Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

 

1.      Purpose and Scope

The International Journal of Shariah in Economics and Governance (IJSEG) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic integrity, research ethics, transparency, confidentiality, and scholarly accountability.

Artificial intelligence (AI), including generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and large language models (LLMs), can provide useful assistance in scholarly research and communication. However, the use of such technologies must not compromise the originality, integrity, confidentiality, or credibility of scholarly work.

This policy establishes the principles governing the responsible use of AI and GenAI by authors, editors, editorial staff, and peer reviewers of IJSEG. Human authors and scholarly professionals remain fully responsible for their intellectual contributions, decisions, and published work.

The policy is informed by internationally recognised principles of responsible scholarly publishing and is applied in conjunction with IJSEG's other publication ethics and research integrity policies.

2.      Use of AI by Authors

Authors may use AI and GenAI tools as supplementary aids in the preparation of scholarly work, provided that such use does not replace human intellectual contribution, critical reasoning, scholarly judgement, or responsibility.

Acceptable uses may include:

               i.         Correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and language;

  1. Improving clarity, readability, and academic expression;
  2. Assisting with translation, provided that the translation is carefully checked by the authors;
  3. Assisting with formatting, organisation, or presentation;
  4. Providing limited assistance with coding, data processing, or data visualisation, where appropriate and subject to independent human verification; and
  5. Assisting with other routine or non-substantive tasks that do not replace the authors' intellectual contribution.

Authors must independently verify all AI-assisted content before submission. This includes factual claims, quotations, citations, references, data, interpretations, calculations, and other scholarly material.

AI-generated content may contain inaccuracies, omissions, bias, fabricated references, or inappropriate attribution. Authors are therefore responsible for ensuring the accuracy, originality, appropriate attribution, and integrity of all material submitted to IJSEG.

3.      Disclosure of AI Use

Authors must disclose the use of AI or GenAI when it has made a substantive contribution to the preparation, analysis, interpretation, or presentation of the manuscript.

The disclosure should identify, where applicable:

              i.         The name of the AI or GenAI tool;

  1. The developer or provider;
  2. The version or date of access, where available;
  3. The purpose for which the tool was used; and
  4. The nature and extent of its contribution.

The disclosure should be placed in an appropriate section of the manuscript, such as the Acknowledgements or Methods section, depending on the nature of the AI use.

For example:

“The authors used ChatGPT (OpenAI) to assist with language refinement and structural clarity. All AI-assisted material was critically reviewed, verified, and revised by the authors. The authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, integrity, and final content of the manuscript.”

Where AI is used in substantive research activities, such as data analysis, coding, generation of figures, or methodological procedures, the use should be described in the relevant Methods or equivalent section with sufficient detail to ensure transparency and reproducibility.

Routine use of basic spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting assistance generally does not require a formal disclosure unless the tool generates or substantially modifies scholarly content.

IJSEG may request additional information from authors concerning the use of AI where necessary to assess the integrity or transparency of a submission.

4.      AI and Authorship

AI and GenAI systems cannot be listed as authors or co-authors.

Authorship is reserved for human contributors who satisfy the journal's authorship requirements and who can take responsibility and accountability for the work.

AI systems cannot assume responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, originality, ethical compliance, or scholarly conclusions of a manuscript.

Human authors remain fully responsible for the entire content of their submission, including any material generated, translated, analysed, or modified with the assistance of AI.

5.      Prohibited Uses of AI

The following uses of AI and GenAI are prohibited:

              A.      Listing an AI system or tool as an author or co-author;

  1. Using AI to fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or selectively alter research data, results, evidence, images, or findings;
  2. Generating fabricated or unverifiable citations, references, quotations, sources, or bibliographic information;
  3. Presenting AI-generated material as original human scholarship without appropriate human intellectual contribution;
  4. Submitting AI-generated content without adequate human review and verification;
  5. Using AI to conceal plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other forms of academic misconduct;
  6. Using AI in a manner that infringes copyright, intellectual property rights, privacy, or applicable data-protection requirements;
  7. Entering confidential, unpublished, personal, proprietary, or otherwise sensitive research material into AI systems where confidentiality or data protection cannot be assured; and
  8. Using AI to manipulate, circumvent, or interfere with the editorial or peer-review process.

AI-generated material must not be treated as an authoritative primary source without appropriate independent verification. Authors remain responsible for identifying and properly citing the original sources of information used in their work.

6.      Use of AI by Editors and Editorial Staff

Editors and editorial staff must protect the confidentiality, integrity, independence, and impartiality of the editorial process.

Unpublished manuscripts, reviewer reports, author information, supplementary files, confidential correspondence, personal data, or other confidential editorial materials must not be uploaded to external AI or GenAI systems where confidentiality cannot be assured.

AI tools may be used for limited administrative, organisational, or language-support purposes where appropriate and where confidentiality is protected.

AI must not replace the professional judgement of editors or determine editorial decisions, including decisions concerning acceptance, rejection, revision, reviewer selection, or allegations of research misconduct.

All editorial decisions remain the responsibility of authorised human editors.

Where IJSEG uses AI-assisted tools as part of its own editorial or production processes, the journal will ensure that such use is appropriately governed and, where relevant, transparently communicated.

7.      Use of AI by Peer Reviewers

Peer reviewers must maintain the confidentiality, independence, and integrity of the peer-review process.

Reviewers must not upload unpublished manuscripts, research proposals, confidential figures, tables, supplementary materials, reviewer reports, or other confidential information obtained through peer review into AI or GenAI systems where confidentiality cannot be assured.

Reviewers must not use AI to replace their own substantive scholarly evaluation of a manuscript.

Any substantive assessment, interpretation, recommendation, or criticism provided in a peer-review report must be based on the reviewer's own expert judgement.

Where AI use in peer review is permitted by IJSEG, reviewers must comply with the journal's requirements and disclose such use to the editor when appropriate. Reviewers remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, confidentiality, and scholarly integrity of their review reports.

8.      Confidentiality, Privacy, and Data Protection

All participants in the IJSEG editorial process must protect confidential information obtained through manuscript submission, peer review, editorial correspondence, and publication activities.

Particular care must be taken when AI systems process:

              A.      Unpublished research;

  1. Personal or participant information;
  2. Confidential institutional information;
  3. Copyrighted material;
  4. Proprietary research data;
  5. Manuscripts under review; or
  6. Other restricted or sensitive material.

The use of AI must comply with applicable institutional requirements, ethical approvals, intellectual property obligations, privacy requirements, and data-protection standards.

9.      Research Integrity and Scholarly Responsibility

AI-assisted research and publication must uphold the fundamental principles of:

               i.         Academic integrity;

  1. Transparency;
  2. Accountability;
  3. Intellectual honesty;
  4. Originality;
  5. Appropriate attribution;
  6. Confidentiality;
  7. Respect for intellectual property;
  8. Human scholarly judgement; and
  9. Responsible research conduct.

For IJSEG, these principles are also understood in relation to the Islamic scholarly concept of amanah ilmiyyah, referring to the ethical responsibility to preserve the truthfulness, integrity, trustworthiness, and proper transmission of scholarly knowledge.

AI should therefore function as a supporting technological tool rather than a substitute for genuine human intellectual contribution and scholarly responsibility.

10.  Violations and Editorial Action

Failure to comply with this policy may constitute a breach of IJSEG's publication ethics and research integrity requirements.

Where inappropriate or undisclosed AI use is identified, the journal may request clarification or supporting information from the authors or other relevant parties.

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the matter, IJSEG may take appropriate action, including:

              A.      Requesting correction or clarification;

  1. Rejecting a manuscript;
  2. Suspending editorial consideration;
  3. Issuing a correction;
  4. Withdrawing an article;
  5. Retracting a published article where appropriate;
  6. Notifying the relevant institution or authority; or
  7. Taking other measures consistent with the journal's publication ethics policies and recognised scholarly publishing practices.

Each case will be assessed individually, taking into account the nature, extent, and consequences of the suspected violation.

11.  Policy Review and Updates

AI and GenAI technologies, their applications, and the associated ethical and scholarly risks are developing rapidly.

IJSEG will periodically review this policy to ensure that it remains consistent with developments in scholarly publishing, research ethics, data protection, intellectual property, and responsible AI practices.

The journal reserves the right to revise this policy when necessary. Substantive changes will be communicated through the official IJSEG website.

Effective Date: 21 August 2026