Generative AI Policy

1. Introduction
PSEJ (Pancasakti Science Education Journal) recognizes the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including generative AI and AI-assisted technologies, in scholarly publishing. AI tools can help authors improve language clarity, organize content, and support technical tasks. However, their use must be carefully managed to uphold:

  • academic integrity and originality
  • transparency and accountability
  • confidentiality in peer review
  • privacy, intellectual property, and other rights

This policy applies to AI tool use by authors, reviewers, and editors/editorial staff throughout manuscript preparation, peer review, and editorial handling.

This policy aligns with widely adopted international publishing expectations and publication-ethics guidance, including the need for human oversight, disclosure when applicable, and safeguards for confidentiality and rights. AI tools must not be used as a substitute for human critical thinking and expert judgment.

2. Definition of AI Tools
For this policy, AI tools refer to digital systems, platforms, or software that use artificial intelligence techniques (for example, machine learning, natural language processing, or deep learning) to generate, analyze, translate, summarize, or modify textual, numerical, visual, or audio data in a scholarly context.

Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other large language models (LLMs)
  • Writing and grammar tools such as Grammarly, DeepL Write, and QuillBot
  • AI-assisted data analysis, coding, and visualization tools
  • AI-assisted literature discovery and citation tools

3. Acceptable Use of AI Tools (Authors)
Authors may use AI tools only if they maintain full responsibility for the manuscript content and comply with the requirements below.

a. Permissible Uses (no disclosure required)
Disclosure is not required for basic language assistance that does not change the scholarly meaning, such as:

  • grammar checking, spelling, and punctuation correction
  • minor improvements to readability and language fluency without changing meaning
  • reference formatting and citation style formatting

b. Permissible Uses (disclosure required)
Disclosure is required if AI tools are used beyond basic language assistance, including:

  • substantive rewriting, restructuring, or summarization of the manuscript text
  • translation support beyond minor language polishing
  • supporting coding, data cleaning, statistical analysis, or modeling, provided all outputs are verified and reproducible
  • literature mapping or idea generation, provided all claims and all cited sources are independently verified by the authors

c. Restricted and Prohibited Uses
AI tools must not be used to:

  • generate an entire manuscript or substantial portions of original scholarly content in place of the authors’ own analysis and interpretation
  • fabricate, falsify, or manipulate data, results, images, or findings
  • produce citations or references without verifying that each source exists and is accurately represented
  • summarize or rephrase published works in a way that constitutes plagiarism
  • create content that infringes copyright or reproduces identifiable third-party materials without permission

d. Images, Figures, and Artwork
PSEJ does not permit the use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools to create or alter images in submitted manuscripts. This includes enhancing, obscuring, moving, removing, or introducing a specific feature within an image or figure.

Adjustments of brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable only if they do not obscure or eliminate information present in the original.

Exception (methods-based use): If AI-assisted image generation or interpretation is part of the research design or methods, this use must be described in a reproducible manner in the Methods section, including the tool/model name, version, provider, and how outputs were produced. Authors may be asked to provide pre-adjusted images or raw images for editorial assessment.

The use of generative AI or AI-assisted tools in the production of artwork (for example, graphical abstracts) is not permitted. Cover art may be considered only with prior permission from the Editor and with clear evidence that all necessary rights have been cleared, plus correct attribution.

e. Turnitin AI writing detection threshold
Maximum Turnitin result on AI writing detection: 25%. Authors must adjust their manuscripts if the results exceed 20%.

4. Responsibilities of Authors
Authors are solely responsible for all content submitted to the journal, including any content created or modified using AI tools. Authors must:

  • verify the accuracy, originality, and reliability of all AI-assisted content (including checking for incorrect or fabricated references)
  • ensure the absence of plagiarism, bias, factual errors, or hallucinated content
  • ensure that all external sources, data, and identifiable materials are correctly cited and attributed
  • retain and be able to explain their contribution, interpretation, and scholarly judgment
  • accept full responsibility for any errors, omissions, or ethical breaches resulting from AI-assisted work

5. Authorship and AI
AI tools cannot be credited as authors or co-authors, and must not be cited as authors. Authorship is limited to humans who can take public responsibility for the work, approve the final version, and respond to integrity questions.

Including AI tools in the list of authors, author notes, or author contribution statements is prohibited and may result in desk rejection or retraction.

6. Privacy, Confidentiality, and Tool Terms
Before using any AI tool, authors must ensure that its terms and conditions safeguard privacy, confidentiality, intellectual property, and other rights. Authors must not provide confidential, proprietary, sensitive, or personally identifiable information to third-party AI tools unless they have a clear legal basis and adequate protections are in place.

7. Disclosure Requirements (Authors)
Authors must provide full and transparent disclosure if AI tools were used beyond basic grammar, spelling, and punctuation checks. Disclosure must include:

  • the name, version (if applicable), and developer/provider of the AI tool used
  • a clear description of the purpose and extent of its use
  • a statement confirming that the authors reviewed, verified, and take responsibility for all AI-assisted content

Location of disclosure in manuscripts

  • Methods section: if the tool contributed to data analysis, coding, figure generation (methods-based exception), or other parts of the research methodology.
  • Acknowledgements section: if the tool was used for substantive writing support, translation, or restructuring beyond basic proofreading.
  • Dedicated statement: authors are encouraged to include a section titled “Declaration of AI Tool Usage” before the References.