Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

The journal Government and Public Administration (GYAP) maintains a commitment to global technological advances, recognizing the benefits and value of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and editorial processes. Therefore, GYAP is committed to ensuring the responsible, ethical, and transparent use of these tools, aligning itself with international standards and ethical principles in scientific publications, understanding that this is a tool that does not replace authorship or human responsibility for authors, reviewers, and editors; it is human critical thinking that must prevail (Scielo, 2023; COPE, 2024; Penabad et al., 2024; Elsevier, 2025).

In this regard, confidentiality and intellectual property protection when interacting with AI models must be protected. It is the obligation of the journal and its collaborators (reviewers and editors) to keep manuscripts as confidential documents and not to upload them (or parts of them) to AI tools, in order to protect copyright and data privacy (Penabad et al., 2024; Elsevier, 2025).

Considering international standards (Scielo, 2023; COPE, 2024; Penabad et al., 2024; Elsevier, 2025), GYAP, through its artificial intelligence (AI) use policy, establishes guidelines for the appropriate use of AI in production and the editorial process.

 

For authors  

Ethical use and declaration 

Authors who use AI at any stage of the manuscript development process must explicitly declare its use in the methodology section of their texts and in the relevant section. They must also inform the editorial team in a timely and appropriate manner, explaining:   

  1. Tool(s) used.  
  2. Stage(s) of the research in which it was used.  
  3. Contribution of the AI tool to their research.   

In this way, they ensure ethical scientific production and contribute to scientific knowledge and new methodologies.

 

Responsibility and transparency  

Authors are responsible for the data generated with the support of AI, so maintaining transparency in its use not only fosters confidence in the research process but also contributes to scientific knowledge. 

 

Prohibition of AI authorship  

Any use of AI must be instrumental, that is, it must be used as just another tool, without granting it authorship recognition. In line with this, GYAP seeks to maintain the integrity of the scientific process by establishing that:   

  1. Manuscripts with AI as author or co-author will not be accepted.   
  2. Any use/contribution of AI must be clearly stated, indicating the tool used.   
  3. Authorship is strictly and exclusively human, as it involves responsibilities that technologies cannot assume.  
  4. AI cannot be part of the bibliographic references.  
  5. Data collection and interpretation cannot be done through AI tools; they must arise from the rigorous application of techniques and instruments. 

Use of AI in images, graphics, and figures  

The use of generative AI for the creation or alteration of images is not allowed.   

In the case of research whose design or methodology uses AI tools for the creation or modification of figures, graphics, or other elements, their use must be declared and the process described in detail in the methodology section and wherever else relevant.   

This is to ensure that any image or figure maintains authenticity and does not express misleading manipulation, does not alter research results, allows for evaluation and assessment, and other aspects that may be deemed relevant to GYAP in its goal of maintaining the integrity of the scientific process. 

Exceptions may be allowed in certain situations, for example, for images or videos in manuscripts that specifically discuss AI or machine learning. Such exceptions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and must be disclosed at the time of submission.  

  

Transparency for readers  

GYAP verifies, and authors must provide information to establish, that: 

  1. AI-assisted or AI-generated content does not infringe on copyright.   
  2. The tools used comply with the relevant licensing policies. 

Use of AI tools in the review and editing process 

GYAP may use AI tools to support editorial processes. This may include plagiarism detection, metadata analysis, and language quality assessment.  

For these reasons, GYAP uses the COMPILATIO tool to verify the authenticity of manuscripts, seeking to ensure academic integrity and the generation of scientific value in the proposals submitted for evaluation to the journal. 

 

Editorial responsibility of the journal and authors regarding the use of AI   

The journal Gobierno y Administración Pública declares that:  

  1. It ensures that authors comply with these policies and may therefore reject proposals that do not meet the international standards and guidelines set out herein.   
  2. It ensures that statements on the use of AI tools are reviewed. The absence of these statements justifies questioning the scientific quality of the manuscripts, which may therefore be rejected.   
  3. The editorial team may request additional clarifications at any stage of the editorial process before accepting and publishing the article. 

 

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Referencias   

Consejo COPE. (2024). Posición COPE - Autoría and IA. Available at: https://doi.org/10.24318/cCVRZBms   

Elsevier. (november 12 of 2025). Generative AI policies for journals. https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/generative-ai-policies-for-journals

Penabad-Camacho, L., Penabad-Camacho, M. A., Mora-Campos, A., Cerdas-Vega, G., Morales-López, Y., Ulate-Segura, M., Méndez-Solano, A., Nova-Bustos, N., Vega-Solano, M. F., & Castro-Solano, M. M. (2024). Heredia Declaration: Principles on the use of Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Publishing. Revista Electrónica Educare, 28(S), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.28-S.19967

SciELO. (2023). Guía de uso de herramientas y recursos de Inteligencia Artificial en la comunicación de investigaciones en la Red SciELO - Español. Available at: https://wp.scielo.org/wp-content/uploads/Guia-de-uso-de-herramientas-y-recursos-de-IA-20230914.pdf