Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence

The Canadian Journal of Career Development (CJCD) recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), can enhance accessibility for authors, support aspects of research and scholarly communication, and assist with the dissemination of research. At the same time, AI technologies do not replace human creativity, critical thinking, expertise, judgement, and accountability.

This statement was prepared in accordance with guidance on AI use and authorship from COPE[i], STM[ii], and APA[iii], as well as AI position statements and policies from other scholarly journals. As AI technologies continue to evolve, CJCD’s policy on the use of AI and GenAI will also evolve to provide ongoing guidance to authors, reviewers, and editors. Our aim is to support informed, transparent, and ethical decision-making regarding the use of AI throughout the research, writing, peer-review, and publication process.

For Authors

Basic principles:

Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and ethical conduct of their work, including any content produced or modified with the assistance of AI. 

• •  AI tools and systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.
• •  Authors must not attribute authorship, accountability, or responsibility for a manuscript to an AI tool.
• •  GenAI should not be used as a substitute for original scholarly sources. Authors should identify and cite the original sources supporting their claims, evidence, quotations, and arguments.
• •  Authors are responsible for verifying the accuracy, completeness, validity, and appropriateness of any AI-generated or AI-assisted content.
• •  Authors are responsible for ensuring that AI-assisted content does not result in plagiarism, fabricated references, incorrect attribution, copyright infringement, or other forms of academic or research misconduct.

AI assistance (No disclosure required):

Authors do not need to disclose the use of AI tools used solely for routine language correction, spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting of their manuscript; Provided that the use does not introduce substantive content or materially affect the research methodology, analysis, results, or conclusions.

Authors remain responsible for reviewing and approving all text produced or modified through such assistance.

AI assistance (disclosure required):

On submission, authors must disclose the use of AI tools when it makes a substantive contribution to the research, analysis, interpretation, or content of the manuscript. This is so that the editorial team can evaluate the content generated. 
Examples of this include:

• •  Assistance with literature searches, literature reviews, or identification of reference sources.
• •  Generation of illustrations, figures, infographics, or other visual materials.
• •  Generation or substantive revision of text, arguments, or other scholarly content.
• •  Translation of research materials or other substantive content where the translation forms part of the research process.
• •  Generation, modification, or checking of computer code used to conduct research or analysis.
• •  Assistance with data processing, analysis, interpretation, or visualization. This includes use of AI to support qualitative or quantitative analysis.

Where AI is used as part of the research methodology, authors should describe its use in the appropriate section of the manuscript and provide sufficient information for readers to understand its role in the research and, where applicable, reproduce the process. 

For Journals & Peer-Reviewers

Manuscripts submitted to CJCD are confidential. Editors and reviewers must not upload manuscripts, reviewer reports, editorial correspondence, or other confidential materials to GenAI systems.

Peer Reviewers:

• •  Peer reviewers must not use generative AI to generate, substantially draft, or replace their independent assessment of a manuscript.
• •  Reviewers may use approved AI tools for limited language correction, editing, or formatting of their own review, provided that confidential manuscript content is not disclosed to the AI system.
• •  Reviewers remain fully responsible for the content, accuracy, fairness, and confidentiality of their reviews.
• •  Reviewers who have concerns about the use of AI in a submission should raise those concerns directly with the journal editors. They should not attempt an investigation themselves.

Where a reviewer is found to have used GenAI inappropriately or in breach of CJCD's confidentiality requirements, the editors may withdraw the review, exclude it from consideration, and/or decline to invite the reviewer to undertake future reviews.

Editors:

• •  Editors must not use GenAI to replace their independent editorial judgment or to generate substantive editorial decisions.
• •  Editors must not upload confidential manuscripts or other protected editorial materials to AI systems.
• •  Editors should not use GenAI to generate decision letters or substantive summaries of unpublished research, where doing so would compromise confidentiality, accuracy, or editorial judgment.
• •  Editors remain responsible for the accuracy, fairness, confidentiality, and appropriateness of all editorial communications and decisions. 

Ongoing Review of This Statement

Where CJCD uses AI-assisted tools in editorial, production, accessibility, dissemination, or other publishing activities, such use will be appropriately disclosed. Human editors will retain responsibility for decisions and will review AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs for accuracy, appropriateness, bias, confidentiality, and compliance with the journal's standards.

Because AI technologies and scholarly publishing practices continue to evolve, CJCD will periodically review and update this statement. Authors, reviewers, editors, and readers with questions or concerns about the appropriate use of AI with the journal may contact the editorial staff.

 

[i] COPE: COPE Position on Authorship and AI Tools 

[ii] STM: Generative AI in Scholarly Communications

[iii] APA: APA Journals policy on generative AI: Additional guidance