The Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies acknowledges that Large Language Models (LLM) and Generative Artificial Intelligence programs (GenAI) can serve as powerful tools for advancing research and writing. It is the position of the Bulletin, however, that such tools cannot and must not be employed as substitutes for researchers’ creative and critical thinking. To this end, and meanwhile recognizing that the distinction between research and writing is artificial and porous, the Bulletin distinguishes between uses of AI for the preparation of manuscripts on the one hand, and for assistance in research on the other, and further distinguishes between uses that are primarily assistive – e.g. use of AI and other forms of machine assistance to refine human-generated manuscript text – from those that are mainly generative, such as the creation of lengths of text from supplied bullet points. These distinctions, and the policy that follows, are offered as guidance for prospective authors, reviewers, and editors to ensure ethical engagement with these technologies and transparency in their use.
Policy on Machine-/AI-Edited Text
Manuscripts submitted to the Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies may contain text originally written by humans and subsequently edited with machine assistance (i.e. through use of AI programs as well as conventional spellchecking and similar programs) for issues of clarity and conciseness. This usage is considered assistive, and such editing does not require a disclosure statement, but authors are still expected to adhere to academic standards of accuracy and integrity, and it is the BSPHS’ expectation and requirement that authors ensure the accuracy of all content, including citations, present in their submissions. Individuals are jointly and severally responsible for the integrity of all content in submissions on which they are listed as authors. Machine translation of text is likewise permitted, but authors are expected to thoroughly check all such translations and remain responsible for the accuracy and quality of all content generated in such fashion.
Policy on AI-Assisted Research
AI tools offer revolutionary possibilities for advancing research, allowing scholars to locate and synthesize information on scales far beyond individuals’ practical capabilities. Such tools should not, however, be employed as a substitute for researchers’ own analysis. As such, only assistive uses of AI tools that expand the breadth of material scholars can analyze, that foreground patterns difficult for human observation to discern without such assistance, or that similarly enhance rather than replace scholars’ own critical and analytical thinking are permitted in studies published by the Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies. The Bulletin encourages authors who make extensive use of such tools in their research to incorporate discussion of these methods in their submissions and to include a statement disclosing their use of these tools as described in the guidelines that follow.
Policy on AI-Edited Images
The Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies strongly discourages the use of GenAI for the creation of illustrative graphic figures or images included as part of submitted manuscripts. Such use is only permitted in instances where adjustments such as color-correction, adjustment for image brightness, and similar cosmetic adjustments intended to improve image clarity have been made. Authors who have performed such image correction via AI or other means are required to include a statement disclosing the nature of this corrective action in their submitted manuscript. Generation of illustrative maps and similar informational graphics is frequently done with assistance of computer programs that do not rely on generative AI, and this practice continues to be permitted; use of GenAI programs such as ChatGPT for this purpose is not permitted. Digital tools increasingly include AI-assisted functions; in such cases, authors are required to include a statement detailing use of these tools according to the guidelines that follow.
Policy on AI Use by Reviewers and Editors
The Bulletin’s Policy on Machine-/AI-Edited Text is intended to apply to reviewers’ written evaluations of submitted manuscripts as well as content generated by the editorial staff for inclusion in issues of the Bulletin. In particular, the use of LLM and GenAI programs for the drafting of reviewer statements from supplied bullet points or outlines is not permitted.
Policy on AI Disclosure
The Bulletin for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies recommends that authors disclosing use of AI or other tools do so in a statement immediately preceding their references or bibliography. This disclosure must name the tools used and what they were used for, and must include a statement that the author has reviewed and assumes responsibility for the accuracy of all content included in the manuscript.
