, interpretations, and conclusions of the manuscript".
When generative AI has not been used in a substantive manner, the journal may request a negative statement:
"The author declares that they did not use generative artificial intelligence tools in the substantive preparation of the manuscript".
On Peer Review
Peer reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscripts they receive. They may not upload unpublished texts, images, data, appendices, transcripts, empirical materials, or information regarding the editorial process to external AI platforms, unless expressly authorized by the journal and under verifiable conditions of confidentiality.
The academic evaluation must be conducted by the reviewer. AI may not replace expert judgment, critical reading, or responsibility for the review. If a reviewer uses AI for auxiliary tasks permitted by the journal, they must disclose this to the responsible editor, specifying the scope of such use.
Guidelines for Editors and the Editorial Board
The editorial team of Alteridades may use AI tools for administrative tasks, formal review, detection of formatting issues, support with editorial communication, or preliminary editing, provided that this does not replace academic judgment or editorial decisions.
Decisions regarding thematic relevance, referral for review, acceptance, requests for revisions, or rejection must be made by those responsible for the editorial process.
Update of the Regulations
These regulations may be updated periodically as generative artificial intelligence technologies, international editorial practices, applicable legal frameworks, and the ethical criteria specific to anthropological research evolve.
It is prohibited to use AI to fabricate data, citations, references, interviews, testimonies, ethnographic scenes, research results, or fieldwork that has not been conducted. It is also prohibited to upload sensitive, confidential, or non-anonymized data from informants, communities, archives, or ethnographic materials to external platforms without express authorization and adequate protection.
Where applicable, the following statement must be included:
“The author declares that [tool] was used for [specific use]. The final content was reviewed in its entirety by the author, who assumes full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, citations, references, empirical data, translations, interpretations, and conclusions of the manuscript.”
Quick Checklist for Authors Before Submission
- Has all substantial use of AI been disclosed?
- Is no AI tool listed as an author or co-author?
- Have all citations and references been verified against actual sources?
- Have the ethnographic data not been fabricated, simulated, or altered?
- Do the testimonies, interviews, and field materials maintain accuracy and appropriate consent?
- Have sensitive data been anonymized and protected?
- Have translations of native voices or testimonies been reviewed by qualified individuals?
- Are images, tables, or appendices generated or modified using AI clearly identified?
- Was the final manuscript reviewed in its entirety by the authors?
- Is intellectual, ethical, and legal responsibility for the text fully assumed by human beings?