Policy on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in manuscripts submitted for publication in the journal “Roads and Bridges – Drogi i Mosty”.

For Authors

The Editorial Office of the journal “Roads and Bridges – Drogi i Mosty”, together with its publisher, the Road and Bridge Research Institute, recognizes and appreciates the potential of artificial intelligence–based tools (hereinafter: AI) used in the preparation of scientific publications. However, it must be clearly emphasized that while AI may support the preparation of publications within creative processes, it cannot replace critical thinking and scientific reasoning.

1. Permissible use of AI-based tools in manuscript preparation:
   • Language, stylistic and grammatical editing – improving grammar and punctuation, simplifying style, and adjusting text formatting to the journal’s requirements.
   • Language translation – including translation of parts of the manuscript, specialist terminology, and refinement of translations prepared by the Authors.
   • References – including support in the preparation of literature reviews, completion of detailed publication data, and formatting of references in accordance with the journal’s requirements. It must be emphasized that at the final stage of manuscript preparation, each reference should be thoroughly verified for its existence in relevant databases.
2. Permissible use of AI-based tools in research and analytical processes:
   • ML – Machine Learning and ANN – Artificial Neural Networks – to the extent necessary for conducting the research process. The use of AI tools in the research process requires disclosure, including a detailed description of the scope and the names of the tools used, in the section describing research methods.

Responsibility and declaration

All outputs generated by AI must be carefully and thoroughly verified by the Author, who bears full responsibility for the form and content of the article. The Editorial Office assumes no responsibility for the content or for any violations of this AI Policy.

The use of AI in manuscripts submitted to the journal requires the Author(s) to sign a statement on the use of artificial intelligence tools.

In the case of no AI use: The Author(s) declare that at no stage of the preparation of the submitted manuscript was artificial intelligence or AI-based tools used.

In the case of AI use: The Author(s) declare that AI and AI-based tools were used during the preparation of the submitted manuscript within the following scope: [to be specified]. The use complies with the principles set out in the AI Policy in RaBDiM.

The Editorial Office reserves the right to reject a manuscript in its entirety in the event of undisclosed use of AI in a manner inconsistent with this AI Policy.

For Reviewers

Peer review is a key stage in the manuscript handling process and largely determines the Editorial Office’s final decision on acceptance or rejection. The scientific assessment of a manuscript must be carried out exclusively by a human reviewer, who bears responsibility for a reliable and thorough evaluation.

Manuscripts submitted by Authors must be treated as confidential documents, and their entire content or any part thereof must not be processed using AI tools. Failure to comply with this rule may violate confidentiality and the Authors’ intellectual property rights, including personal data protection, and may constitute a serious breach of the law.

Accordingly, the Editorial Office does not permit Reviewers to use AI tools.