GEN AI

Comparative Law and Sustainable Development (CLSD) recognizes that Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and AI-assisted technologies may support certain aspects of scholarly research and academic writing. The journal permits responsible use of such technologies provided that their use does not compromise academic integrity, originality, confidentiality, or research accountability.

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, arguments, analysis, citations, and ethical integrity of their manuscripts, regardless of whether AI-assisted tools have been used.

Permitted Use

Authors may use GenAI and AI-assisted tools for limited purposes, including:

  • language improvement, grammar, spelling, and proofreading;

  • translation assistance;

  • improving clarity and readability; and

  • assisting with non-substantive formatting or data visualization.

All AI-assisted outputs must be critically reviewed and verified by the authors before submission. Authors are responsible for correcting any inaccurate, fabricated, biased, or misleading content generated by AI.

Prohibited Use

Authors must not use GenAI to:

  • generate or fabricate research data, evidence, findings, or citations;

  • produce substantive legal arguments, analysis, or conclusions without meaningful human intellectual contribution and appropriate disclosure;

  • create or manipulate research results in a misleading manner;

  • generate references that have not been independently verified;

  • replace the author’s intellectual contribution or responsibility; or

  • upload confidential manuscripts, unpublished research, personal data, or other protected information into AI systems without appropriate authorization.

GenAI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors. Authorship requires human accountability and responsibility for the work.

AI Use in Peer Review and Editorial Processes

Editors and reviewers must not use GenAI or other AI-assisted tools to process, analyze, summarize, or evaluate confidential manuscripts or unpublished materials without explicit authorization from the journal. Confidentiality of submitted manuscripts must be maintained throughout the editorial and peer-review process.

Disclosure of Generative AI Use

When GenAI or AI-assisted technologies are used beyond basic spelling, grammar, or reference-management functions, authors must disclose such use in a Generative AI Usage Statement placed before the References section.

Authors may use the following format:

Generative AI Usage Statement: During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [NAME OF TOOL/SERVICE] for [PURPOSE]. The author(s) subsequently reviewed, verified, and revised the output and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the final manuscript.

Authors are not required to disclose the use of basic spelling, grammar, or reference-management software.

Failure to disclose substantive use of GenAI, or the use of AI in a manner that violates research or publication ethics, may result in rejection, revision, correction, expression of concern, or retraction, depending on the circumstances.

This policy may be updated periodically to reflect developments in research ethics, scholarly publishing, and responsible AI use.