ISSN: 2249-4723
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Editor Overview
jocetm maintains an Editorial Board of practicing researchers from around the world, to ensure manuscripts are handled by editors who are experts in the field of study.
Dr. Pradeep Kumar Agarwal
Professor
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, ,
Editor in Chief
Journal of Construction Engineering, Technology & Management
Email :
Institutional Profile Link : https://manit.irins.org/profile/61490
Publisher
STM Journals, An imprint of Consortium e-Learning Network Pvt. Ltd.
E-mail: susmita@celnet.in
Tel: (+91) 0120- 4781 200, (+91) 120-4746-277
Mob: (+91) 981-007-8958, (+91)-966-7725-932
AI Policy
Last updated: 2024-09-01
Introduction
The Journal of Construction Engineering, Technology & Management (jocetm) acknowledges the transformative role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, including large language models and multimodal systems, in advancing scholarly communication. While such technologies enhance efficiency and creativity, their use must adhere to the highest standards of transparency, integrity, and responsibility across all stages of research, authorship, peer review, and publication.
Authors
Appropriate Use
Authors are responsible for ensuring the originality, validity, and integrity of their submissions. Permitted uses of Generative AI tools include:
- Brainstorming and idea generation
- Improving clarity and grammar
- Literature organization
- Assisting with coding
- Conducting AI-assisted searches
These tools may support the writing or preparation process but must never substitute for genuine research, analytic effort, or critical judgment.
Transparency and Disclosure
All instances of Generative AI use must be clearly disclosed in the manuscript, stating:
- The AI tool’s name and version
- A concise explanation of its role and scope in preparing the submission
Authorship
AI tools must not be credited as authors. Only individuals who have made substantial scholarly contributions and who can assume accountability for the work may be listed as authors.
Prohibited Activities
- Creating or altering research data, images, figures, tables, statistical analyses, or computer code with generative AI is not allowed unless such use is robustly documented, scientifically justifiable, and fully disclosed.
- Uploading confidential, proprietary, or sensitive information into AI tools without secure measures is strictly forbidden.
- Substituting synthetic data generated by AI for missing data is restricted unless supported by strong methodology and appropriate disclosure.
Plagiarism and Originality
All AI-generated content must be free from plagiarism and properly attributed. Authors retain full responsibility for the originality and correctness of all manuscript content.
Data Privacy
Authors must not upload sensitive, confidential, or personal data into AI platforms that lack clear privacy safeguards. All actions must comply with data protection regulations and institutional policies.
Bias and Validation
Authors must critically assess AI-driven outputs for potential bias, inaccuracies, or fabrication, and retain sole responsibility for validating the reliability of all information submitted.
Acknowledgment of Limitations
The limitations of Generative AI models—including possible hallucinations, inconsistencies, and inaccuracies—must be recognized. All such content requires thorough human review before inclusion in the manuscript.
Editors
Editorial Integrity and Confidentiality
Editors must protect the integrity, confidentiality, and ethical standards of the editorial process. All materials—manuscripts, reviews, correspondence, and personal information—are to be treated with strict confidentiality at all times.
AI Tool Usage by Editors
- Generative AI tools may be used for enhancing language clarity or formatting, but not for making substantive editorial decisions, replacing editorial expertise, or evaluating the scientific validity of submissions.
- Editors must verify that no unpublished, confidential, or proprietary content is placed into AI tools lacking robust privacy guarantees.
- Use of AI platforms must be guided by journal policies and consistent with publisher and industry guidelines.
Uploading Unpublished Content
Editors are strictly forbidden from uploading unpublished manuscripts, reviews, correspondence, or confidential materials into AI tools unless there is prior authorization and proven data security.
Accountability
All editorial decisions and communications must rest with a human editor. AI may assist but never replace the editor’s role in judgment, ethics, or final decisions.
Detection and Management of AI-generated Content
Editors must remain alert for undisclosed or inappropriate use of AI by authors. They should investigate concerns in accordance with established procedures and take corrective action if necessary.
Ongoing Training
Editors are encouraged to participate in training on ethical AI use and keep abreast of evolving standards and technologies.
Collaboration
Editors should foster transparent practices and effective policy implementation by regularly interacting with authors, reviewers, and editorial team members on AI-related issues.
Peer Reviewers
Confidentiality and Ethics
Reviewers must uphold confidentiality and act ethically throughout the peer review process, guarding unpublished material and personal information.
Use of AI Tools by Reviewers
- AI may be employed to clarify or edit review text, but reviewers must not upload manuscripts, portions of text, or confidential content into platforms that do not meet confidentiality standards.
- The substance and recommendations of reviews must remain the product of the reviewer’s own expertise and judgment.
Prohibited Uploads
Reviewers cannot upload manuscripts, comments, or any unpublished or proprietary content into AI tools unless explicitly authorized and where guaranteed privacy exists.
Transparency
If AI language tools are used in shaping reviewer comments or recommendations, transparency with the editorial team is encouraged, especially if AI significantly shaped a review.
Vigilance Regarding Bias
Reviewers must remain critical of biases or errors introduced by AI tools, ensuring all review content is objective, fair, and scientifically sound.
Training and Responsibility
Reviewers are encouraged to remain informed about AI’s ethical and practical implications for peer review and adhere to the jocetm’s standards at all times.
General Principles
- Transparency: Clear disclosure of all AI use and its nature in the publication process is mandatory.
- Accountability: Human participants retain sole responsibility for all content, outcomes, and decisions; AI cannot be credited with authorship or accountability.
- Ethical Standards: All AI use must comply with journal ethics, international publication standards, and relevant laws, including policies from organizations such as COPE.
- Human Oversight: All stages require critical human oversight; no AI-generated content is accepted without thorough human review and validation.
- Confidentiality & Data Security: No confidential or sensitive information is to be entered into AI tools unless strong data protection is guaranteed.
- Copyright & IP Respect: Any AI-generated content must not infringe copyrights or intellectual property rights, with proper attribution and citation.
- Bias & Validation: Ai-driven content must be scrutinized for biases, errors, or misinformation, and corrected as needed.
Risks Associated with Generative AI
Key risks to be aware of when using Generative AI tools include:
- Hallucination of false, misleading, or fabricated information
- Reinforcement or amplification of biases and discrimination
- Privacy breaches through the leakage or misuse of sensitive data
- Unintentional copyright violation or reproduction of protected content
- Potential for security threats, including misuse for phishing or deepfakes
- Facilitation of misinformation or opinion manipulation through realistic fake content
- Inconsistencies and unpredictability in AI-generated responses
- Data management issues if third-party AI platforms retain user data insecurely
- Legal, regulatory, or contractual breaches arising from AI usage
- Over-reliance on AI, which can diminish the quality and credibility of scholarly work
Retraction, Correction, and Policy Enforcement
The journal reserves the right to retract, correct, or otherwise address content if undisclosed, inappropriate, or unethical uses of AI are discovered after publication. All researchers are urged to report any suspected violations for prompt investigation and resolution.
For further queries, please contact us at: info@stmjournals.com or submit your query through the Query Portal. This policy will be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect advances in technology, changes in best practices, and new ethical or legal standards in scholarly communication.