Generative AI policies for journals

INVENTA: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar

Published by the Department of Elementary School Teacher Education, Universitas PGRI Adi Buana Surabaya, Indonesia

1. General Policy

INVENTA: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar recognizes the growing role of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies in academic research, scholarly writing, and scientific publishing. These technologies offer opportunities to support researchers in conducting literature reviews, organizing information, improving manuscript readability, and enhancing research efficiency. However, their use also raises important concerns regarding academic integrity, originality, transparency, accountability, intellectual property, and research confidentiality.

This policy establishes guidelines for the responsible use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies by authors, reviewers, editors, and other contributors involved in the journal's publication process. It aims to ensure that AI technologies support scholarly activities without replacing human expertise, critical thinking, ethical judgment, or academic responsibility.

As a peer-reviewed journal focusing on elementary school education, INVENTA places particular emphasis on protecting the integrity of educational research and the confidentiality of research participants, including elementary school students, teachers, and educational institutions.

This policy is informed by the principles outlined in Elsevier's Generative AI Policies for Journals, with adaptations to the journal's editorial practices, disciplinary scope, and publication requirements.

INVENTA will periodically review and update this policy to reflect technological developments, evolving publication ethics, and internationally recognized standards of responsible scholarly publishing.

2. For Authors

2.1. The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Manuscript Preparation

INVENTA recognizes that generative AI and AI-assisted technologies, including AI-powered writing assistants, research support tools, and language editing applications, may help authors improve the efficiency and quality of manuscript preparation.

Authors may use AI-assisted technologies for appropriate supporting activities, including:

Improving language clarity, grammar, spelling, and readability.
Organizing manuscript content and improving structural coherence.
Assisting with literature exploration and identifying potentially relevant research.
Supporting the organization and presentation of research information.
Assisting with the development of preliminary ideas and research questions.
Providing technical assistance with formatting and manuscript preparation.

However, AI technologies must not replace the author's critical thinking, scientific reasoning, methodological expertise, or independent interpretation of research findings.

Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, validity, and integrity of all content submitted to INVENTA, regardless of whether AI technologies were used during manuscript preparation.

Authors are required to:

Carefully review and verify all AI-generated information, including factual statements, interpretations, quotations, and bibliographic references.
Ensure that all references cited in the manuscript correspond to authentic and verifiable scholarly publications.
Review and revise AI-assisted content to ensure that the manuscript represents the authors' original intellectual contributions.
Avoid presenting AI-generated arguments, analyses, or interpretations as independently established research findings without appropriate verification.
Disclose the use of generative AI when required under this policy.
Protect confidential information, unpublished research materials, and personal data when using AI technologies.

AI-generated content must never be used to fabricate research data, manipulate findings, create nonexistent references, or misrepresent the research process.

2.2. Responsible Use of AI Tools

Authors must evaluate the terms, conditions, privacy policies, and data protection practices of any AI technology used during research or manuscript preparation.

Particular attention must be given to educational research involving children and other potentially vulnerable participants.

Authors must not upload confidential or personally identifiable information into AI systems without appropriate authorization and adequate data protection safeguards.

Such information may include students' names, photographs, identification numbers, assessment records, interview transcripts, classroom observations, and confidential school documents.

Where AI tools are used to process research materials, authors must ensure that the use complies with applicable research ethics requirements, participant consent, institutional permissions, and relevant data protection regulations.

Authors must also ensure that AI-generated outputs do not violate copyright, intellectual property rights, or the legitimate interests of third parties.

AI technologies must be used responsibly, with careful consideration of potential factual inaccuracies, discriminatory bias, misleading interpretations, and inappropriate generalizations.

2.3. Disclosure of AI Use

INVENTA requires authors to disclose the use of generative AI and AI-assisted technologies when such technologies have materially contributed to manuscript preparation.

The disclosure must identify the AI technology used, describe its purpose, and explain the extent of human oversight and verification.

Authors should include a separate section entitled Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Manuscript Preparation Process, positioned before the References section.

The declaration should clearly describe how the technology was used and confirm that the authors reviewed and accepted full responsibility for the final manuscript.

Routine spelling, punctuation, and basic grammar corrections that do not generate substantive content do not require disclosure.

Where AI technologies form part of the research methodology, including AI-supported qualitative analysis, automated data processing, AI-based educational interventions, or the development and evaluation of AI-assisted learning materials, their use must be described transparently in the Methods section.

Such descriptions should provide sufficient information about the tools, procedures, human oversight, and relevant validation processes to permit appropriate scholarly evaluation.

Example of an AI Disclosure Statement

Declaration of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Manuscript Preparation Process

During the preparation of this manuscript, the authors used [name of AI tool] to assist with [specific purpose, such as language improvement or manuscript organization]. The authors carefully reviewed, verified, and revised the AI-assisted output and take full responsibility for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the published content.

The disclosure of AI use does not reduce the authors' responsibility for meeting the journal's standards of scientific integrity and publication ethics.

2.4. Authorship and Accountability

Generative AI systems and AI-assisted technologies cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of manuscripts submitted to INVENTA.

Authorship requires intellectual responsibility, scholarly judgment, accountability, and the ability to approve the final manuscript, which can only be fulfilled by human contributors.

AI systems must not be credited as authors or cited as human authors in the reference list.

All listed authors must have made appropriate scholarly contributions and must approve the final version of the manuscript before submission.

Authors are collectively responsible for addressing questions concerning the accuracy, originality, research ethics, and integrity of the manuscript.

The use of AI technologies does not diminish the responsibility of authors to ensure that their work has not been previously published, does not involve plagiarism, and does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others.

2.5. The Use of Generative AI in Figures, Images, and Educational Materials

INVENTA emphasizes the authenticity and integrity of visual materials submitted as part of scholarly manuscripts.

The use of generative AI to create, modify, manipulate, or enhance research images in a way that misrepresents the original evidence is prohibited.

Prohibited practices include generating fictitious classroom photographs, altering research documentation, adding or removing visual elements that change the meaning of research evidence, or presenting AI-generated images as authentic observations.

Conventional adjustments to brightness, contrast, resolution, or color balance are acceptable provided that they do not distort, conceal, or misrepresent relevant information.

An exception may apply where the generation or use of AI-based visual materials is an explicit component of the research design or methodology.

For example, studies investigating AI-generated learning media, technology-assisted instructional materials, or AI-supported educational innovation may include AI-generated visual outputs when they constitute legitimate research objects or documented research products.

In such cases, authors must:

Clearly disclose the AI tools used and their roles in the research.
Describe the procedures for generating or modifying the visual materials.
Identify the relevant AI model or software and its version, where available.
Ensure that all images comply with copyright, licensing, privacy, and research ethics requirements.
Distinguish AI-generated educational materials from authentic research documentation.
Provide original materials or additional documentation when requested by the editorial board.

AI-generated artwork used solely for decorative purposes, including graphical abstracts or other illustrative materials, is not permitted unless explicitly authorized by the editorial board.

The use of AI-generated images must never compromise the scientific reliability, originality, or ethical integrity of the manuscript.

3. For Reviewers

3.1. The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Peer Review

INVENTA regards peer review as an essential component of scholarly publishing that requires independent academic judgment, disciplinary expertise, critical evaluation, and ethical responsibility.

All manuscripts submitted for peer review must be treated as confidential documents.

Reviewers must not upload manuscripts, manuscript excerpts, unpublished research data, supplementary materials, or other confidential submission information into publicly accessible or unauthorized third-party generative AI systems.

This restriction also applies to peer review reports and confidential correspondence associated with the manuscript.

Reviewers must not rely on generative AI to independently evaluate the scientific quality, methodological validity, originality, or publication suitability of a manuscript.

AI-generated assessments may contain incorrect, incomplete, biased, or misleading interpretations that could undermine the fairness and reliability of peer review.

The evaluation of research questions, theoretical frameworks, research methods, statistical analyses, findings, and scholarly contributions must remain the responsibility of qualified human reviewers.

Reviewers are expected to:

Conduct independent and objective evaluations of assigned manuscripts.
Maintain the confidentiality of all manuscript materials and review communications.
Avoid uploading confidential manuscript content to unauthorized AI platforms.
Verify the accuracy and relevance of any external information consulted during the review process.
Provide constructive, evidence-based, and academically justified recommendations.
Accept full responsibility for the content and conclusions of their review reports.

Reviewers may consider an author's declared use of AI technologies when assessing the transparency, reproducibility, and integrity of a submitted manuscript.

Any suspected inappropriate use of AI, including fabricated references, manipulated data, undisclosed AI-generated content, or falsified research materials, should be reported confidentially to the editorial board for further evaluation.

4. For Editors

4.1. The Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in Editorial Decision-Making

Editors of INVENTA are responsible for ensuring that submitted manuscripts are evaluated fairly, independently, confidentially, and in accordance with the journal's editorial standards.

Manuscripts submitted to the journal must be treated as confidential scholarly documents.

Editors must not upload unpublished manuscripts, confidential reviewer reports, author correspondence, editorial decision letters, or other protected materials into publicly accessible or unauthorized generative AI systems.

Generative AI technologies must not replace the editorial judgment required to determine manuscript suitability, scientific quality, ethical compliance, or publication decisions.

Decisions concerning manuscript acceptance, revision, or rejection must be made by authorized human editors based on scholarly evaluation, reviewer recommendations, journal policies, and publication ethics.

Editors may use appropriately authorized technological tools to support limited administrative or technical tasks, provided that these tools meet applicable confidentiality, data protection, and security requirements.

Editorial responsibilities include:

Ensuring fair and impartial manuscript assessment.
Protecting the confidentiality of authors, reviewers, and unpublished research.
Evaluating the completeness and transparency of author AI-use declarations.
Investigating suspected misuse of generative AI in accordance with the journal's publication ethics procedures.
Maintaining independent editorial oversight over manuscript assessment and publication decisions.
Ensuring that technological assistance does not compromise academic integrity or editorial accountability.

Where potential violations of this policy are identified, editors may request clarification, additional documentation, corrections, or other appropriate action from the individuals concerned.

Serious violations may result in manuscript rejection or post-publication action, subject to appropriate editorial investigation and established publication ethics procedures.

5. The Use of AI in the Publication Process

5.1. Responsible Integration of AI-Assisted Technologies

INVENTA recognizes that AI-assisted technologies may support selected stages of scholarly publishing by improving administrative efficiency, technical consistency, and the identification of potential research integrity concerns.

Where appropriate technological resources are available and approved by the journal, AI-assisted tools may be considered for supporting the following activities:

Editorial Screening

AI-assisted tools may support preliminary technical checks, including manuscript completeness, formatting consistency, and conformity with submission requirements.

Research Integrity Assessment

Appropriate technological tools may assist editors in identifying potential text similarities, reference inconsistencies, duplicate submissions, or other indicators requiring further investigation.

Reviewer Identification

Authorized technological systems may support the identification of potential reviewers based on relevant disciplinary expertise and research interests, subject to human verification and appropriate confidentiality safeguards.

Copyediting and Production

AI-assisted technologies may support limited post-acceptance activities, including language consistency checks, formatting, and proofreading, provided that the scientific meaning of the manuscript is preserved.

Publication Quality Assurance

Technological assistance may be used to identify inconsistencies in article metadata, references, formatting, and other technical aspects of publication.

These activities describe potential permissible applications and do not imply that INVENTA currently operates or licenses any particular AI system.

All AI-assisted publication activities must be conducted under appropriate human supervision.

AI-generated outputs must not be treated as definitive evidence of research misconduct, nor may automated systems independently determine editorial outcomes.

6. Compliance and Policy Enforcement

All authors, reviewers, editors, and publication contributors are expected to comply with this policy.

INVENTA may request clarification or supporting documentation concerning the use of generative AI technologies when necessary to assess research integrity, publication ethics, or compliance with journal requirements.

Failure to disclose material AI use, fabrication of research content, manipulation of research evidence, unauthorized disclosure of confidential materials, or other serious violations may lead to appropriate editorial action.

Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, such action may include requests for revision, manuscript rejection, publication of corrections, or retraction of published articles.

Any investigation or corrective action must be conducted fairly, proportionately, and in accordance with established publication ethics principles.

7. Policy Review and Updates

INVENTA is committed to maintaining responsible and transparent editorial practices as generative AI and AI-assisted technologies continue to evolve.

The editorial board will periodically evaluate this policy in response to developments in research practices, technological capabilities, data protection requirements, and international standards of publication ethics.

The journal reserves the right to revise or update its guidelines to ensure that AI technologies are used appropriately while maintaining human responsibility, scholarly originality, research credibility, and public trust in academic publishing.

Policy Reference

Elsevier. Generative AI policies for journals.

https://www.elsevier.com/about/policies-and-standards/generative-ai-policies-for-journals

This policy has been adapted for INVENTA: Jurnal Pendidikan Guru Sekolah Dasar, taking into consideration the journal's disciplinary scope, publication procedures, and commitment to responsible scholarly publishing.