Cognitia: International Engineering Journal recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), can provide assistance in research, writing, editing, data processing, editorial management, and scholarly communication. The journal permits the responsible use of AI provided that such use does not compromise scientific integrity, originality, transparency, confidentiality, intellectual property, or human accountability throughout the publication process.

Authors may use AI-based tools for limited and supportive activities, such as checking grammar and spelling, language editing, translation, text organization, or certain technical assistance. The use of AI must not replace the author's intellectual contribution or transfer the author's responsibility for the content of the manuscript. AI tools or systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. All individuals listed as authors must meet the journal's authorship requirements and remain fully accountable for the content of the manuscript.

Authors must disclose the use of Generative AI when AI is used substantively to generate or modify:

• Scientific text or substantive content;
• Analysis or interpretation;
• Code or programming used in the research;
• Tables or other scientific materials;
• Figures, illustrations, or graphical abstracts;
• Research methods or study design;
• Any other part of the scholarly work materially influenced by AI.

The disclosure should, at a minimum, identify the name of the AI tool or platform, its version where available, the purpose of its use, and the section or stage of the research or manuscript in which AI was used. Authors must critically review and verify all AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, validity, originality, interpretation, and integrity of all information included in the manuscript.

AI must not be used to generate, fabricate, manipulate, or alter research data or experimental results in a manner that produces a representation inconsistent with the actual research. This prohibition includes, but is not limited to, chemical characterization data, instrumental analyses, microscopy images, spectra, chromatograms, environmental data, simulation results, computational results, and other empirical or scientific evidence. AI may assist with data analysis, programming, or data processing when its use is appropriately described and verified and does not alter, fabricate, or falsify the underlying research data.

AI must not be relied upon as an unverified source for generating scientific references or citations. Authors are responsible for verifying the existence, relevance, bibliographic accuracy, and content of every reference cited in the manuscript. References or citations generated by AI that cannot be independently verified must not be included in the manuscript.

Editors may use AI to assist with administrative and supportive editorial tasks, such as language checking, formatting, information organization, or other appropriate technical activities. However, AI must not replace editorial judgment, decision-making, or responsibility.

Decisions regarding initial assessment, reviewer selection, revision requests, acceptance, rejection, and other editorial matters must be made by editors based on academic judgment and the journal's policies and must not be based solely on AI-generated outputs. Editors must also ensure that the use of AI does not result in conflicts of interest, breaches of confidentiality, or disclosure of unpublished scientific information.

Reviewers may use AI in a limited manner to assist with certain technical aspects, such as language or structural checking of their review report, provided that such use does not compromise manuscript confidentiality or the journal's publication ethics requirements.

AI must not replace the reviewer's scientific judgment. Assessments of novelty, methodology, data validity, analysis, interpretation, scientific contribution, and suitability for publication must be conducted by reviewers based on their own expertise and academic judgment. Reviewers remain fully responsible for the content of their review reports and recommendations submitted to the journal.

The use of AI does not transfer academic or ethical responsibility from humans to technology. All individuals using AI in the research or publication process must ensure that its use does not cause or facilitate:

• Fabrication or falsification of data;
• Manipulation of research results;
• Plagiarism or misuse of another person's work;
• Generation or use of unverifiable citations;
• Copyright or intellectual property infringement;
• Violation of privacy or confidentiality;
• Misuse or unauthorized disclosure of research data;
• Any other form of research or publication misconduct.

Cognitia: International Engineering Journal may request authors, editors, or reviewers to provide additional information regarding their use of AI when necessary to ensure transparency, integrity, and accountability in the publication process. Violations of this policy may be considered during the editorial process and addressed in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

When AI is used substantively in the preparation or conduct of research, authors must provide an AI use declaration in the manuscript. The declaration should identify the AI tool or platform, describe its purpose, and indicate the relevant stage or component of the research or manuscript in which AI was used.

If AI was used only for routine language checking or minor language editing, a brief statement may be provided where appropriate.

If no AI use falls within the categories requiring disclosure under this policy, authors may provide the following statement:

The Cognitia: International Engineering Journal AI policy will be reviewed periodically to reflect developments in AI technology, publication ethics standards, best practices in scholarly communication, and relevant guidance from scholarly organizations and publishers. The journal may revise this policy when necessary to maintain responsible, transparent, and ethical use of AI in scholarly publishing.