NYIMAK: Journal of Communication maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism, data fabrication, and redundant publication. All manuscripts submitted to the journal must represent entirely original work. To safeguard academic integrity and ensure high-quality scholarship, the journal enforces strict screening protocols for both conventional plagiarism and the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI).

1. Plagiarism Screening Protocol

Every submitted manuscript undergoes mandatory screening before being forwarded to the peer-review stage. NYIMAK utilizes Turnitin as its primary plagiarism detection software. The screening parameters are enforced as follows:

• Maximum Similarity Threshold: The overall similarity index of a manuscript must not exceed 20%.
• Single-Source Limit: Similarity with any single internet source or database must not exceed 3%.
• Exclusion Settings: During screening, the "Exclude Bibliography" and "Exclude Quotes" functions are activated to ensure fair evaluation of citations and direct blockquotes.

Notice: Manuscripts exceeding the 20% threshold or displaying clear evidence of text-recycling (self-plagiarism) will be immediately desk-rejected. Authors may be permitted to revise and resubmit only if the similarity is minor, localized, and unintentional.

2. Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) Guidelines

In alignment with COPE (Committee on Publication Ethics) core practices, NYIMAK recognizes the role of AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) in modern research workflows. However, to preserve transparency and intellectual accountability, the following regulations apply strictly:

• Authorship Restrictions: AI tools and LLMs cannot be listed as authors or co-authors on any manuscript. AI lacks the legal and moral capacity to hold accountability for the validity, originality, and ethical compliance of a scientific study.
• Mandatory Disclosure: If authors utilize AI tools for manuscript drafting, formal translation, data refinement, or structural editing, they must explicitly disclose this assistance in a dedicated "Declaration of AI Use" section located immediately before the References list.
• Prohibition of AI Fabrication: The use of generative AI to fabricate raw research data, generate fraudulent images/graphics, or synthesize artificial references/citations is strictly prohibited. Detection of AI-fabricated content will result in immediate rejection, and a potential ban on future submissions.
• Human Verification: Authors bear sole responsibility for any inaccuracies, biases, or copyrighted materials generated by AI tools within their text. Human verification and critical academic oversight are mandatory for every section of the paper.

3. AI Regulations for Editors and Reviewers

To maintain absolute confidentiality and objectivity during the evaluation process:

• Reviewers: Peer reviewers are strictly prohibited from uploading submitted manuscripts or any parts of them into generative AI platforms to draft evaluation reports. This protects the intellectual property rights of the authors and ensures compliance with peer-review confidentiality.
• Editors: Academic editors must not rely on AI-generated summaries or decision tools to make final editorial decisions. Editorial duty requires independent peer expertise and critical human judgment.