Artificial Intelligence (AI) Usage Policy

Journal of Science and Science Education (JoSSEd), published by the Postgraduate Program, University of Mataram, Indonesia, recognizes the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in scientific research, academic writing, data analysis, and scholarly publishing.

The journal supports the responsible, ethical, and transparent use of AI-assisted technologies when such use enhances research quality, clarity, efficiency, or accessibility without compromising scientific integrity, originality, accountability, or confidentiality.

This policy establishes requirements for authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the publication process concerning the use of artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI and large language models.

The policy is informed by the principles of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), together with responsible AI practices in scholarly publishing.

1. Scope and Definition of AI Technologies

This policy applies to the use of AI-assisted technologies in the preparation, submission, review, editing, and publication of manuscripts submitted to JoSSEd.

AI-assisted technologies may include generative AI systems, large language models, AI writing assistants, automated image-generation tools, coding assistants, and other systems capable of generating, transforming, analyzing, or interpreting content.

Examples include ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and comparable technologies. These examples are illustrative and do not imply endorsement by the journal.

Routine tools such as conventional spelling checkers, reference managers, and non-generative formatting utilities are generally distinguished from generative AI systems, unless their use materially influences the scientific content or interpretation of a manuscript.

2. General Principles of Responsible AI Use

JoSSEd requires all AI-assisted activities to comply with the principles of research integrity, transparency, human accountability, confidentiality, and scholarly originality.

The following principles apply:

• Human Accountability: Authors and editorial participants remain responsible for their scholarly contributions and decisions.
• Transparency: Substantive AI assistance must be disclosed appropriately.
• Accuracy: AI-generated information must be independently verified before use.
• Originality: AI must not be used to conceal plagiarism or misrepresent intellectual contributions.
• Research Integrity: AI must not be used to fabricate, falsify, or manipulate research evidence.
• Confidentiality: Unpublished manuscripts, research data, and confidential editorial information must be protected.
• Ethical Compliance: AI use must comply with applicable research ethics, privacy, copyright, and data protection requirements.

3. Permitted Uses of AI by Authors

JoSSEd permits the responsible use of AI-assisted technologies as supporting tools in manuscript preparation and research activities, provided that authors maintain full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the final work.

Permitted uses may include:

• Improving grammar, spelling, readability, and academic language.
• Assisting with translation and language refinement.
• Supporting the organization and clarity of manuscript structure.
• Assisting with coding or computational workflows, subject to verification.
• Supporting preliminary literature exploration, provided all sources are independently verified.
• Assisting with data processing or analysis when the methods are scientifically appropriate, reproducible, and transparently reported.
• Supporting the development of research materials where permitted by applicable ethical and methodological requirements.

AI-generated suggestions must be critically reviewed, corrected where necessary, and integrated through the authors' independent scholarly judgment.

AI use must not replace the authors' responsibility for research design, methodological decisions, data interpretation, scientific reasoning, or final conclusions.

4. Prohibited Uses of Artificial Intelligence

JoSSEd strictly prohibits the use of AI technologies for activities that compromise research integrity or misrepresent scholarly contributions.

Prohibited practices include:

• Fabricating or falsifying research data, experimental results, observations, or participant responses.
• Generating fictitious references, quotations, citations, or research findings and presenting them as authentic.
• Manipulating images, figures, or scientific evidence in a misleading manner.
• Using AI-generated content to conceal plagiarism or duplicate publication.
• Presenting unverified AI-generated interpretations as established scientific findings.
• Creating false ethical approval documents, consent records, or research documentation.
• Misrepresenting AI-generated materials as original empirical observations.
• Uploading confidential or personally identifiable research information to unauthorized AI services.
• Using AI to impersonate authors, reviewers, editors, or other individuals.
• Using AI to manipulate the peer-review or editorial decision-making process.

Violations may result in manuscript rejection, editorial investigation, correction, retraction, or other appropriate actions in accordance with the journal's publication ethics policies.

5. AI Authorship Policy

Artificial intelligence systems, including generative AI tools and large language models, cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts submitted to JoSSEd.

Authorship requires accountability for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and ethical conduct of scholarly work. AI systems cannot independently fulfill these responsibilities or approve the final manuscript.

Accordingly:

• AI tools must not appear in the author list.
• AI systems must not be designated as corresponding authors.
• AI-generated outputs must be reviewed and verified by human authors.
• All listed authors remain accountable for the entire manuscript in accordance with their scholarly responsibilities.
• Relevant AI assistance must be disclosed rather than represented as authorship.

6. Mandatory Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the substantive use of generative AI or other AI-assisted technologies in manuscript preparation, research procedures, data analysis, or content generation.

The disclosure should identify:

1. The name of the AI tool or system used.
2. The developer or provider, where relevant.
3. The purpose for which the AI system was used.
4. The nature and extent of AI assistance.
5. The authors' responsibility for verification and final approval.

AI use that materially affects research design, data collection, data analysis, or interpretation must also be described in the relevant methodological section, with sufficient detail to support transparency and reproducibility.

Routine spelling correction, conventional grammar checking, and non-generative formatting assistance do not normally require a separate AI declaration.

All manuscripts must include an AI Usage Declaration, including a statement when no declarable AI assistance was used.

7. Examples of AI Usage Declarations

8. AI Use in Research Data and Analysis

When AI technologies are used as part of research methodology, authors must provide sufficient information to enable readers and reviewers to understand the role of the technology and evaluate the reliability of the research.

Where relevant, methodological reporting should include the AI system, version, analytical purpose, data inputs, validation procedures, and limitations.

Authors must not use AI-generated or synthetic data as a substitute for actual empirical observations without clearly identifying the data as synthetic and providing appropriate methodological justification.

The use of AI-assisted analysis does not remove the obligation to ensure statistical validity, methodological rigor, reproducibility, and responsible interpretation.

9. AI-Generated Images, Figures, and Visual Materials

AI-generated images, illustrations, diagrams, or other visual materials may be considered when their use is scientifically justified, appropriately disclosed, and consistent with copyright and research integrity requirements.

Authors must not present AI-generated scientific images as authentic experimental observations, field documentation, microscopic images, or other empirical evidence.

Any AI-generated visual material must be clearly identified where necessary, and authors must ensure that its use does not mislead readers about the nature or origin of the research evidence.

The editorial team may request original source materials, underlying data, or additional explanations when concerns arise about the authenticity of figures or images.

10. AI Use by Peer Reviewers

JoSSEd requires reviewers to maintain strict confidentiality concerning manuscripts and related materials received during peer review.

Reviewers must not upload, copy, or disclose confidential manuscript content, unpublished data, figures, or editorial correspondence to external generative AI services without explicit authorization from the journal and appropriate safeguards.

Reviewers must not delegate substantive scientific evaluation or the formulation of review recommendations to AI systems.

Limited AI-assisted language refinement may be considered only when confidentiality is protected and the reviewer remains fully responsible for the accuracy, independence, and integrity of the review.

Any proposed AI use involving confidential review materials must be disclosed to and authorized by the handling editor in advance.

11. AI Use by Editors

Editors must exercise independent professional judgment when evaluating manuscripts and making publication decisions.

AI systems must not replace editors in determining manuscript acceptance, rejection, or revision.

Editors must not upload confidential manuscripts or editorial records to external AI services without appropriate authorization and safeguards.

AI-assisted administrative or editorial support may be used only when confidentiality, fairness, data protection, and human accountability are maintained.

Final editorial decisions remain the responsibility of authorized human editors.

12. AI Detection and Editorial Screening

JoSSEd may use appropriate editorial screening tools to identify potential concerns relating to plagiarism, fabricated references, manipulated content, or undisclosed AI assistance.

The journal recognizes that automated AI-content detection tools may produce inaccurate or inconclusive results.

Therefore, AI detection scores alone will not be treated as definitive evidence of research misconduct.

Any concerns arising from automated screening will be evaluated through human editorial assessment, relevant evidence, and appropriate opportunities for author clarification.

JoSSEd applies a maximum Turnitin similarity threshold of 20% under its separate Plagiarism Policy. Similarity screening and AI-content detection are distinct processes and must not be interpreted as equivalent measures.

13. Copyright, Privacy, and Data Protection

Authors, reviewers, and editors must ensure that the use of AI technologies respects intellectual property rights, confidentiality obligations, research participant privacy, and applicable data protection requirements.

Personally identifiable information, confidential research records, unpublished manuscripts, and restricted datasets must not be disclosed to unauthorized AI platforms.

Authors remain responsible for ensuring that AI-assisted outputs do not infringe third-party rights or reproduce protected materials without appropriate permission or lawful justification.

14. Non-Compliance and Editorial Actions

Failure to comply with this policy may result in appropriate editorial action depending on the nature, severity, and consequences of the violation.

Possible actions include:

• Requesting clarification or an updated AI Usage Declaration.
• Requesting verification of AI-assisted content, references, analyses, or figures.
• Requiring revision or removal of misleading or unverifiable content.
• Suspending manuscript processing while serious concerns are assessed.
• Rejecting manuscripts when significant ethical violations are substantiated.
• Publishing corrections or other post-publication notices.
• Retracting published articles when justified by serious reliability or integrity concerns.

Editorial responses will be proportionate, evidence-based, and consistent with the journal's Allegations of Research Misconduct Policy and Post-Publication Discussions and Corrections Policy.

15. Summary of AI Usage Requirements

16. Policy Review and Updates

JoSSEd recognizes that artificial intelligence technologies and related ethical standards continue to evolve.

The journal may periodically review and update this policy to reflect developments in AI technologies, research integrity standards, data protection requirements, and scholarly publishing practices.

Significant policy changes will be communicated through the journal's official website.

17. Ethical Guidelines and References

This policy is informed by internationally recognized recommendations and ethical principles concerning artificial intelligence and scholarly publishing:

• Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE): https://publicationethics.org/
• International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE): https://www.icmje.org/recommendations/