Ethics

Material published in SFT should be original. Articles reproduced previously in other journals and specialist study publications should not be submitted. Falsified data, plagiarism and any other inappropriate act, which could lead to false conclusions, is unethical.

Detailed information concerning Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement (based on Elsevier recommendations - https://beta.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/publishing-ethics?trial=true - and COPE’s Best Practice Guidelines for Journal Editors - https://publicationethics.org/guidance and Declaration of Helsinki - https://nil.org.pl/uploaded_files/art_1585807090_wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects.pdf) which should be read before submitting the article for publication, can be found under the link above (grey button).

REALISATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE POLICY

The Editorial Board of SFT implements and promotes publication ethics standards by:

• developing and publishing ethical guidelines applicable to authors, reviewers, and editorial staff,

• introducing and publishing a policy on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools addressed to authors, reviewers, and the editorial team,

• implementing appropriate licensing agreements regulating the rights and obligations of the parties.

These principles are consistently enforced through:

• systematic screening of all submitted manuscripts using an anti-plagiarism detection system,

• systematic screening of all submitted manuscripts using an AI-detection system,

• obtaining formal statements from authors confirming that they have read and agree to comply with the publication ethics guidelines and AI policy at the time of submission via the Editorial System,

• obtaining formal statements from reviewers confirming that they have read and accept the AI policy upon agreeing to review a manuscript,

• conducting a thorough assessment of submitted manuscripts for potential violations, including but not limited to plagiarism, citation manipulation, and other forms of misconduct.

ANTI-PLAGIARISM SYSTEM

The articles sent to the editing office are checked by Internet anti-plagiarism system (Plagiat.pl). If an author sends his/her article to the editing office he or she automatically accepts the fact that the article can be assessed in such a context. All cases of author’s unreliability in research will be reported by the editing staff to appropriate administrative authorities.

THE USE OF GENERATIVE AI

Preparing Article

If authors use AI tools while preparing an article, they should always verify the results obtained because artificial intelligence may generate incorrect, although reliable-looking data. The authors are ultimately responsible and accountable for the contents of the work.

Authors should not list AI and AI-assisted technologies as an author or co-author, nor cite AI as an author. Authorship implies responsibilities and tasks that can only be attributed to and performed by humans. Each (co-) author is responsible for ensuring that the work is original, that the stated authors qualify for authorship, and the work does not infringe third party rights, and should familiarize themselves with our Publication Ethics policy before they submit.

The Editorial Office recognizes that generative artificial intelligence and AI-assisted tools (“AI Tools”), when used responsibly, may support researchers in their scholarly work, accelerate literature analysis, and improve the publication preparation process. Such tools may assist, among other things, in synthesizing literature, identifying research gaps, organizing content, generating ideas, and improving language quality and clarity.

Authors may use AI Tools in the preparation of their manuscripts; however, such tools must not replace the author’s independent critical analysis or subject-matter expertise. The use of AI must remain under full human supervision.

Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their publication, in particular for:

• verifying the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of AI-generated content (including checking sources and references),
• ensuring that the article represents the authors’ original contribution and reflects their own analysis and conclusions,
• transparently disclosing the use of AI in the Editorial System at the time of submission,
• safeguarding data privacy, intellectual property, and other rights by reviewing the terms and conditions of the AI tools used.

Uncritical copying of AI-generated content and leaving it without proper critical review is not permitted. The Editorial Office verifies whether the article has been prepared independently by the author or generated by AI using an anti-plagiarism system equipped with an integrated AI detection module.

Creating graphics

We do not permit the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts. Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable as long as they do not obscure or eliminate any information present in the original. Image forensics tools or specialized software might be applied to submitted manuscripts to identify suspected image irregularities.

The only exception refers to the use of AI or AI-assisted tools as part of the research design or research methods. In such a case, the use must be described in a reproducible manner in the methods section, along with an explanation of how the AI or AI-assisted tools were exploited in the image creation or alteration process. It is obligatory to provide the name of the model or tool, version and extension numbers, and manufacturer. Authors should adhere to the AI software’s specific usage policies and ensure correct content attribution.

 Responsible Use of AI

Authors should ensure that the AI tools they use guarantee the confidentiality of submitted data, including unpublished manuscripts. Particular care must be taken when handling personal data.

Authors should also verify whether the use of a given tool involves transferring rights to the input content (e.g., for model training purposes) and whether the terms of use restrict the subsequent publication of the article.

Disclosure of AI Use

The use of AI Tools must be disclosed in the Editorial System at the time of manuscript submission. Authors should provide the name of the tool, the purpose of its use, and the extent of human oversight. This information will be published together with the article.

If AI was used as part of the research process, it must be described in detail in the “Methods” section.

 

Manuscripts under review are confidential documents. Reviewers must not upload manuscript content or their review reports to external AI tools. Scientific evaluation requires independent judgment and critical analysis that must be performed by a human. The reviewer bears full responsibility for the content of their review.

 

Editors are required to maintain the confidentiality of all submitted materials and editorial correspondence. Manuscripts and editorial decision letters must not be uploaded to external AI tools. Publication decisions are made solely by the editors, who retain independence and full responsibility in the editorial process.

This AI policy has been developed on the basis of the guidelines of Elsevier.