AI Policy

1. Research Data Policy

Aquatic Ecosystems and Environmental Frontiers encourages responsible research data management, transparency, and data sharing to support the verification, reproducibility, and further development of scientific research.

Authors are required to include a Data Availability Statement in their manuscripts, explaining whether the data supporting the findings are publicly available, included as supplementary material, available upon reasonable request, or subject to restrictions.

Where possible, authors are encouraged to deposit research data, datasets, analytical code, and other supporting materials in recognised public repositories. Authors should provide the repository name, persistent link or DOI, and appropriate data citations in their manuscripts.

Where research data cannot be shared due to ethical, legal, confidentiality, privacy, or other legitimate restrictions, authors must clearly explain the reasons in their Data Availability Statement. Authors are responsible for ensuring that shared data do not violate participant confidentiality, institutional requirements, or applicable environmental regulations.

Authors must ensure that all data presented in their manuscripts are accurate, reliable, and consistent with the reported research findings. Fabrication, falsification, manipulation, or misleading presentation of research data is considered a violation of publication ethics.

2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Aquatic Ecosystems and Environmental Frontiers recognises the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research and academic writing while emphasising transparency, accountability, and responsible use.

Authors may use AI-assisted tools for language improvement, grammar correction, translation, organisation, coding, or other appropriate research-related activities. However, authors must disclose any material use of AI tools in manuscript preparation, data analysis, image generation, or other research activities. The disclosure should identify the tool used and explain its purpose.

AI tools cannot be listed as authors or assigned responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of a manuscript. Authors remain fully responsible for verifying all AI-assisted content, including references, factual statements, data interpretations, and conclusions.

AI tools must not be used to fabricate research data, generate misleading results, manipulate scientific images, or produce false references. Any AI-generated or AI-modified images, figures, or other research materials must be appropriately disclosed and must not misrepresent the original research.

Editors and reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts and unpublished research information. They must not upload confidential manuscript content, reviewer reports, or personal information to external AI tools or platforms without appropriate authorisation.

The journal reserves the right to seek clarification regarding the use of AI tools where necessary to ensure research integrity and compliance with its publication policies.