1. Overview

The Journal of Sustainable Science and Education Innovation (JSSEI) recognizes that generative artificial intelligence (AI), AI-assisted technologies, and other assistive technologies can support various stages of scholarly research, manuscript preparation, peer review, and editorial work. However, such technologies must remain supportive tools and must not replace human scholarly contribution, critical thinking, academic judgment, ethical responsibility, or editorial independence.

This policy establishes the acceptable and prohibited use of generative AI and related technologies in manuscript preparation, research activities, peer review, and editorial processes. The policy is guided by the principles of transparency, human accountability, confidentiality, research integrity, privacy and intellectual property protection, and editorial independence.

Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff are responsible for ensuring that any use of AI is appropriate, transparent, and consistent with JSSEI's publication ethics and research integrity requirements.

 

2. Use of AI by Authors

2.1 Acceptable Uses

Authors may use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies for supportive and non-substitutive purposes, including:

• brainstorming and developing initial ideas;
• organizing manuscript structure and content;
• grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language improvement;
• improving readability and clarity;
• paraphrasing or translation assistance;
• formatting and other non-substantive presentation tasks;
• assistance in locating or organizing relevant literature and references;
• coding and computational assistance;
• data-related technical support;
• visualization and presentation of research outputs; and

other forms of assistance that do not replace the authors' scholarly contribution.

AI-generated outputs must be carefully reviewed, verified, and edited by the authors. Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, ethical compliance, and final content of their manuscripts.

 

2.2 Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of generative AI, AI-assisted technologies, or other relevant assistive technologies when such tools have been used in the research or manuscript preparation process.

JSSEI requires authors to include a dedicated section entitled:

DECLARATION OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN THE WRITING PROCESS

The declaration should identify:

• the AI or assistive technology used;
• the purpose or function for which it was used; and
• the relevant stage of the research or writing process in which it was used.

Where applicable, the declaration may be published as part of the article. Authors who did not use such technologies should provide an appropriate statement indicating that no AI or other assistive technology was used in the writing process.

JSSEI's manuscript template also requires authors to disclose relevant generative AI or AI-assisted technologies and emphasizes that AI tools cannot be listed as authors; human authors remain responsible for the accuracy, completeness, originality, and ethical integrity of the manuscript.

 

2.3 AI and Authorship

Generative AI systems, AI-assisted technologies, and other software tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts submitted to JSSEI.

Authorship requires meaningful human scholarly contribution, responsibility for the work, approval of the final manuscript, and accountability for its content. AI tools cannot assume these responsibilities.

 

3. AI Use in Research Activities

AI may be used as part of research activities such as data analysis, coding, instrument development, intervention design, literature mapping, classification, predictive modelling, visualization, or other substantive research processes.

When AI materially contributes to the research process, authors should describe its use in the Method section. The description should include, where relevant:

• the tool or system and version;
• its purpose;
• how it was incorporated into the research workflow;
• the nature of the input and output;
• the procedures used to verify or validate AI-assisted outputs; and
• relevant limitations or risks associated with its use.

JSSEI may request supporting materials, such as prompts, AI-generated outputs, logs, code, or original files, when necessary to evaluate research transparency and integrity.

 

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

AI-generated or AI-assisted visual materials must not be used to fabricate, falsify, misleadingly enhance, obscure, or otherwise manipulate research evidence.

Where AI-assisted image generation or modification is scientifically and ethically appropriate, authors should disclose its use and ensure that the resulting material accurately represents the underlying evidence. JSSEI may request original materials, prompts, or AI-generated outputs when necessary to assess the integrity of the visual content.

 

5. Prohibited Uses by Authors

Authors must not use AI technologies to:

• replace substantive scholarly contribution, analysis, interpretation, or critical reasoning;
• fabricate, falsify, or manipulate data, findings, analyses, results, or conclusions;
• generate false, fabricated, or unverifiable references;
• cite sources that have not been verified;
• conceal plagiarism, similarity, duplicate publication, or other forms of misconduct;
• manipulate citations, reference lists, figures, tables, or other scholarly materials;
• provide inaccurate information concerning authorship, ethics approval, conflicts of interest, funding, or data availability;
• insert hidden prompts, invisible text, machine-targeted instructions, or similar mechanisms intended to manipulate plagiarism screening, peer review, editorial assessment, or indexing systems; or
• misrepresent the role, extent, or purpose of AI use in the research or manuscript.

Such practices may constitute research or publication misconduct and may result in editorial action under the relevant JSSEI policies.

 

6. Use of AI by Reviewers

6.1 Reviewer Judgment

Reviewers must conduct peer review independently and must not use generative AI or AI-assisted technologies to replace their substantive scholarly assessment of a submitted manuscript.

Reviewers must not use AI to:

• analyze, evaluate, or interpret a manuscript for peer-review purposes;
• determine its validity, originality, significance, quality, or suitability;
• generate substantive peer-review comments or recommendations;
• determine whether a manuscript should be accepted, revised, or rejected; or
• replace the reviewer's own academic and ethical judgment.

 

6.2 Confidentiality of Submitted Manuscripts

Reviewers must not upload, copy, enter, transmit, or otherwise provide submitted manuscripts or confidential peer-review materials to public, unsecured, or unauthorized AI systems.

This prohibition applies to manuscript text, abstracts, data, figures, tables, supplementary materials, author responses, review forms, unpublished findings, and other confidential materials.

Reviewers remain responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all materials received through the JSSEI peer-review process.

 

7. Use of AI by Editors and Editorial Staff

Editors and editorial staff may use AI tools for limited, supportive, and non-decisional activities, such as:

• grammar and language improvement of non-confidential editorial communications;
• improving clarity and structure of communications;
• formatting and administrative tasks;
• preparation of notes, workflows, templates, and checklists;
• technical or administrative screening;
• checking required manuscript sections and declarations;
• metadata-related tasks;
• background literature assistance;
• development and refinement of editorial policies, guidelines, templates, forms, and workflows; and
• other administrative or supportive activities that do not replace editorial judgment.

Any such use remains subject to human review, verification, modification where necessary, and final approval by the responsible editor or editorial staff member.

 

7.1 Confidential Editorial Materials

Editors and editorial staff must not upload confidential manuscripts, reviewer reports, author responses, unpublished data, supplementary materials, confidential editorial notes, or similar materials to public, unsecured, or unauthorized AI systems.

If AI-assisted processing of confidential material is necessary and permitted, it should only be conducted through a local, private, secure, or journal-controlled system with appropriate safeguards for confidentiality, privacy, data protection, access control, and intellectual property.

 

7.2 Editorial Decision-Making

AI technologies must not determine or independently influence final editorial decisions, including:

• acceptance, revision, or rejection;
• assessment of scientific validity or merit;
• replacement of peer-review assessment;
• final judgments concerning research or publication misconduct; or
• post-publication actions.

All substantive editorial decisions must remain under the responsibility of human editors and must be based on appropriate scholarly, ethical, and editorial judgment.

 

7.3 Editorial Disclosure

Substantive use of generative AI or AI-assisted technologies by editors or editorial staff should be disclosed where appropriate. Routine or minor uses involving grammar, spelling, formatting, or other non-substantive language assistance generally do not require individual disclosure.

Where AI is used for substantive editorial support, the responsible editorial personnel remain accountable for reviewing, verifying, modifying, and approving the final output.

 

8. Confidentiality, Privacy, and Intellectual Property

All authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff must protect confidential and unpublished scholarly materials.

AI technologies must not be used in ways that compromise:

• confidentiality of submitted or unpublished materials;
• privacy and protection of personal data;
• informed consent requirements;
• participant confidentiality;
• copyright and licensing requirements;
• intellectual property rights;
• author rights; or
• institutional or regulatory requirements.

Where AI-assisted processing involves confidential or sensitive information, appropriate technical and organizational safeguards must be applied.

 

9. AI-Related Misconduct

Examples of AI-related misconduct include:

• failure to disclose AI use where disclosure is required;
• misrepresentation of the extent or purpose of AI use;
• fabrication, falsification, or manipulation of research content;
• use of hallucinated or fabricated references;
• use of AI to conceal plagiarism or duplicate publication;
• misleading manipulation of images, figures, or other evidence;
• hidden prompts or invisible text designed to influence editorial or automated systems;
• use of AI by reviewers to substitute for independent scholarly assessment;
• use of AI by editors to make substantive editorial decisions; and
• unauthorized disclosure or processing of confidential materials through AI systems.

Other forms of AI use that compromise research integrity, confidentiality, peer-review integrity, or editorial independence may also be considered misconduct.

 

10. Compliance and Editorial Actions

JSSEI may request clarification, revision, additional disclosure, or supporting documentation when concerns arise regarding the use of AI.

Depending on the evidence, severity, and impact of the issue, possible actions may include:

• requesting clarification or correction;
• requiring disclosure of previously undisclosed AI use;
• requesting supporting records or materials;
• rejection or suspension of a manuscript;
• discontinuation of a reviewer assignment;
• correction or other post-publication action;
• publication of an Expression of Concern;
• retraction, removal, or replacement where justified; or
• referral to the relevant institution, ethics body, funder, or other appropriate authority.

Actions will be determined according to the circumstances of each case and the applicable JSSEI publication ethics and research misconduct procedures.

 

11. Policy Review

JSSEI will periodically review this policy to ensure that it remains appropriate in light of developments in generative AI, scholarly publishing practices, research integrity standards, ethical guidance, and applicable regulations.

Revisions may be made when necessary to address emerging technologies, new risks, changes in scholarly publishing standards, or developments in responsible AI use. The latest version approved and published by JSSEI will apply to manuscripts and editorial processes under the journal's current policies.