AI Policy

This policy sets out how authors, editors, and peer reviewers of IJES : Indonesian Journal of Environmental Sustainability may and may not use artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI and AI-assisted technologies, at every stage of writing, editing, and peer review.

1. Principles

  • AI tools cannot be listed as an author or co-author. Authorship carries accountability that only humans can hold.
  • AI must not replace scientific judgement, peer review assessment, or editorial decision-making.
  • Any person who uses AI remains fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, confidentiality, and integrity of the work.
  • Use of AI by authors must be disclosed. Undisclosed use is handled as a breach of publication ethics.

2. Authors

Permitted (with disclosure)

  • Improving grammar, wording, and readability of text written by the authors.
  • Translating text written by the authors, followed by careful checking.
  • Technical assistance with data processing, such as writing or debugging analysis code, provided the tool, version, and purpose are described in the Methods section.

Not permitted

  • Generating scientific content, including the research idea, literature review, interpretation of results, discussion, or conclusions.
  • Generating, fabricating, or altering research data, field or laboratory measurements, or survey responses.
  • Creating or altering figures, images, maps, or photographs.
  • Producing references or citations that the authors have not read and verified.

Tools used only for spelling checks or reference management (for example, Mendeley or Zotero) do not require disclosure.

3. Disclosure statement

Every manuscript must contain a Declaration of AI Use placed before the References section. If no AI tool was used, the declaration states this.

Example: AI used

"During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [tool name, version] to [specific purpose, e.g., improve the readability of the English text]. The authors reviewed and edited all output and take full responsibility for the content of this article."

Example: no AI used

"The authors declare that no generative AI or AI-assisted tools were used in the preparation of this manuscript."

4. Editors

  • Editors may use AI tools only for administrative support, such as improving the language of correspondence, and for integrity screening with tools provided by the journal.
  • Editors must not upload manuscripts, or parts of manuscripts, to public AI tools, because this breaks confidentiality.
  • Editors must not use AI to evaluate the scientific merit of a manuscript or to make or draft editorial decisions.
  • Editors check that each author disclosure is present and consistent with the manuscript, and act on suspected undisclosed use.

5. Peer reviewers

Reviewers must not use AI tools at any point in the peer review process. This includes analysing or evaluating a manuscript, drafting or polishing review comments, and entering, uploading, or pasting any part of a manuscript into an AI application.

Reviewers who suspect undisclosed AI use, fabricated data, or non-existent references should inform the handling editor in their report.

6. Breaches

Suspected breaches are handled under the Publication Ethics policy. Depending on the stage and severity, outcomes include a request for correction, rejection, or correction or retraction of a published article.

Related: Publication Ethics · Peer Review Process · Author Guidelines · Plagiarism Policy