The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLM)
Journal of NACAA recognizes the potential of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI Tools”) and Large Language Models (LLM) when used responsibly, can help extension professionals work efficiently and effectively. However, these tools must never be used as a substitute for human critical thinking, expertise and evaluation. AI Tools should always be applied with human oversight and control.
AI use policy for authors:
- Authors must check the terms and conditions of any AI Tool that they use to ensure that the privacy and confidentiality of their data and inputs, including their unpublished manuscripts, is maintained.
- Authors must check for any factual error and biasness and must thoroughly edit and adapt the material to ensure the submission represents and reflects their own analysis, interpretation, insights and ideas.
- The use of AI-generated image manipulation is not allowed. This may include enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original.
- Authors should not list AI Tools as an author or co-author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans.
- Authors should disclose the use of AI Tools for manuscript preparation in a separate AI declaration statement in their manuscript upon submission. The application of AI in the context of analyzing and classifying data is permitted but should be described in detail in Materials and Methods section of the manuscript.
- Citing Generative AI (e.g., ChatGPT): To cite ChatGPT in APA style, treat it like software and cite OpenAI as the author and “ChatGPT” followed by the version number in parentheses as the title. Include the date of the version and a URL, and add “[Large language model]” in square brackets.
- : (OpenAI, Year)
Reference List: OpenAI. (Year). ChatGPT (Month Day version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
AI use policy for reviewers:
When a NACAA member is invited to review a manuscript submitted to Journal of NACAA, the manuscript must be treated as a confidential document. Reviewers should not upload a submitted manuscript or any part of it into a generative AI tool as this may violate the authors’ confidentiality and proprietary rights. Despite The Journal of NACAA being a blind review process, the nature of work might give out information that needs to stay confidential. For this reason, reviewers should not upload their peer review report into an AI tool, even if it is just for the purpose of improving language and readability.