Code of Ethics

The Editorial makes every effort to implement and update the generally applicable standards of publishing, good practice, and draws attention to the need to respect the code of ethics of a scientist. For this purpose, the editorial develops its own models of action, as well as uses good practices, guidelines and codes of conduct published by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), an international organization for publishers and editors of scientific journals and The European Association of Science Editors (EASE).

The Editorial does not tolerate scientific misconduct and unethical conduct in the practice of publishing. Any signs of counterfeiting, plagiarism, abuse and negative practices are thoroughly investigated, documented and proceeded.

In case of detection of scientific misconduct, the editorial of the Polish Journal of Social Rehabilitation follows the schemes developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), available on license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Poland

Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

The Editorial Board of Polish Journal of Social Rehabilitation recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI systems (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and similar technologies), may assist authors in the preparation of scholarly manuscripts. However, the use of such tools must comply with the principles of research integrity, transparency, and author accountability.

1. Author Responsibility

Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their manuscripts, including:
- the scientific and methodological accuracy of the work;
- the interpretation of research findings;
- the accuracy and completeness of citations and references;
- compliance with the journal's publication ethics and integrity standards.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors of a manuscript, as they do not meet the authorship criteria established by internationally recognized publishing standards, including those of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

2. Acceptable Use of AI

Authors may use AI tools for purposes such as:
- language editing and proofreading;
- improving clarity, readability, and style;
- translating sections of a manuscript;
- organizing working materials and drafts;
- assisting in literature searches, provided that all results are independently verified by the authors.

The use of AI must remain supportive in nature. Authors are responsible for reviewing, verifying, and approving the final version of the manuscript prior to submission.

3. Disclosure of AI Use

If AI tools have been used in the preparation of a manuscript, authors are required to disclose this in a separate section entitled "AI Use Statement", placed immediately before the References.

Example of an AI Use Statement:

The author(s) used [name of the AI system] solely for language editing and stylistic improvement of the manuscript. All outputs generated by the AI tool were carefully reviewed and verified, and the author(s) take full responsibility for the final content of the manuscript.

Failure to disclose substantial use of AI may be considered a breach of publication ethics.

4. Unacceptable Use of AI

The use of AI tools for the following purposes is prohibited:
- generating or fabricating research data or analytical results;
- creating fictitious or non-existent references;
- fabricating citations;
- generating peer-review reports;
- replacing the author's independent scientific reasoning, analysis, or interpretation.

Any evidence of such practices may result in rejection of the manuscript, retraction of a published article, and implementation of procedures consistent with COPE guidelines.

5. Confidentiality of Data and Research Materials

Authors should exercise particular caution when using AI systems with:
- unpublished research data;
- personal data of research participants;
- confidential or institutionally protected information;
- copyrighted materials owned by third parties.

The Editorial Board recommends using only AI tools whose terms of service ensure an appropriate level of data protection and confidentiality.

6. Guidance for Reviewers and Editors

Reviewers and editors must not upload submitted manuscripts, or any part thereof, to publicly available AI systems, as doing so may compromise the confidentiality of the peer-review process. AI tools may only be used where they operate within secure environments that guarantee full protection of confidential materials and comply with the publisher's data protection and confidentiality policies.

7. Compliance with International Standards

This policy is based on the recommendations and guidance of:
- Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE);
- International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE);
- Elsevier - Guidelines on the Responsible Use of AI;
- Springer Nature - AI and Authors Policy;
- Wiley - Best Practice Guidelines for AI Use in Scholarly Publishing.

The Editorial Board reserves the right to revise and update this policy in response to developments in AI technologies and evolving international standards for scholarly publishing.

Attachments:

Author's Code of ethics
Reviewer's Code of ethics
Editor's Code of ethics

Suspected plagiarism in a submitted manuscript
Suspected plagiarism in a published manuscript
Suspected redundant publication in a submitted manuscript
Suspected redundant publication in a published manuscript
Suspected fabricated data in a submitted manuscript
Suspected fabricated data in a published manuscript
Corresponding author requests addition of extra author before publication
Corresponding author requests removal of author before publication