Preamble

The emergence of AI-assisted technologies in scholarly research and publication presents both significant opportunities and important risks for the integrity of the scientific record. Neural Prosody, LLC takes a deliberate and transparent approach to the use of such technologies across all aspects of our editorial operations, from manuscript preparation through publication and archiving.

This statement governs the use of AI-assisted technologies by authors submitting to Neural Prosody journals, by reviewers participating in our peer review process, and by Neural Prosody staff and editors in carrying out their responsibilities. All parties engaging with Neural Prosody are expected to be familiar with and to comply with the provisions set forth herein.

Authorship and Intellectual Responsibility

Authorship of any manuscript submitted to a Neural Prosody journal must reflect genuine human intellectual contribution. AI-assisted technologies—including but not limited to large language models, generative writing tools, and automated drafting systems—do not meet the criteria for authorship as defined by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) and adopted by Neural Prosody. No AI-assisted technology may be listed as an author, co-author, or contributor of record on any manuscript submitted to or published by Neural Prosody.

This prohibition is absolute and is not subject to exception or waiver.

Permitted Use by Authors

Authors may use AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of manuscripts for limited, clearly defined purposes, including grammar and spelling correction, language editing for clarity and fluency, and formatting assistance. Such use is permissible provided the following conditions are met:

• The use of any AI-assisted technology in manuscript preparation must be disclosed explicitly in the manuscript, either within the Methods section or in a dedicated Author Contributions statement.

• Disclosure must identify the nature of the AI-assisted tool used and the specific purpose for which it was employed (e.g., language editing, grammar correction).

• Authors retain full intellectual and ethical responsibility for all content, including content that was drafted, revised, or refined with the assistance of AI-assisted technologies. The accuracy, integrity, and originality of the work remain solely the responsibility of the human authors.

• AI-assisted technologies may not be used to generate, fabricate, or substantially produce original research findings, data interpretation, theoretical arguments, or literature reviews without substantial human intellectual contribution and oversight.

Peer Review

Neural Prosody’s peer review process is conducted exclusively by qualified human reviewers. The use of AI-assisted technologies in the preparation, drafting, or submission of peer review reports is strictly prohibited.

Reviewers who are found to have used AI-assisted technologies in the preparation of their reviews will be disqualified from further participation in Neural Prosody’s review process. This standard reflects our commitment to the integrity and confidentiality of the peer review process, and to the expectation that review represents the genuine scholarly judgment of a qualified human expert.

Editorial and Operational Use

Neural Prosody staff and editors may use AI-assisted technologies in the course of internal administrative and operational workflows, including correspondence drafting, scheduling, formatting assistance, and process management. Such use is limited to administrative functions and does not extend to editorial judgment, manuscript evaluation, reviewer selection, or any decision-making process that bears upon the content or integrity of the scholarly record.

Neural Prosody will not use AI-assisted technologies to evaluate the scientific merit, methodological quality, or originality of submitted manuscripts at any stage of the editorial process.

Disclosure and Enforcement

Authors are required to disclose all uses of AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation at the time of submission, using the disclosure fields provided in the submission system. Failure to disclose such use, or misrepresentation of the nature or extent of AI assistance, constitutes a violation of Neural Prosody’s publication ethics policy and may result in manuscript rejection, retraction of published work, or referral to institutional authorities as appropriate.

Neural Prosody reserves the right to update this policy as the landscape of AI-assisted technologies evolves. Authors and reviewers are advised to consult the most current version of this statement, available on the Neural Prosody website, prior to submission.