Generative Artificial Intelligence and Research Integrity: A Responsibility-Centred Framework

Authors

  • José António C. Santos Universidade do Algarve, School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT), and Reseach Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS), Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2675-3487
  • Miguel Puig-Cabrera Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS), and Instituto Andaluz de Investigación e Innovación en Turismo (IATUR), Universidad de Sevilla, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4524-9830
  • Margarida Custódio Santos Universidade do Algarve, School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT), and Reseach Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS), Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3383-5699
  • Alfonso Vargas-Sánchez University of Huelva (retired), and Andalusian Academy of Economics and Territorial Sciences, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0588-8654
  • Antonio Juan Briones-Peñalver Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Spain; Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2893-007X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18089/tms.20260203

Keywords:

Generative Artificial Intelligence, Research Integrity, Academic Publishing, Epistemic Responsibility, AI ethics, Editorial Governance

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly integrated into academic writing, research workflows, and editorial processes, raising fundamental ethical and governance concerns for scholarly publishing. This paper presents an integrative narrative review and conceptual synthesis of a large interdisciplinary corpus of Scopus-indexed literature on AI in academic research, publishing ethics, and editorial decision-making. The study pursues three interrelated aims: to clarify the ethical challenges associated with GenAI across research, peer review, and editorial decision-making; to systematise AI-assisted scholarly practices by distinguishing among integrity-compromising uses, ethically responsible uses, and persistent grey zones in which norms remain contested; and to develop a human-centred, context-sensitive governance perspective to guide authors, reviewers, and editors. The analysis identifies human epistemic responsibility as the central ethical concern, showing that risks arise not from AI itself but from the displacement or obscuring of accountable scholarly judgment. The study contributes a framework for the responsible integration of GenAI into scholarly research and publishing

Author Biographies

  • José António C. Santos, Universidade do Algarve, School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT), and Reseach Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS), Portugal

    José António C. Santos is a Coordinating Professor at the School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT) and an Integrated Researcher at CINTURS (Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being) at the University of the Algarve (UAlg). He has extensive professional experience in international and multicultural settings, having carried out missions representing UAlg in Spain, France, Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, China, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan.

    Throughout his academic career, he has made significant contributions to his field and to the wider research community as a researcher, editor, supervisor, conference organiser, keynote speaker, and reviewer. He is co-founder and co-editor of the Tourism & Management Studies journal and serves as Chair of the TMS Conferences. He has also been invited as a keynote speaker at international academic conferences in Portugal, Spain, France, India, and Vietnam.

    José has supervised 31 doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. He is actively involved in national and international EU-funded research projects, with research interests focused on sustainability in tourism and hospitality, sustainable event management, gastronomy and tourism, and heritage interpretation.

  • Miguel Puig-Cabrera , Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS), and Instituto Andaluz de Investigación e Innovación en Turismo (IATUR), Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

    Miguel Puig-Cabrera holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Seville (Spain), as well as a Degree in Tourism, a Master’s in Economics and Development, and a second Master’s in Tourism Management and Planning. He is a member of the Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS) and the Instituto Andaluz de Investigación e Innovación en Turismo (IATUR), University of Seville, Spain.

    His research focuses on tourism and quality of life, smart territorial development, poverty alleviation, socioeconomic inequalities, and the Sustainable Development Goals. He has received several national research awards in Spain and has built research and teaching experience across various Spanish and Latin American universities.

    He is currently involved in several EU-funded research projects and served as Co-Principal Investigator of the Sustainable Horizons Project – European Universities Designing the Horizons of Sustainability.

  • Margarida Custódio Santos, Universidade do Algarve, School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism (ESGHT), and Reseach Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS), Portugal

    Margarida Custódio Santos holds a PhD in Tourism, a Master's Degree in Management and Development in Tourism, a Degree in Marketing, and a Bachelor's in Tourism Information. Currently, she serves as the director of the Postgraduate Course in Digital Marketing at the School of Management, Hospitality, and Tourism – University of the Algarve, and previously held the position of director for the degree in Tourism. Additionally, Margarida Santos is a co-founder and co-editor of the Tourism & Management Studies journal and has hosted the TMS Conferences on multiple occasions. She is currently responsible for the Research Line in Tourism, Territories, and Environment at the CinTurs Research Centre. Margarida Santos has been invited as a keynote speaker at several conferences in Spain and Portugal. She has actively participated in research projects funded by the EU, supervising Master's and PhD students. 

  • Alfonso Vargas-Sánchez, University of Huelva (retired), and Andalusian Academy of Economics and Territorial Sciences, Spain

    Alfonso Vargas-Sánchez was Full Professor of Business Administration at the University of Huelva, Spain, from 2001 until his retirement in 2022. Over the course of his career, he held several senior academic and leadership positions, including Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, Director of the Department of Management and Marketing, Head of the Tourism Research Group GEIDETUR, Director of the Strategic Management Unit, Coordinator of the University’s Strategic Plan, and Director of the Cepsa Chair.

    He also developed a strong international academic profile through roles such as Director of the Ibero-American Campus of La Rábida at the International University of Andalusia, Director of the PhD Program in Business Sciences at Columbia University in Paraguay, Member of the General Council and Visiting Professor at the University of the Algarve, and Visiting Professor at institutions in England, Indonesia, and Italy.

    He represented the University of Huelva at the UNWTO and CUEIM, served as President of CIBECEM and head of REINTUR, and worked as an international expert in higher education quality assessment and accreditation. He is founder and editor of Enlightening Tourism: A Pathmaking Journal, a founding member of the Euro-Asia Tourism Studies Association, and a member of the Andalusian Academy of Economics and Territorial Sciences.

    His work has been internationally recognised through inclusion in Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientists ranking and by ScholarGPS, which placed him among the top 0.5% of tourism scholars worldwide.

  • Antonio Juan Briones-Peñalver, Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Spain; Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being (CINTURS)

    Antonio Juan Briones-Peñalver is an Associate Professor of Business Administration with extensive teaching and research experience in Strategic Management. His main interests include entrepreneurship, business cooperation, strategic alliances, innovation, international academic cooperation, strategic agribusiness, and EU security and defence strategies.

    He is a researcher at CINTURS (Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being) at the University of Algarve, and FAEDPYME. He has directed doctoral and research projects, published internationally, and received both the European Doctorate Mention and the Extraordinary Doctorate Award from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena.

    He has also held leadership roles in entrepreneurship and management education and has contributed to international development cooperation projects between the European Union and Central America. Before entering academia, he worked as an economist and executive director in agribusiness.

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08.04.2026

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Vol. 22 No. 2 (2026)

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How to Cite

Santos, J. A. C. ., Puig-Cabrera , M., Santos, M. C., Alfonso, V.-S., & Briones-Peñalver, A. J. . (2026). Generative Artificial Intelligence and Research Integrity: A Responsibility-Centred Framework. Tourism & Management Studies, 22(2), 31-45. https://doi.org/10.18089/tms.20260203

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