AI Tools Usage Policy

 

1. Introduction and Purpose

Jurnal Masjiduna recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI), including Generative AI (GenAI) and AI-assisted technologies, can provide benefits in research, scholarly writing, editing, and publication management. However, such technologies must be used responsibly, transparently, and under human oversight to protect academic integrity, originality, confidentiality, accountability, and the quality of the publication process.

This policy applies to authors, peer reviewers, and editors involved in the publication process of Jurnal Masjiduna. Scientific and editorial decisions remain the responsibility of humans and must not be delegated to AI systems.

2. Definition and Scope

For the purposes of this policy, AI refers to systems, applications, software, or digital technologies that use artificial intelligence to generate, analyze, translate, summarize, modify, or process information in the form of text, numbers, images, audio, code, or research data.

  • Generative AI and large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, and similar technologies.
  • AI-assisted writing and translation tools, such as Grammarly, DeepL, or QuillBot.
  • AI-based tools for data analysis, visualization, programming, or image generation.
  • Other AI-assisted technologies that may affect the substance, presentation, or evaluation of scholarly work.

3. General Principles

  • AI may only serve as an assistive tool and must not replace human intellectual contribution, critical reasoning, interpretation, or accountability.
  • All AI outputs must be critically reviewed, verified, and edited before use.
  • Authors, reviewers, and editors remain fully responsible for their actions and decisions throughout the publication process.
  • AI use must not compromise manuscript confidentiality, infringe copyright, facilitate fabrication or falsification, or produce unverifiable information or references.

4. AI Policy for Authors

4.1 Permitted Uses

Authors may use AI in a limited manner and under human supervision for:

  • grammar, spelling, punctuation, and readability checks;
  • improving language clarity and sentence structure;
  • assisting translation, subject to human verification of the final text;
  • assisting reference formatting and preliminary literature searches;
  • supporting programming, data analysis, modeling, or visualization when relevant to the research method and transparently described.

4.2 Prohibited Uses

Authors must not use AI to:

  • generate an entire manuscript or most of the scientific argument without meaningful author contribution and critical review;
  • create, alter, or fabricate research data, findings, images, or evidence;
  • generate fictitious, inaccurate, or unverifiable references or citations;
  • paraphrase the work of others for the purpose of concealing plagiarism;
  • produce content that infringes copyright, intellectual property rights, or third-party confidentiality;
  • conceal substantive AI use that materially contributed to manuscript preparation or processing.

4.3 Authorship and Responsibility

AI or AI-assisted technologies may not be listed as an author or co-author. Authorship is limited to humans who have made substantial contributions, approved the final version of the article, and can be held accountable for the content and integrity of the work. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, validity of references, interpretation, and final content of the manuscript.

4.4 Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must transparently disclose the use of Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies when such tools are used substantively in manuscript preparation, editing, analysis, coding, visualization, or research methods. The disclosure should include, at minimum, the tool name, version or provider (if available), purpose of use, the section or stage in which it was used, and confirmation that the outputs were reviewed and verified by the authors.

Basic tools used solely for spelling or grammar checks and that do not generate substantive content may be exempt from disclosure.

4.5 Statement in the Manuscript

Where AI has been used substantively, authors must include an AI usage statement at the end of the manuscript before the References section.

Example when AI was used:

Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies: During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [AI tool name, version/provider] for [purpose of use]. All AI-assisted outputs were critically reviewed, verified, and edited by the author(s). The author(s) take full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, and final content of this manuscript.

 

Example when AI was not used:

Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies: The author(s) declare that no generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were substantively used in the preparation of this manuscript.

 

4.6 AI as Part of the Research Method

When AI forms part of the research design or methodology, its use must be transparently reported and reproducible. Authors should describe the model or tool name, version, provider/developer, function of the AI, how it was used, the type of data processed, and the validation procedures performed by the researchers.

4.7 Images, Figures, and Artwork

Generative AI must not be used to create or manipulate images, photographs, or figures that serve as empirical evidence when such use changes the meaning or integrity of the underlying data. Basic technical adjustments such as brightness, contrast, size, or color balance are acceptable provided they do not remove or alter original information. Where AI-based imaging is part of the research method, its use must be fully described in the Methods section.

5. AI Policy for Peer Reviewers

All manuscripts and materials received for peer review are confidential documents. Reviewers are prohibited from using Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies to conduct the scientific evaluation of a manuscript.

  • Reviewers must not upload the full manuscript or any part of it to an AI system.
  • Reviewers must not ask AI to summarize, analyze, assess methodology, evaluate quality, or recommend an editorial outcome for a manuscript.
  • Reviewers must not use AI to draft the substantive content of a peer-review report.
  • Reviewers must not enter research data, findings, author identities, or unpublished information into AI systems.
  • Scientific evaluation, criticism, and recommendations must reflect the reviewer’s own expertise and professional judgment.

The confidentiality obligation also applies to peer-review reports. If a language-support tool is used in a very limited way to improve grammar in text written by the reviewer, such use must not involve uploading the manuscript or any confidential information and must remain consistent with journal policy.

6. AI Policy for Editors

Editors must treat manuscripts, peer-review reports, author information, editorial correspondence, and decision letters as confidential. Editors must not upload such materials to Generative AI systems where doing so may expose confidential information or proprietary rights.

AI must not be used to make autonomous editorial decisions. Decisions concerning scope, suitability for peer review, revision, acceptance, or rejection must be made by human editors based on scholarly assessment, peer-review reports, and the policies of Jurnal Masjiduna.

If editors use AI for permitted administrative or technical functions that do not involve confidential information, the output must remain subject to human verification. Any substantive AI use in the editorial process must be transparently disclosed. Final responsibility and decision-making remain with the editor.

7. Confidentiality, Privacy, and Data Protection

Authors, reviewers, and editors must ensure that AI use does not disclose personal data, sensitive information, unpublished manuscripts, research data, or copyrighted materials to third parties. Any use of AI must take into account privacy, data security, and the terms of use of the relevant platform.

8. Screening and Handling of Suspected Misuse

Jurnal Masjiduna may use supporting tools or editorial checks to identify possible inappropriate AI use. AI-detection outputs will not be treated as the sole basis for accusing an author or imposing a sanction.

Where inappropriate AI use is suspected, editors may request clarification, require revision, request supporting data or documentation, conduct further review, or apply an editorial action proportionate to the seriousness of the issue.

9. Consequences of Non-Compliance

Violations of this policy may result in one or more of the following actions, depending on the nature and severity of the violation:

  • request for clarification or revision;
  • termination of the review process or rejection of the manuscript;
  • correction of a published article;
  • retraction where the violation affects the integrity of the publication;
  • notification of the relevant institution in serious cases;
  • other editorial actions consistent with the publication ethics policies of Jurnal Masjiduna.

10. Appeals and Resolution

Authors who disagree with an editorial decision related to AI use may submit a written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief. The appeal should clearly explain the grounds for disagreement and include relevant evidence or information. Appeals will be reviewed independently in accordance with the journal’s ethics and editorial procedures.

11. Policy Updates

This policy may be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect developments in AI technology, publication ethics standards, best practices in scholarly publishing, and applicable journal accreditation requirements. Authors, reviewers, and editors are expected to consult the latest version before participating in the publication process.

12. Ethical Basis and Implementation

This policy is intended to support transparency, integrity, confidentiality, accountability, and human responsibility in scholarly publishing. It should be read together with the publication ethics, peer-review, conflict of interest, plagiarism, correction/retraction, and author guidelines of Jurnal Masjiduna.

For article-level transparency, Jurnal Masjiduna may include statements on AI use, author contributions, funding, and conflicts of interest in the published article galley/PDF.