Introduction
The International Journal of Islamic Education, Research and Multiculturalism (IJIERM) recognizes that the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has brought significant changes to academic research and scholarly publishing. AI technologies may support various scholarly activities, including improving language quality, assisting with data processing and analysis, organizing references, and facilitating the presentation of academic information.
Nevertheless, the use of AI in scholarly publishing must be undertaken with caution, transparency, ethical awareness, and accountability. The use of AI technologies must not compromise the principles of originality, academic integrity, scientific accuracy, transparency, or authors’ responsibility for the work being published.
This policy establishes the principles and requirements of IJIERM concerning the use of AI tools in the preparation, development, and submission of manuscripts. It has been developed with reference to the principles of publication ethics and best practices promoted by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), particularly those relating to authorship, transparency, research integrity, corrections, and retractions.

Definition of AI Tools
For the purposes of this policy, AI tools refer to software, applications, platforms, or digital systems that employ artificial intelligence technologies, including machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), deep learning, and generative artificial intelligence, to generate, modify, edit, translate, summarize, analyze, or visualize various forms of academic content. Such tools may include, but are not limited to:

• Generative language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other Large Language Models (LLMs);
• Language editing and writing enhancement tools such as Grammarly, DeepL Write, and QuillBot;
• AI-powered tools for data analysis and visualization;
• AI systems used to generate graphs, illustrations, images, or statistical representations;
• AI-assisted tools for literature searching, reference management, and citation generation.

Acceptable Use of AI Tools
IJIERM permits the limited use of AI tools as supportive instruments in academic work, provided that their use remains under the direct supervision and control of the authors.

Permissible Uses
AI tools may be used to:

• Check and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation;
• Improve clarity, readability, consistency, and academic writing style;
• Assist with the organization and formatting of references and citations;
• Support preliminary searches for relevant literature;
• Assist with statistical modeling, data processing, or analysis without replacing researchers’ scholarly judgment and interpretation;
• Support the creation of illustrations, graphs, or other visual materials, provided that the sources, processes, and outputs comply with ethical standards and are critically reviewed by the authors.

The use of AI for these purposes does not exempt authors from their obligation to review, validate, and assume responsibility for the final manuscript.

Prohibited Uses
AI tools must not be used to:

• Generate an entire manuscript or substantial portions of an academic work automatically without meaningful intellectual involvement, verification, and accountability by the authors;
• Create, fabricate, falsify, or manipulate research data, research findings, images, graphs, or other forms of scientific evidence;
• Translate scholarly materials without adequate human review and verification;
• Summarize, rewrite, or paraphrase the work of others in a manner that constitutes plagiarism or conceals the original source;
• Generate fabricated or unverifiable references, quotations, Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), bibliographic information, or scholarly sources;
• Produce materials that violate copyright, intellectual property rights, privacy, or involve the unauthorized use of third-party content;
• Replace scholarly judgment, critical analysis, interpretation, or the intellectual responsibility of the authors.

Author Responsibilities
Authors bear full responsibility for all content submitted to IJIERM, including any material prepared, revised, analyzed, or developed with the assistance of AI tools. Authors are required to:

• Ensure that all manuscript content is accurate, original, relevant, and scientifically accountable;
• Identify and prevent plagiarism, algorithmic bias, AI hallucinations, misinformation, and factual inaccuracies;
• Verify that all references, sources, quotations, data, and information suggested or generated through AI actually exist and can be independently verified;
• Provide appropriate attribution and citations for all external sources used;
• Critically review, verify, and revise all AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs before incorporating them into the manuscript;
• Accept full responsibility for any errors, ethical violations, misinterpretations, or misleading information resulting from the use of AI;
• Ensure that the use of AI does not diminish meaningful human intellectual contributions to the research and scholarly writing process.

Authorship and AI
AI tools, generative language models, chatbots, or other artificial intelligence systems must not be listed as authors or co-authors of publications submitted to IJIERM.
Authorship is reserved exclusively for individuals who have made substantial intellectual contributions to the research, participated meaningfully in drafting or revising the work, approved the final version of the manuscript, and agreed to be accountable for its content and integrity.
Because AI systems cannot assume academic and ethical accountability in the same manner as human authors, they may not be designated as authors, co-authors, or contributors in a manner equivalent to human authorship.
Violation of this requirement may constitute grounds for manuscript rejection or appropriate corrective action regarding an article that has already been published.

Disclosure Requirements for AI Use
Authors must openly and transparently disclose the use of AI tools whenever such technologies have been employed substantively in the research process or manuscript preparation.

At a minimum, the disclosure should include:

• The name of the AI tool used;
• The version or model, where applicable;
• The name of the developer or provider;
• The purpose for which the AI tool was used;
• The section or stage of the research in which AI was employed;
• A concise description of the extent of AI involvement;
• A statement confirming that all AI-assisted outputs were reviewed and verified by the authors;
• A statement confirming that the authors accept full responsibility for the content of the manuscript.

The use of AI solely for routine administrative functions or very limited language correction may be treated in accordance with IJIERM's editorial policy. Nevertheless, authors remain responsible for ensuring that such use does not affect the substantive integrity of the scholarly work.

Placement of AI Disclosure Statements in Manuscripts
Disclosure of AI use should be placed in the section most appropriate to the nature and extent of its use.

Methods Section
Disclosure must be included in the Methods/Methodology section when AI has been used as part of the research process, including for data analysis, programming, statistical modeling, image or graph generation, data processing, or other methodological procedures.

Acknowledgments Section
Where an AI tool has been used solely to assist with language improvement, translation, editing, or formatting, authors may disclose such use in the Acknowledgments section, subject to the journal's editorial policy.

Dedicated AI Disclosure Statement
For more substantive uses of AI, IJIERM encourages authors to include a dedicated section entitled:

Declaration of AI Tool Usage
A recommended statement is as follows:
“During the preparation of this manuscript, the author(s) used [name, version, and developer of the AI tool] for [describe the purpose and extent of use]. All AI-assisted outputs were critically reviewed, verified, and revised by the author(s) to ensure factual accuracy, originality, and academic integrity. The author(s) take full responsibility for the content and integrity of this manuscript.”

Editorial and Peer Review Oversight
Editors and reviewers of IJIERM reserve the right to evaluate the use of AI as part of the ethical, scholarly, and methodological assessment of each manuscript.
Where there is reasonable concern that AI has been used inappropriately or has not been disclosed as required, the editorial team may:

• Request clarification from the author(s);
• Require revision of the manuscript;
• Request supporting evidence or additional relevant information;
• Reject the manuscript in cases involving serious violations;
• Initiate an investigation in accordance with established publication ethics procedures;
• Contact the authors’ affiliated institution where serious research integrity or ethical misconduct is reasonably suspected.

IJIERM does not rely solely on automated AI-detection tools to determine whether a violation has occurred. Editorial assessments must take into account available evidence, scholarly judgment, communication with the authors, and appropriate human decision-making.

Consequences of Non-Compliance
Violations of this AI usage policy may result in editorial action proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the violation. Such actions may include:

• Requests for clarification or correction;
• Requests for manuscript revision;
• Rejection of the manuscript;
• Publication of a correction to an already published article;
• Retraction of an article where the violation seriously compromises the validity or integrity of the publication;
• Formal notification to the authors’ affiliated institution where serious ethical misconduct is suspected;
• Restrictions on future submissions in cases of severe or repeated violations.

All editorial actions should be undertaken proportionately, transparently, fairly, and in accordance with applicable principles of publication ethics.

Appeals and Dispute Resolution
Authors who disagree with an editorial decision concerning the use of AI may submit a formal written appeal to the Editor-in-Chief of IJIERM. An appeal should:

• Clearly explain the grounds for disagreement;
• Include relevant evidence or supporting documentation;
• Identify the specific provision(s) of this policy relevant to the appeal;
• Be submitted through the journal’s official communication channels.

Appeals will be evaluated independently and objectively by the editorial team or the journal’s ethics committee. Where appropriate, IJIERM may refer to relevant guidelines, flowcharts, or recommendations issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) when addressing such matters.

Use of AI by Editors and Reviewers
IJIERM does not use AI systems as the sole means of determining the acceptance, rejection, or final peer-review outcome of a manuscript. Final editorial decisions remain the responsibility of human decision-makers, particularly the Editor-in-Chief, handling editors, and reviewers within their respective roles and responsibilities.
Should AI tools be used in the future to support editorial processes, such use must be transparent, responsible, and subject to meaningful human oversight. AI must not replace professional judgment, scholarly evaluation, or the ethical responsibilities of editors and reviewers.
The confidentiality of manuscripts, author information, peer-review materials, unpublished data, and all other confidential information must be protected throughout the editorial and peer-review process. Confidential manuscript content must not be entered into external AI systems where doing so could compromise confidentiality, data protection, intellectual property, or publication integrity.

Policy Updates and Guidance for Authors
Given the rapid development of AI technologies, this policy will be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect technological developments, evolving publication ethics standards, best practices in scholarly publishing, and relevant guidance issued by international publication ethics organizations.
Authors are strongly advised to consult the most recent version of the IJIERM AI Tools Usage Policy before submitting a manuscript.
Where authors are uncertain as to whether a particular use of AI is permissible, they are encouraged to consult the editorial office prior to submission.
IJIERM supports the responsible adoption of innovative technologies to enhance the quality of research and scholarly publishing while maintaining its commitment to academic integrity, transparency, accountability, originality, and meaningful human responsibility.

Ethical Framework and References
The AI Tools Usage Policy of the International Journal of Islamic Education, Research and Multiculturalism (IJIERM) has been developed with reference to the principles, guidance, and publication ethics practices issued by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), including:

• COPE Core Practices;
• COPE Position Statement on Authorship and AI Tools;
• COPE Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing;
• COPE Ethical Guidelines for Peer Reviewers;
• COPE Guidelines on Authorship and Contributorship;
• COPE Retraction Guidelines;
• Relevant COPE guidance and discussion materials concerning the use of artificial intelligence in authorship, peer review, editorial decision-making, and scholarly publishing.

All authors, editors, and reviewers involved in the publication process of IJIERM are expected to comply with these principles and uphold the highest standards of research integrity and publication ethics.

International Journal of Islamic Education, Research and Multiculturalism (IJIERM)
AI Tools Usage Policy