Department of Public Administration, NCCU

Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI in the Taiwanese Journal of Public Administration

In response to the development of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) and AI-assisted technologies, and their growing application in academic research, writing, and related tasks, this Journal has formulated the following guidelines with reference to the AI policies of APA and Elsevier. These cover some guiding principles for research, writing, and peer review processes. The objective is to guide authors in using AI tools within an appropriate scope, adhering to principles of transparency and active disclosure, and meeting academic ethical requirements, while also regulating the use of AI tools by reviewers.

Notes for Authors

1. Only natural persons can be held responsible for the originality, validity, and integrity of academic work. Therefore, AI tools shall not be listed as authors, nor shall literature authored by AI tools be cited in the manuscript.
2. AI tools are not permitted to replace authors in writing the manuscript; however, they may be applied to improve readability and linguistic expression.
3. Misleading or false images must not appear in the manuscript. The use of AI tools to create images or modify original images/figures—including enhancing, obscuring, altering, or removing specific features—is prohibited. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance that do not obscure or eliminate information from the original image are acceptable.
4. If the manuscript's primary subject is AI, or is related to the use of AI, or if the research necessitates AI assistance, the aforementioned restrictions (Point 3) may be waived, provided that no images are misleading.
5. If AI tools are used to assist in writing the manuscript, authors must ensure that the textual content generated by the AI tools aligns in meaning with the author's original manuscript, containing no fabricated content or AI-generated fabrications. Authors must also ensure that the use of AI tools does not affect the accuracy of all information (including references), and ensure that the use of AI tools does not infringe upon privacy, intellectual property rights, and other legitimate rights and interests.
6. A formal declaration must be made at the time of manuscript submission if AI tools were used during the research or writing process.
7. In cases of failure to disclose or providing false information regarding AI use, the editorial board reserves the right to reject the manuscript or retract published articles.
8. Aside from the aforementioned points, authors remain solely responsible for any academic integrity issues arising from the use of AI tools.

Notes for Reviewers

1. To avoid review bias and ensure accountability, reviewers should not use AI tools to replace their own judgment in evaluating manuscripts or drafting review reports.
2. As review reports involve manuscript information, the Journal and reviewers are bound by confidentiality. Reviewers should not upload their reports to AI tools for refinement if there is any risk of leaking the manuscript's content.
3. Reviewers are prohibited from uploading the full or partial content of a submitted manuscript to AI tools for any reason if there is a possibility of leaking the manuscript's content, which could result in the risk of infringing intellectual property rights.