Policy on the Use of AI

1. General Statement

PKM: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted technologies can support authors, editors, reviewers, and other stakeholders in the scholarly publishing process. These technologies may assist with language improvement, translation, formatting, data organization, and other supporting tasks. However, their use must not compromise academic integrity, authorship accountability, confidentiality, originality, transparency, research ethics, or the quality of scholarly communication.

The journal permits the limited and responsible use of AI-assisted technologies under the conditions established in this policy. AI systems cannot assume responsibility for the content of a manuscript, the validity of community service activities, or editorial decisions. Authors, editors, and reviewers remain fully accountable for their respective contributions and decisions.

2. Use of AI by Authors

Authors may use AI-assisted technologies as supporting tools in preparing manuscripts for PKM: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat, including for language editing, grammar correction, translation, formatting assistance, and other non-substantive editorial purposes.

AI may also be used as a supporting tool in organizing information or assisting with preliminary analysis, provided that its use is appropriate to the research or community service methodology, transparently disclosed where required, and subject to human verification.

Authors must not use AI as a substitute for their intellectual, professional, or ethical responsibilities. Authors remain fully responsible for:

  1. the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript;

  2. the validity of information concerning community needs, program planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation;

  3. the accuracy of data, analysis, interpretations, and conclusions;

  4. the accuracy and verifiability of citations and references;

  5. the authenticity of reported community service activities, outcomes, and impacts;

  6. the protection of personal information, photographs, testimonials, and other data obtained from community members or partner institutions;

  7. compliance with research ethics, community engagement ethics, and publication ethics; and

  8. reviewing and verifying all AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs before submission.

AI tools must not be listed as authors or co-authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the manuscript, verify the authenticity of reported activities, or accept accountability for scholarly and ethical decisions.

3. Disclosure of AI Use by Authors

Authors who use AI-assisted technologies in preparing their manuscripts must disclose such use to the journal. The disclosure should identify:

  • the name of the AI tool or system used;

  • the purpose and nature of its use; and

  • the section or aspect of the manuscript in which the tool was used, where applicable.

The disclosure should be included in an appropriate section of the manuscript or provided through the journal's submission process, as required by the editorial team.

Examples of acceptable disclosure include:

AI Disclosure: The authors used [name of AI tool] to assist with language editing, grammar improvement, and/or translation. All AI-assisted outputs were reviewed and verified by the authors, who remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of the manuscript.

Where AI has been used to support data processing, analysis, or the preparation of materials related to community service activities, authors should describe its role sufficiently to allow readers and editors to understand the nature of that assistance.

The use of AI to fabricate community service activities, invent participants or partner institutions, falsify monitoring and evaluation results, generate unverifiable references, or misrepresent program outcomes is strictly prohibited. Authors must not present AI-generated descriptions, testimonials, photographs, or other materials as authentic evidence of activities that did not occur.

4. Use of AI by Editors

Editors may use AI-assisted technologies for limited administrative or technical purposes that support journal management, provided that such use does not compromise confidentiality, fairness, editorial independence, or academic integrity.

Editors must not delegate editorial judgment to AI systems. Decisions concerning manuscript acceptance or rejection, reviewer selection, assessment of scholarly quality, interpretation of reviewer comments, resolution of ethical issues, and final editorial decisions remain the responsibility of the authorized editor.

Editors must not upload confidential manuscripts, unpublished community service reports, research data, personal information, identifiable photographs of community members, reviewer reports, or other protected materials into AI systems that do not provide adequate confidentiality and data protection.

AI-generated recommendations or outputs used for legitimate editorial purposes must be critically evaluated and verified by the editor before being acted upon. Editorial decisions must be based on the manuscript's scholarly merit, methodological soundness, relevance to community service, ethical compliance, and contribution to community development.

5. Use of AI by Reviewers

Reviewers must not upload or enter submitted manuscripts, unpublished community service reports, research data, or any substantial part of confidential submission materials into public or otherwise unauthorized AI systems for evaluation, summarization, analysis, or the preparation of peer-review comments.

Reviewers must protect:

  1. the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts;

  2. the intellectual property of authors;

  3. unpublished findings and information about community service programs;

  4. personal information belonging to community members and institutional partners;

  5. the confidentiality and integrity of the peer-review process; and

  6. the independence and accountability of their evaluations.

Reviewers must prepare their assessments independently and remain personally responsible for the accuracy, fairness, confidentiality, and scholarly quality of their review reports. AI-generated review comments must not be submitted as a substitute for the reviewer's own critical assessment.

Any use of AI for limited administrative or language-related assistance must be consistent with the journal's confidentiality requirements and applicable editorial instructions.

6. AI and Research and Community Service Integrity

AI-assisted technologies must not be used to fabricate, falsify, manipulate, or misrepresent information in manuscripts submitted to PKM: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat.

Prohibited practices include, but are not limited to:

  • fabricating or falsifying data, observations, participant numbers, or evaluation results;

  • inventing community service activities, locations, partner institutions, beneficiaries, or program outcomes;

  • manipulating evidence to exaggerate the effectiveness or impact of a community service program;

  • generating false or unverifiable references, quotations, or citations;

  • misrepresenting sources or presenting AI-generated statements as verified facts;

  • reproducing another person's intellectual work without appropriate attribution;

  • concealing substantive AI-generated contributions where disclosure is required;

  • creating or altering photographs, testimonials, attendance records, or other evidence in a way that misleads readers about actual activities;

  • disclosing confidential or personally identifiable information without proper authorization;

  • impersonating authors, reviewers, editors, community partners, or participants; or

  • circumventing established principles of research ethics, community engagement ethics, and publication ethics.

Authors must ensure that the use of AI respects the dignity, privacy, rights, and interests of community members and partner institutions. Any data, quotations, images, or testimonials obtained from community participants must be handled in accordance with applicable ethical requirements, consent arrangements, and data protection obligations.

Suspected misuse of AI may be investigated in accordance with the journal's publication ethics and research integrity procedures. Where necessary, the editorial team may request supporting documentation, clarification, or verifiable evidence relating to the reported community service activities and findings.

7. Editorial Responsibility and Sanctions

The Editorial Board of PKM: Jurnal Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat reserves the right to request clarification or additional information from authors regarding the use of AI-assisted technologies whenever necessary.

Failure to disclose AI use when required, providing misleading information about AI use, or using AI in a manner that violates academic integrity, research ethics, or publication ethics may constitute a breach of the journal's policies.

Depending on the nature and severity of the violation, editorial action may include a request for clarification, revision of the manuscript, rejection of the submission, publication of a correction, retraction of a published article, or other appropriate measures consistent with the journal's policies and applicable ethical standards.

All suspected violations must be assessed fairly and proportionately, with consideration given to the available evidence, the nature of the AI use, and the potential consequences for scholarly integrity and the communities represented in the publication.

8. Final Responsibility and Policy Review

AI-assisted technologies are tools and cannot bear authorship, editorial, or peer-review responsibility. Human authors, editors, and reviewers remain accountable for their respective scholarly and editorial activities.

Authors are ultimately responsible for ensuring that manuscripts accurately represent the community service activities conducted, the participation of community partners, the evidence collected, and the outcomes reported.

This policy may be reviewed and updated periodically in response to developments in AI technology, scholarly publishing standards, research and community engagement ethics, and applicable regulations. Any revisions will be communicated through the journal's official website.