Publishing Ethics

Ethical Guidelines

Yerevan State University Publishing House in its publishing activities adheres to the principles of publication ethics accepted by the international community, as reflected in the recommendations of the COPE.

ArmJIL follows the COPE policy, i.e. Code of Conduct for for Journal Editors and Journal Publishers.

To avoid any unfair practices in publishing activities (plagiarism, presenting false information, etc.) and to ensure a high quality of scientific publications and public recognition of the author’s scientific results, each member of the Editorial Board, publishers, authors, reviewers and institutions involved in the publishing process shall adhere to ethical standards, rules and regulations and take any reasonable steps to prevent their violations. Compliance with these ethical guidelines by all the parties ensures authors’ intellectual property rights, improves the quality of the Journal and excludes a possible misuse of copyright material in the interests of particular individuals.

To check and prevent plagiarism, the journal uses a service provided by Crossref and maintained by iThenticate.

The editor should respond promptly and take reasonable measures when an ethical complaint occurs concerning a submitted manuscript or a published paper, and the editor should immediately contact and consult with the author. In these cases, editors are obliged to publish a written formal retraction or correction when needed.

Manuscripts containing AI-generated content that cannot be verified through references will be rejected.

As a rule, an author is deemed to be someone who has made essential intellectual contribution to the scholarly paper submitted for publication. Nevertheless, all those who have participated in the research in some way shall be duly acknowledged as well. A co-author is considered to be someone who has had his/her equal share of contribution to the research. It is unacceptable to list the names of those people who have not partaken in the study conducted for the paper.  

According to the conflict of interest policy of ArmJIL, any activity carried out by authors, editors and reviewers that is likely to cause a conflict of interests - financial or non-financial – shall be disclosed, properly managed and avoided at all costs. 

In cases where the research or publication has become possible through some funding, the sources shall be disclosed, and a relevant note shall be made thereof.     

Particular attention shall be paid to citations. The author shall clearly and precisely list all relevant data such as the author, title, page number, year of publication, publisher, etc. In case of inaccuracies, they shall be necessarily rectified by the author before publication. Excessive and inappropriate self-citation is discouraged. Neither shall several authors ‘collaborate’ to self-cite collectively. Any form of citation manipulation is considered inappropriate and is condemned by the editorial board. 

AI policy

ArmJIL recognizes that generative AI tools are increasingly shaping how research is written, translated, and shared. To uphold integrity, transparency and responsible scholarship, we have adopted the following principles for the ethical use of AI-assisted technologies. These are informed by the best practices of leading publishers such as Elsevier and the Committee on Publication Ethics and are adapted to reflect ArmJIL’s own editorial values and disciplinary context.

AI Tools Cannot Be Listed as Authors

Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other AI systems cannot be named as authors under any circumstance. Authorship requires original intellectual input, responsibility for the work and adherence to ethical and academic norms. Because AI tools lack independent reasoning and accountability, they do not meet these requirements. Only individuals who have genuinely contributed to the research and writing process may be credited as authors in ArmJIL publications.

Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must openly state any use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the preparation of their manuscripts. This applies to all uses, including writing or editing text, translating materials, generating visuals or data or suggesting references. Such information should be mentioned clearly in the Acknowledgements or Methods section

Example of a disclosure:

“The authors used OpenAI’s ChatGPT to help refine the wording of the Introduction. All text produced by the tool was reviewed and verified by the authors.”

Human Oversight and Accountability

AI can support research and writing, but full responsibility for the accuracy and integrity of the manuscript remains with the human authors. Any AI-generated material must be carefully checked for factual accuracy, originality and ethical soundness. ArmJIL holds authors fully accountable for any mistakes, inaccuracies or ethical concerns arising from the use of AI tools.

Misuse of AI

ArmJIL enforces a zero-tolerance policy toward the unethical use of AI. The following actions are strictly forbidden:

  • Fabricating or altering research data or results using AI tools.
  • Creating fake or unverifiable citations.
  • Manipulating images, figures, or data in misleading ways.
  • Using AI to impersonate reviewers, generate fraudulent peer reviews, or interfere with the editorial process.

If such practices are detected before or after publication, the manuscript will be rejected or retracted, and relevant institutions or authorities will be notified.

Reviewer Use of AI

Peer reviewers may not use generative AI tools to draft or edit their reports unless the editor has granted explicit permission. If permission is given, reviewers must safeguard the confidentiality of the manuscript and take full personal responsibility for the content of their review. Any use of AI must be disclosed to the editor upon submission.

Ongoing Review and Further Resources

ArmJIL encourages everyone involved in the publication process - authors, reviewers and editors - to stay informed about the ethical and practical implications of AI in academia. For further guidance, we recommend consulting:

This policy will be regularly reviewed and updated as new technologies, standards and ethical challenges emerge.